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55
Nero becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire
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410
Romans begin their withdrawal from Britain
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450
Germans begin settling in southern Britain
When the Germans began settling in Britain they brought their west Germanic languages which is very similar to the modern Frisian language. -
Period: 500 to 1100
Old English Period
The language for this time period was extremely complex in comparison to our modern day english. -
597
St. Augustine arrives in Britain
His arrival signals the beginning of the Anglo-Saxon conversion to Christianity -
600
Four major dialects of Old English begin to emerge
The four major dialects of Old English are:
Northumbrian, emerging from North England
Mercian, coming out of the Midlands
West Saxon, stemming from the south and west regions of Britain
and Kentish, coming from Britain's southeast region. -
680
Caedmon's hymn
The 7th century brings about England's first great poet, Caedmon, and his writing "Caedmon's Hymn," often considered the oldest surviving literary piece in Old English (Johnson, n.d.). -
792
Vikings begin raiding Britain
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871
Alfred the Great becomes King of Wessex
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871
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle begins
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879
Battle of Edington
It was during this battle that Alfred the Great led the Anglo-Saxon's into victory over the Vikings and began translating Latin works into English. After this victory, he also began to use the English language to help create a sense of national identity. -
1000
Beowulf is composed
Beowulf is the oldest known surviving English manuscript. -
Period: 1100 to 1500
Middle English
A mixture of the Anglo-Norman language and the English language primarily among the laboring and merchant socio-economic groups. -
1209
University of Cambridge
Establishment of the second oldest English speaking university, founded by scholars migrating to Cambridge from Oxford. -
1215
Signing of the Magna Carta
Though not initially successful, eventually the Magna Carta laid the foundation for the common law system in England. This document is often viewed as a symbol of freedom from a season of oppression. This document also laid a historical precedent for America's founding fathers in 1776 (History.com editors, 2018). -
1349
The Black Death
The loss of a third of the English population from 1349-1350 due to a pneumatic plague was known as the Black Death. This massive loss resulted in an economic growth in the laboring and merchant social classes of Britain ("A Brief history of the English language", n.d.). -
1362
Adoption of the Statute of Pleading
After complaints that the French language, being spoken in the courts, was not easily understood or translated, this plea was presented in order to require English be the common language spoken in the British court system ("Pleading in English Act 1362", n.d.). -
1399
King Henry IV
King Henry was the first king to deliver a speech, at his coronation, in English -
1400
The Great Vowel Shift
This eight-step process of shifting the way long vowels were being pronounced, had a profound effect on the way reading was taught and the ability to understand the written English language before, during, or after the shift (Menzer, 2000). -
1476
Arrival of the printing press
William Caxton's contribution to the early modern English age was bringing the printing press to England. The arrival of this press afforded the people in England easier access to printed literacy and aided in the mass publication of books ("A Brief history of the English language", n.d.) -
Period: 1500 to
Early Modern English
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1542
First Book of the Introduction of Knowledge
Andrew Boorde published his book illustrating regional dialects, frequently viewed as the earliest continental guidebook. -
1549
Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England
The very first version of this book is published. -
Pamphlet for Grammar
William Bullokar publishes the first grammar book for the English. -
Queen Elizabeth I begins her reign
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William Shakespeare begins writing his sonnets and plays
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East India Trading Company
An English charter company started as a trading company but quickly involved itself in politics and expanded the British influence into China and took the spice trade monopoly away from Spain and Portugal (Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d.). -
A Table Alphabeticall
Robert Cawdrey, an educator, published the first English dictionary to help readers better understand the meaning of complex words. -
King James Bible
The publication of the King James Bible has an immediate effect on the development of the written English language. -
Civil War
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Restoration of the Monarchy
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The Great fire of London
The great fire of London destroyed countless public buildings, 90 churches, and 13,000 homes, along with many historic landmarks. This fiery destruction of London created an opportunity to rebuild, new building regulations were instituted, architecture changed, fire brigades were assembled, and the insurance industry was born. -
Copyright Act
The first act of legal copyright protection for authors in regards to permission for printing and reprinting their writings.
