The Old English Period

  • Angles, Saxons
    449

    Angles, Saxons

    Jutes, and Frisians began to occupy Great Britain. This is a traditional date the actual migrations doubtless began earlier.
  • Saint Augustine
    597

    Saint Augustine

    Canterbury arrived in England to begin the conversion of the English by baptizing King Ethelbert of Kent
  • 664
    664

    664

    The Synod of Whitby aligned the English with Roman rather than Celtic Christianity.
  • 730 The Venerable
    730

    730 The Venerable

    Bede produced his Ecclesiastical History of the English
    People, recording the early history of the English people.
  • 787 The Scandinavian invasion
    787

    787 The Scandinavian invasion

    The Scandinavian invasion began with raids along the northeast seacoast.
  • 871 King of Wessex
    871

    871 King of Wessex

    Alfred became king of Wessex and reigned until his death in 899, rallying the English against the Scandinavians,
  • 987

    987 Ælfric, the homilist and grammarian,

    Ælfric, the homilist and grammarian, went to the abbey of Cerne, where he became the major prose writer of the Old English period
  • 991 Olaf Tryggvason
    991

    991 Olaf Tryggvason

    Olaf Tryggvason invaded England, and the English were defeated at the
    Battle of Maldon.
  • 1000
    1000

    1000

    1000 The muscript of the Old English epic Beowulf was written about this
    time.
  • 1016

    1016 Canute

    1016 Canute became king of England, establishing a Danish dynasty in Britain
  • 1066
    1066

    1066

    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.