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Jutes, and Frisians began to occupy Great Britain. This is a traditional date the actual migrations doubtless began earlier.
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Canterbury arrived in England to begin the conversion of the English by baptizing King Ethelbert of Kent
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The Synod of Whitby aligned the English with Roman rather than Celtic Christianity.
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Bede produced his Ecclesiastical History of the English
People, recording the early history of the English people. -
The Scandinavian invasion began with raids along the northeast seacoast.
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Alfred became king of Wessex and reigned until his death in 899, rallying the English against the Scandinavians,
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Ælfric, the homilist and grammarian, went to the abbey of Cerne, where he became the major prose writer of the Old English period
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Olaf Tryggvason invaded England, and the English were defeated at the
Battle of Maldon. -
1000 The muscript of the Old English epic Beowulf was written about this
time. -
1016 Canute became king of England, establishing a Danish dynasty in Britain
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Edward the Confessor became king of England.
1066 Edward the Confessor died and was succeeded by Harold, last of the Anglo-Saxon kings, who died at the Battle of Hastings while fighting against the invading army of William, duke of Normandy, who was crowned king of England on December 25.