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Jan 1, 1066
The Battle of Stamford Bridge/ The Battle of Hastings
Ended the threat of Vikings and established Britain as a European nation after the Normans took control of the country in place of the Anglo-Saxons. This had lasting effects on the our current language as the Normans were French, and the mix between English and French speakers led to English speakers adopting some French words. -
Period: Jan 1, 1095 to Jan 1, 1099
First Crusade
The Pope claimed that the knights who ventured on this crusade would receive forgiveness for their sins if they took back Jerusalem for Christianity. As a result, this increased the power of the Catholic Church while also leading to increased trade and a spread of knowledge. -
Jan 1, 1215
Declaration of Magna Carta
The declaration established basic human rights for the citizens of England after King john violated a number of laws through which the nation had been governed. It is viewed as one of the most important documents in the development of modern democracy. -
Jan 1, 1290
Edict of Expulsion
King Edward issued an edict that forced the Jews to leave England after 200 years of persecution against them. -
Period: Jan 1, 1315 to Jan 1, 1317
The Great Famine
A large-scale famine that affected most of Europe and led to millions of deaths. Due to this event, crime rates and disease increased, and some people even resorted to cannibalism. -
Period: Jan 1, 1337 to Jan 1, 1453
The Hundred Years' War
A conflict involving several kingdoms in Europe over the succession of the French War. It lasted almost 120 years and included 5 generations of kings and 2 rival dynasties. While the English lost the conflict, it still greatly increased their sense of nationalism. -
Period: Jan 1, 1348 to Jan 1, 1350
The Black Death
The Black Death was a devastating pandemic that spread across Eurasia and wiped between 75 million and 200 million people. The disease was carried by fleas and rats and expanded through trade across Eurasia. -
Period: Jan 1, 1378 to Jan 1, 1417
The Great Schism
The schism was a split in the Catholic church that occurred when three different people claimed to be the pope; however, the conflict was much more based on politics than opposing theological views. This resulted in the separation between the Western churches and the Eastern Orthodox Churches. -
Jan 1, 1474
Caxton's First Printed Book
Caxton made the first book printed in English. He introduced the printing press to England. -
Jan 1, 1496
The Scottish Education Act of 1496
An act of the Parliament of Scotland that required landowners to send their eldest sons to school in order to ensure that the government would be in competent hands. -
Jan 1, 1549
First church of England Prayer Book
This confirmed England as a Protestant state. -
Period: Jan 1, 1564 to
William Shakespeare
A poet, playwright, and actor who is widely considered the greatest writer in the English language. -
Period: Jan 1, 1577 to Jan 1, 1580
Circumnavigation of the Earth
Francis Drake was sent on an expedition against the Spanish along the Pacific Coast of the Americas. -
Period: to
The East India Company
A joint-stock company that pursued trade with the East Indies but ended up mainly trading with India and China. -
Jamestown
The founding of the first English colony in America. Jamestown is in current day Virginia. -
The Failure of the Commonwealth
The death of Cromwell led to the failure of the Commonwealth. This marked the end of absolute rule in England. -
The Great Plague
The last major epidemic of the bubonic plague to occur in England, killed about a quarter of England's population in a span of 18 months -
The Glorious Revolution
The revolution was the overthrow of King James II. It firmly established that the monarch rules with the consent of the nation and not through divine right. -
The Bank of England
The central bank of England was founded in this year. It is still in use to this day. -
The Act of Union
These two parliamentary acts combined Scotland and England into one nation. The two states were already under rule by the same monarch , so it only made sense to unite them. -
American Declaration of Independence
The British colonies, later to be known as the United States, claimed independence from Britain in this year during their revolution against them. -
Acts of Union 1800
These acts united Britain and Ireland. The acts have since been repealed in Ireland but are still in effect in Britain. -
The Slave Trade Act 1807
This act abolished slave trade in the British Empire. The British realized the cruelty of slave trade and decided they wanted to have nothing to do with it. -
Stockton and Darlington Railway
The first public railway to use steam locomotives. -
Christmas
Christmas becomes a national holiday in the UK. -
Telephone
The British inventor, Alexander Graham Bell, invents the telephone. -
Period: to
World War One
Britain was heavily involved in the first world war, also known as The Great War. The war showcased the devastating effects of new technologies such as tanks and flamethrowers as well as the effects of a global conflict. It resulted in over 16 million deaths. -
Period: to
World War Two
The British and many of its allies declared war on the Germans after they invaded Poland in 1939. This world war lasted for 6 years and costed around 55 million lives; however, the allies prevailed and on the war. -
Hong Kong
Britain gives control of Hong Kong back to the People's Republic of China after having control for 150 years. -
Brexit
The UK decided to leave the European Union.
