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750
Surviving Version of Beowulf probably composed
Beowulf is considered one of the oldest surviving poems in the English language. The author of the poem is unknown and is generally referred to simply as the “Beowulf Poet.” The date of the poem's composition is also unknown. -
793
Vikings began first of many raids on Anglo Saxon Kingdom
Viking raids began in England in the late 8th century, primarily on monasteries. The first monastery to be raided was in 793 at Lindisfarne, off the northeast coast; the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle described the Vikings as heathen men. -
871
Alfred the Great becomes King of Wessex
Alfred was only 21 years old when he became king. He was a strong minded but highly strung battle veteran at the head of remaining resistance to the Vikings in southern England. -
Dec 29, 1170
Thomas Becket Murdered
On the 29 December 1170, four knights, believing the king wanted Becket out of the way, confronted and murdered Becket in Canterbury Cathedral. -
1171
Henry II declares himself Lord of Ireland
In October 1171, King Henry landed with a large army in Ireland to establish control over both the Anglo-Normans and the Irish. -
Jun 15, 1215
King John signs Magna Carta
By signing the document, King John agreed to do his duty as King of England, upholding the law and running a fair government. In return, the barons agreed to stand down and surrender London. -
1283
England conquers Wales
The conquest of Wales by Edward I, sometimes referred to as the Edwardian Conquest of Wales, took place between 1277 and 1283. It resulted in the defeat and annexation of the Principality of Wales, and the other last remaining independent Welsh principalities, by Edward I, King of England. -
1301
Edward II becomes first Prince of Wales
Edward II was the first English prince to hold the title prince of Wales, which was bestowed on him by his father in 1301. Edward I died in July 1307 and, his three elder brothers having pre-deceased him, Edward became king. -
1430
Modern English develops from Middle of England
The evolution of spoken English began from the fifth century, with waves of attack and eventual occupation by the Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Frisians. They spoke the same West Germanic tongue but with different dialects. Their intermingling created a new Germanic language; now referred to as Anglo-Saxon, or Old English -
1476
First printing press was established in England
In 1476 Caxton returned to London and established a press at Westminster, the first printing press in England. Amongst the books he printed were Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales', Gower's 'Confession Amantis' and Malory's 'Le Morte d'Arthur'.
