The History of English: 400-2012

By kamryns
  • 400

    Germanic people arrive in England

  • 410

    Germans settle Britain, use West German dialects

  • Jan 1, 600

    Rise of Northumbria, Mercia, and Wessex

  • Jan 1, 700

    English religious texts emerge

  • Beowulf's writing emerges
    Jan 1, 700

    Beowulf's writing emerges

  • Jan 1, 800

    Charlemagne becomes Roman Emperor

  • Jan 1, 840

    Viking incursions worsen

  • Jan 1, 878

    England split between Anglo-Saxons and Scandinavians

  • Jan 1, 925

    Athelstan reconquers York, Scotland, & Wales

  • Jan 1, 925

    Danes & English become indistinguishable

  • Jan 1, 994

    Cnut becomes King of England

    Encourages Anglo-Saxon literature
  • Jan 1, 1066

    King Edward dies without child

  • Jan 1, 1066

    The Norman Invasion Begins

  • Jan 1, 1075

    English becomes language of lower class

  • Jan 1, 1075

    Anglo-Saxons begin writing in French

  • Jan 1, 1204

    English lose duchy of Normandy to French Kings

  • Jan 1, 1205

    First book in English appears

  • Jan 1, 1258

    First royal proclamation becomes issued in English

  • Jan 1, 1300

    French teach children English

  • Jan 1, 1337

    Hundred Years' War begins between England & France

  • Jan 1, 1362

    English becomes official language of courts of law

  • Chaucer writes Canterbury Tales in Middle English
    Jan 1, 1380

    Chaucer writes Canterbury Tales in Middle English

  • Jan 1, 1380

    London dialect recognized as standard English

  • Jan 1, 1474

    William Caxton brings printing press from Germany to England

  • Oct 12, 1492

    Columbus supposedly discovers North America

  • Jan 1, 1500

    Great Vowel Shift begins

  • King James Bible is published

  • William Shakespeare dies

  • Shakespeare's First Folio is published

    Shakespeare's First Folio is published

  • Classical period of English begins

  • Sciences are developing

  • English purists on the rise

  • Frist Industrial Revolution takes place

  • American Revolution begins

  • British imperialism on the rise

  • Establishment of English in different countries

    Australia, South Africa, India, Singapore, other British outposts.

  • End of First Industrial Revolution

  • Scientific and Industrial Revolutions take place

  • American governmental supremacy

    Economic, political, and military supremacy

  • 2nd Industrial Revolution dies down

  • Second edition of Oxford English Dictionary is published

    Second edition of Oxford English Dictionary is published

  • Internet popularity changes personal communication

  • British & American media influence English around the world

  • Pop music gains popularity & forms English slang

    Pop music gains popularity & forms English slang

  • Immigration to U.S. increases

    Increase in linguistic diversity where they settle, but repeat English patterns, and their first language is usually lost in 1-2 generations.

  • American culture remains majority monolingual