Renaissance Period

1066-William the Conqueror invades England

Sep 28, 1066

William the Conqueror and his army set sail from the mouth of the River Somme to begin the invasion of England. He was also known as William the Bastard because he was the illegitimate child of Robert I (Duke of Normandy) and Herleva, the Duke’s mistress.

1150 paper is first mass-produced in Spain

Sep 27, 1150

Both Spain and Italy claim to be the first to manufacture paper in Europe. Muslim conquest of Spain brought paper making to Europe. The first wire mold for making paper is identified in Spain dating to 1150.

1215-Magna Carta

Sep 28, 1215

Magna Carta originated as an unsuccessful attempt to achieve peace between royalist and rebel factions in 1215, as part of the events leading to the outbreak of the First Barons' War.

1270-end of the Crusades

Sep 28, 1270

The last major crusade aimed at the Holy Land, and an failure that well symbolises the end of the crusades. In the previous twenty years, the remaining crusader states had become increasingly powerless pawns while tides of Mongol and then Mameluke conquests swept across the area.

1348-The Plague

Sep 28, 1348

Coming out of the East, the Black Death reached the shores of Italy in the spring of 1348 unleashing a rampage of death across Europe unprecedented in recorded history. By the time the epidemic played itself out three years later, anywhere between 25% and 50% of Europe's population had fallen victim to the pestilence.

1378 first appearance of Robin Hood in literature

Sep 28, 1378

Robin Hood appeared in a number of American comics including DC comics. He first appeared in New Adventure Comics in 1938.

1387 Chaucer writes The Canterbury Tales

Sep 28, 1387

The Canterbury Tales is one of the best loved works in the history of English literature. Written in Middle English, the story follows a group of pilgrims who are travelling the long journey from London to Canterbury Cathedral.

1455-1485-War of the Roses

Sep 28, 1455

The Wars of the Roses were a series of wars for control of the throne of England. They were fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet, those of Lancaster and York. They were fought in several sporadic episodes between 1455 and 1487, although there was related fighting before and after this period.

1485 first printing of Le Morte d’Arthur

Sep 28, 1485

Le Morte d'Arthur was first published in 1485 by William Caxton, and is today perhaps the best-known work of Arthurian literature in English.

1485 First Tudor king, Henry VII, is crowned

Sep 29, 1485

Henry Tudor was born on 28 January 1457 in Pembroke, Wales. His father, Edmund Tudor, had died two months earlier and his mother, Margaret Beaufort, was just thirteen.