Medieval Timeline

By andreahaberlein
  • Sep 28, 1066

    William the Conqueror invades England

    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. His subsequent defeat of King Harold II at the Battle of Hastings marked the beginning of a new era in British history.
  • Jan 1, 1150

    First mass production in Spain

    First mass production in Spain
    Both Spain and Italy claim to be the first to manufacture paper in Europe. Muslim conquest of Spain brought paper making to Europe.
  • Jul 15, 1215

    Magna Carta

    Magna Carta
    Magna Carta was the first document forced onto an English King by a group of his subjects, the feudal barons, in an attempt to limit his powers by law and protect their privileges.
  • Sep 26, 1270

    End of Crusades

    End of Crusades
    The crusades, judged by what they set out to accomplish, must be accounted an inglorious failure. After two hundred years of conflict, after a vast expenditure of wealth and human lives, the Holy Land remained in Moslem hands.
  • Jan 1, 1348

    The Plague

    The Plague
    The plague produces several different symptoms in its victims. Bubonic, the most common form of the plague, produces fist-sized swellings, called bulboes, at the site of flea bites - usually in the groin, armpits, or neck.
  • Jan 1, 1378

    First appearance of Robin Hood in literature

    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",[1] assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men".
  • Jan 1, 1387

    Chaucer writes The Canterbury Tales

    Chaucer writes The Canterbury Tales
    The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer at the end of the 14th century. The tales are presented as part of a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims as they travel together on a journey from Southwark to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral.
  • Jan 1, 1455

    Start of War of the Roses

    Start of 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 for the throne of England.
  • Jan 1, 1485

    First printing of Le Morte d'Arthur

    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.
  • Jan 1, 1485

    End of War of the Roses

    End of 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 for the throne of England.
  • Oct 30, 1485

    Henry VII is crowned

    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.