The History of the English Language

By Calvinstg
  • 450

    Anglo-Saxon Settlement

    Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain begins after Romans withdraw form the area.
  • Period: 450 to 480

    Earliest Old English inscriptions

  • Period: Jan 1, 600 to Jan 1, 900

    Beowulf Written

    Beowulf was supposedly written in this time period by an unknown author.
  • Jan 1, 1066

    Norman Conquest of England

  • Jan 1, 1167

    Oxford University

    Oxford grew rapidly in 1167 due to the king banning English students from attending the University of Paris.
  • Period: Jan 1, 1349 to Jan 1, 1350

    Black Death

    The Black Death plague kills one third of the British population
  • Feb 17, 1385

    English Used in Schools

    English replaced Latin as the main language at most universities.
  • Jan 1, 1392

    The Canterbury Tales

    Geoffrey Chaucer writes the Canterbury Tales
  • The First Printing Press
    Jan 1, 1440

    The First Printing Press

  • Jan 1, 1492

    Discovery of North America

    In 1492 Christopher Columbus discovers the Americas for Europe.
  • Death of William Shakespeare

    Death of William Shakespeare

  • Shakespeare's First Folio

    Shakespeare's First Folio

  • Period: to

    The American Revolution

    The American colonies fight for their independence from Britain

  • First English Newspaper

    "The Daily Courant" became the first English language newspaper.

  • Oxford English Dictionary Published

    The first complete Oxford English Dictionary was published.