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Period: 400 to 600
THE PRE-ENGLISH PERIOD
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410
Anglo-Saxon Settlement
The first Germanic tribes make their way to England from the lowlands across the North Sea. -
450
Earliest Old English Inscriptions
The first English sentence ever found in writing can be found in a runic inscription on a gold medallion from the 450s–480s. "This she-wolf is a reward to my kinsman". it says. -
Period: 600 to 1100
THE OLD ENGLISH PERIOD
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650
First surviving Old English Runic Inscription
Whether the Ruthwell Cross or Frank's Casket has the earliest surviving OE runic inscription is up for contention. The first instance of OE poetry, Cademon's Hymn, can be found in Ruthwell's Cross. -
1000
Beowulf Manuscript
The British Museum is home to the last remaining copy of the Beowulf manuscript. Vellum is used for printing the document. The fifth or sixth century Danish and Swedish events are the topic of the manuscripts. -
1066
Norman Invasion
Having invaded England, William defeated King Harold at the Battle of Hastings. King William was installed on December 25, 1066. French consequently became the official language of the government and all of its institutions, including the judiciary. The French words that were used in court following the events of 1066 are still used today. -
Period: 1100 to 1500
THE MIDDLE ENGLISH PERIOD
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1343
Geoffrey Chaucer birth
Researchers are uncertain of Chaucer's true date of birth. He is referred to as the "Father of Literature" and was regarded as the finest English poet of the Middle Ages. -
1348
English replaces Latin in Schools
English replaces Latin as main language in schools (except Universities of Oxford and Cambridge). -
1350
Great Vowel Shift (GVS)
The GVS altered how modern English sounds to resemble Chaucer's speech. -
1362
Pleading in English Act 1362
The Law French and Latin were replaced by the Pleading in English Act 1362 on the grounds that most people didn't understand what was being said to or about them in court. -
1476
Publication of Canterbury Tales
Geoffrey Chaucer composed The Canterbury Tales between 1387 and 1400. "It is the story of a group of thirty people who travel as pilgrims to Canterbury (England). The pilgrims, who come from all layers of society, tell stories to each other to kill time while they travel to Canterbury." -
1476
Caxton Introduce Printing Press
William Caxton, a former book importer and translator, went to France to learn about printing. He brought England's first printing press. Later, other presses were added. One of the things that is thought to have contributed to the standardization of English spelling is the advent of this technology, a desire to have literature read outside of the immediate area, and an agreement between printers. -
1492
Discovering North America
A sailor named Rodrigo Bernajo saw land after ten weeks of sailing across the Atlantic Ocean (although Columbus himself took the credit for this). He arrived at a tiny Bahamas island that he named San Salvador. Despite the fact that the island was already occupied, he claimed it for the King and Queen of Spain. This first meeting allowed European colonization of the "New World," which would later have a terrible effect on indigenous peoples. -
Period: 1500 to
THE MODERN ENGLISH PERIOD
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1526
Translation into English - New Testament
William Tynsdale translated the New Testament into English between 1525 and 1526. In England, Tyndale's translation was viewed as blasphemous. -
1564
William Shakespeare Birth
Shakespeare was a poet, writer, and performer. He is recognized as the best English-language author ever. -
First English Dictionary
A Table Alphabeticall by Robert Cawdrey was published in 1604. It was the first English dictionary that was ever produced in a single language. Over 3000 terms are listed, and each one is defined with a short and straightforward definition. -
Shakespeare's First Folio
Shakespeare's First Folio, which was published in 1623, is a remarkable work of literature. Shakespeare's plays had only been published in print about half the time. 18 plays might have been lost for all time without the First Folio. -
First Publication of The Daily Courant
On November 3, 1702, Edward and Elizabeth Mallet started publishing the Daily Courant on a single sheet of paper. The Daily Courant was the first English daily newspaper published in England. It stopped being printed in 1735. -
Publication of Swift's Proposal
Swift thought there was anarchy in the English language. Robert Hadley, the head of the government at the time, received his letter. Swift's idea would have established an official English language that governed grammar and brought back some words that were vanishing. -
Publication of Short Introduction of English Grammar
The author of "Short Introduction of English Grammar," Robert Lowth, was also an Anglican bishop. Approximately 45 copies of the book were reprinted between 1762 and 1800. -
Revolutionary War
Patriotic Americans rebelled against British control in the 13 colonies during the Revolutionary War, which led to American independence. -
First working digital computer
Colossus, the first contemporary digital computer, operated in Bletchley Park in the United Kingdom. It assisted in decoding the Germans' coded communications. -
Birth of the Internet
Computer networks all over the world are connected by the internet. Its construction started in the 1950s. The internet finally entered the commercial realm in 1994. The term "internet" was defined by the FNC on October 24, 1995.