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Sep 28, 1066
William the Conqueror invades England
Claiming his right to the English throne, William, duke of Normandy, invades England at Pevensey on Britain's southeast coast. -
Aug 24, 1150
Paper is first mass- produced in Spain
The invention of paper greatly influenced the printing press. Gunaratne quotes Laufer, ”The invention of paper was the turning point in the history of printing." -
Aug 24, 1215
Magna Carta
Magna Carta, also called Magna Carta Libertatum or The Great Charter of the Liberties of England, is an English charter, originally issued in Latin in the year 1215, translated into vernacular-French as early as 1219, and reissued later in the 13th century in modified versions. -
Aug 24, 1270
End of the Crusades
The crusading movement came to an end by the close of the thirteenth century. The emperor Frederick II for a short time recovered Jerusalem by a treaty, but in 1244 A.D. the Holy City became again a possession of the Moslems. -
Aug 24, 1348
The Plague
The Plague was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. -
Aug 24, 1378
First appearance of Robin Hood in literature
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". -
Aug 24, 1387
Chaucer writes The Canterbury Tales
Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales, a collection of stories in a frame story, between 1387 and 1400. It is the story of a group of thirty people who travel as pilgrims to Canterbury (England). -
Aug 24, 1455
War of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic wars fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York (whose heraldic symbols were the "red" and the "white" rose, respectively) for the throne of England. -
Aug 24, 1485
First Printing of Le Morte d'Arthur
Le Morte d'Arthur is a compilation by Sir Thomas Malory of Romance tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, and the Knights of the Round Table. -
Oct 30, 1485
First Tudor king, Henry VII, is crowned
Having defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, Henry Tudor took the English throne, and was crowned on October 30, 1485.