the history of the UK

  • Oct 14, 1066

    Battle of Hastings :

    between the Norman-French army of William, Duke of Normandy, and an English army under the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson.
  • Jun 15, 1205

    Magna Carta :

    By declaring the sovereign to be subject to the rule of law and documenting the liberties held by “free men,” the Magna Carta provided the foundation for individual rights in Anglo-American jurisprudence.
  • Nov 3, 1534

    Act of Supremacy :

    passed by Henry VIII, established the English monarchs as the head of the Church of England.
  • English Civil War :

    or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Royalists and Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England.
  • Treaty of Union and Acts of Union :

    The core of the United Kingdom as a unified state came into being with the political union of the kingdoms of England and Scotland, into a new unitary state called Great Britain.
  • Queen Victoria :

    the reign of Queen Victoria begins.
  • Slavery Abolition :

    the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 enters into force, abolishing slavery in the British Empire.
  • World War I :

    Great Britain declares war on Germany in response to the invasion of Belgium.
  • Ottoman Empire :

    Britain declares war on the Ottoman Empire.
  • World War I :

    World War I ends.
  • Coronation of George VI and Elizabeth :

    as king and queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth took place at Westminster Abbey, London.
  • World War II :

    British entry into World War II.
  • World War II :

    World War II ends in Europe.
  • the United Nations :

    Britain becomes a founding member of the United Nations.
  • Summer Olympics :

    London hosts the 1948 Summer Olympics.
  • Elizabeth II :

    Death of George VI. Automatic accession of Elizabeth II.
  • Coronation of Elizabeth II :

    Elizabeth acceded to the throne at the age of 25 upon the death of her father, George VI.
  • The Treaty of Accession :

    the United Kingdom signs the Treaty of Accession in a ceremony in Brussels which was attended by Prime Minister Edward Heath in preparedness for membership of the European Communities from 1 January 1973.
  • the European Communities :

    the United Kingdom joins and becomes a member state of the European Communities.
  • the European Communities :

    the United Kingdom chooses to remain a member state of the European Communities in a non-binding referendum.
  • Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer :

    the wedding of Prince Charles (later King Charles III) and Lady Diana Spencer took place at St Paul's Cathedral in London
  • Hong Kong :

    the United Kingdom hands Hong Kong back to China, marking the end of the British Empire.
  • Iraq :

    The United Kingdom, alongside the US, invades Iraq.
  • Olympic Games :

    London hosts the Olympic Games for the third time.
  • The European Union :

    the United Kingdom votes to leave the European Union.
  • The Brexit :

    the motion to approve the Brexit withdrawal agreement – otherwise known as the "meaningful vote" – was rejected 202–432. This was the largest defeat on a government motion in history.
  • The European Union :

    The United Kingdom withdraws from the European Union.
  • The death of Elizabeth II :

    Elizabeth II dies aged 96, seven months after her Platinum Jubilee. Automatic accession of Charles III. Aged 73, he becomes the oldest person to accede to the throne.
  • King Charles III and Queen Camilla :

    Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.