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Saxon victory over invading Vikings at the Battle of Stamford Bridge
Harold II defeats and kills Harald Hardrada -
14 October: The invading Normans defeat the Saxons at the The Battle of Hastings
William of Normandy defeats and kills Harold II with a lucky shot and becomes King of England - Norman Conquest -
which began in 1066, to the devasting Black Death of 1348, the Hundred Years' War with France and the War of the Roses, which finally ended in 1485.
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First Norman stone castle is built in Wales
The Normans quickly advanced into Wales, using castles to subdue the surrounding countryside -
The Domesday Book is compiled, a complete inventory of Britain
It was the most complete record of any country at that time and remains a legally valid document. -
22 December Stephen (Henry's nephew) is crowned king after the death of Henry I in Normandy instead of Matilda. Many considered a woman unfit to rule and further resentment was generated by her marriage into the Anjou family in 1127
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19 December Henry II, the first 'Plantagenet' king, accedes to the throne
He was not only king of England, but also ruled over most of Wales, Normandy, Anjou, Gascony and other parts of France (acquired through his marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine). Henry, son of Empress Matilda, established stability after civil war between his mother and her rival Stephen. He asserted his authority over the barons and enforced law and governance. Regular financial rolls of government began in his reign. -
15 June The Magna Carta is signed by King John and his barons at Runnymede on the River Thames.
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Edward I conquers Wales. Llywelyn ap Gruffyd, the country's last prince is killed
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Edward I makes his eldest son, also Edward, prince of Wales, a title the eldest son of the English monarch continues to take to this day.
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31 August: Henry V dies suddenly, leaving his son Henry VI, who was less than a year old and now king of England and France under the terms of the Treaty of Troyes (1420). He is today still the youngest ever king of England. England was ruled by a Regency Council. In France, the king's uncle, John, Duke of Bedford, gradually extended English control. Henry VI of England was crowned king of France in Paris in December 1431.
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22 May: Civil War: The War of the Roses begin with first Battle of St Albans
York was then driven out by Henry VI's wife, Margaret. York marched on London and defeated Henry's supporters (the Lancastrians) at St Albans. This relatively small battle marks the beginning of a civil war between two branches of the royal family - York and Lancaster - that lasted intermittently until 1485. The Duke of York was the main figure on the Yorkist side and Margaret, Henry's queen, took charge of the Lancast -
22 August Henry Tudor defeats Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth
