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APPENDIX 1: British History Timeline

Prehistoric Britain The first men and women came to Britain over two and a half million years ago. They were hunters and gatherers of food who used simple stone tools and weapons.
500,000 BC People migrate to Britain from Europe
Seas rise, cutting Britain off from mainland Europe
New Stone Age begins: farming people arrive from Europe.
First stone circles erected
Bronze Age begins
Stonehenge built
Trade routes begin to form
Small Villages are first formed
Iron Age begins: iron replaces bronze as most useful metal. Population about 150,000
The Celtic people arrive from Central Europe. The Celts were farmers and lived in small village groups in the centre of their arable fields. They were also warlike people. The Celts fought against the people of Britain and other Celtic tribes
Roman Britain The Romans were the first to invade us and came to Britain nearly 2000 years ago. They changed our country. The Roman Empire made its mark on Britain, and even today, the ruins of Roman buildings, forts, roads, and baths can be found all over Britain. Britain was part of the Roman Empire for almost 400 years! By the time the Roman armies left around 410 AD, they had established medical practice, a language of administration and law and had created great public buildings and roads. Many English words are derived from the Latin language of the Romans
Abroad Britain 55 BC Julius Caesar heads first Roman Invasion but later withdraws
Romans invade and Britain becomes part of the Roman Empire
London Founded
Boadicea leads the Iceni in revolt against the Romans
Romans conquer Wales and the North
122–128 Emperor Hadrian builds a wall on the Scottish Border. Hadrian was a gifted administrator who set in place a policy of creating natural or man-made barriers at the empire's outer limits. Inside he envisaged a commonwealth of peoples set apart from the 'barbarians'. A 73-mile-long stone wall was built by Roman soldiers, stretching from modern Newcastle to Carlisle. It marked the northernmost boundary of the empire, serving as a 'porous' border control for the movement of people and goods, or as a strong defensive fortification in times of strife. The remnants of the Wall are still a popular tourists’ attraction
Romans conquer Scotland
401–410 The Romans withdraw from Britain: Anglo Saxons migrants begin to Settle Britons send a vain appeal for military assistance to the Roman emperor. By 410, troops were continually being withdrawn from Britain to help fight wars elsewhere in the empire. There was a general and persistent state of military crisis. With incursions on all fronts by Angles, Saxons, Picts and Scots, Britain appealed to emperor Honorius for help. Honorius wrote to them telling them to 'look to their own defences'. This act is often seen as marking the end of Roman Britain, although Roman institutions and their way of life endured
Anglo-Saxon Britain The Roman army left Britain about AD 410. When they had gone there was no strong army to defend Britain, and tribes called the Angle, Saxon, and Jute (the Anglo-Saxons) invaded. They left their homelands in northern Germany, Denmark and northern Holland and rowed across the North Sea in wooden boats. The Anglo-Saxons ruled most of Britain but never conquered Cornwall in the south-west, Wales in the west, or Scotland in the north. They divided the country into kingdoms. Missionaries from Roman spread Christianity across southern Britain
450–750 Invasion of the Jutes from Jutland, Angles from South of Denmark and Saxons from Germany. Britain is divided up into the Seven Kingdoms of Northumbria, Mercia, Wessex, Essex, Sussex and Kent. The traditional date of 449 AD for the arrival of the Anglo-Saxon invaders of Britain is taken from the 'Ecclesiastical History of the English', completed by the Venerable Bede, a Benedictine monk, in 731 AD. It is almost certainly wrong, and other sources suggest that the arrival of Angles and Saxons was part of a process of conquest and settlement that began earlier, and continued until later
St Augustine brings Christianity to Britain from Rome and becomes Archbishop of Canterbury. At the instigation of by Pope Gregory I, Augustine led a mission to England in 596 AD, probably as the result of a request of Æthelberht, king of Kent whose wife was Christian. He arrived In 597 AD and Æthelberht gave him land in Canterbury to build a church. Æthelberht became the first Anglo-Saxon king to turn his back on paganism and become Christian. Augustine was made a saint, sometimes termed 'Augustine the Less' to distinguish him from the first St Augustine
Northumbria becomes the Supreme Kingdom
Mercia becomes the Supreme Kingdom and King Offa builds a Dyke along the Welsh Border. After ruling Mercia for 41 years, Æthelbald was murdered by his own bodyguard for reasons unknown. The ensuing civil war saw Offa emerge as his successor and become the most powerful of the English kings of the later 8th century. His name survives to this day in 'Offa's Dyke', the 80-mile-long earthwork which marked his border with the Welsh kingdoms
Viking Britain The Viking Age in Britain began about 1,200 years ago in the 8th Century AD and lasted for 300 years.
First invasion by the Vikings
Wessex becomes the Supreme Kingdom
866–877 Invasion of the Great Danish (Viking) Army
The Vikings take Northumbria
King Alfred defeats the Vikings but allows them to settle in Eastern England
The North subjected to the Danelaw, the rules of the Vikings. Alfred, king of Wessex, had retaken London and now brought the Vikings under King Guthrum to terms. The treaty between Wessex, Guthrum and the East Angles divided England. Alfred and Wessex retained the west, while the east (between the Thames and Tees rivers) was to be Viking territory – later known as the 'Danelaw' – where English and (Danish) Vikings were equal in law.
The Anglo Saxon Chronicle starts
Eastern England (Danelaw) is conquered by the Saxons
King Canute of Denmark captures the English Crown
Macbeth defeats Duncan I of Scotland and makes himself king The rebel Macbeth's victory over Duncan was followed by a long and relatively successful reign, which seems to have born little relation to the events portrayed in William Shakespeare's play 'Macbeth'. Macbeth and his wife had a reputation for piety, and in 1050 he went on pilgrimage to Rome. In 1054, Macbeth was ousted by Duncan's son Malcolm III (1054-1093), but was not finally killed until the Battle of Lumphanan in 1057.
Edward the Confessor becomes King
Westminster Abbey is completed
The Middle Ages – Medieval Britain (Normans). The Middle Ages in Britain cover a huge period. They take us from the shock of the Norman Conquest, which began in 1066, to the devasting Black Death of 1348, the Hundred Years' War with France and the War of the Roses, which finally ended in 1485. The Normans built impressive castles, imposed a feudal system and carried out a census of the country.
6 January 1066 Edward the Confessor dies and is succeed by Harold Godwinson. Harold, earl of Wessex, was crowned king of England on 6 January 1066, the same day as the funeral of his predecessor, Edward the Confessor. He was immediately faced with powerful threats from William, duke of Normandy, and Harold Hardrada, king of Norway, both of whom laid claim to the English throne.
The Battle of Hastings: The invading Normans defeat the Saxons. William of Normandy defeats Harold with a lucky shot and becomes King of England – Norman Conquest. Harold II met William of Normandy near Hastings. The two armies were evenly matched in numbers, but Harold's men were exhausted after a long march back from the hard-fought Battle of Stamford Bridge. Nonetheless, the battle lasted the whole day. The English defensive shield wall was finally broken by the Norman tactic of using feigned retreats to lure Harold's troops into charging then cutting them down with cavalry. The Norman triumph was total. Harold was killed along with many Saxon nobles.
Work starts on The Tower of London
The Domesday Book is compiled, a complete inventory of Britain. While at court in Gloucester, William decided to undertake a survey of his English realm. The country was divided into circuits, and groups of commissioners gathered information in the counties of individual circuits. Initial returns were probably completed by the summer of 1086. The information gathered came to be known as the Domesday Book (Domesday meaning 'day of judgement'). It was the most complete record of any country at that time and remains a legally valid document.
Oxford University Founded
Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas a Becket is murdered by the knights of Henry II. Thomas Becket had been Henry's close friend and his chancellor. But when Henry appointed him archbishop of Canterbury in 1162, Becket began to take the side of the Church against the king, and the two quarrelled. Responding to an outburst of frustration by the king against Becket, four knights murdered Becket in Canterbury Cathedral. Within a few years of his death, Becket was canonised and Canterbury became a site of pilgrimage.
Civil War
The Magna Carta is signed by King John. A rebellion by northern barons led to a meeting between King John and their leaders at Runnymede on the River Thames. At the meeting, the Magna Carta or 'Great Charter' was signed. It was essentially a list of baronial grievances relating to the king’s exploitation of taxation and privileges. More significantly, it represents the first time that defined limitations to royal rights were established in written law.
1282–1283 King Edward conquers Wales. Llewellyn ab Gruffydd, the country's last prince is killed
King Edward invades Scotland and takes the Stone of Destiny from Scone to Westminster
The Battle of Stirling Bridge The Scots under William Wallace defeat the English
The Battle of Falkirk. King Edward defeats Wallace.
Robert Bruce crowned King of the Scots
1321–1322 Civil War
King Edward claims the Throne of France
1337–1453 Hundred Years' War with France. The 'Hundred Years' War' is the name historians have given to a series of related conflicts fought over the course of more than a century between England and France. The causes were complex and varied, but included English territorial and dynastic ambitions in France. The war began with Philip VI's confiscation of Gascony, which led Edward III of England to declare himself the rightful heir to the French throne.
1348–1349 The Black Death (bubonic plague) arrived in England and killed nearly half of the population  
Geoffrey Chaucer starts writing the Canterbury Tales. Geoffrey Chaucer was the first great poet of the English language. Before him, most writers used either French or Latin in preference to the more plebeian English. His best-known work is the unfinished ‘Canterbury Tales’ in which a diverse group of people recount stories to pass the time on a pilgrimage to Canterbury.
The Hundred Years War against France ends
Civil War: The War of the Roses starts. Wars of the Roses begin with first Battle of St Albans By the 1450s, many considered Henry VI's bouts of insanity to have rendered him incapable of rule. In 1453, Richard, Duke of York, was appointed Lord Protector until Henry briefly recovered. York was then driven out by Henry VI's wife, Margaret. York marched on London and defeated Henry's supporters (the Lancastrians) at St Albans. This relatively small battle marks the beginning of a civil war between two branches of the royal family – York and Lancaster – that lasted intermittently until 1485.
Tudor Britain The Tudors were a Welsh-English family that ruled England from 1485 to 1603 – one of the most exciting periods of British history. Henry VIII's matrimonial difficulties led to the split with Catholicism. Henry made himself head of the Church of England.
The War of the Roses ends at the Battle of Bosworth. Henry Vll crowned king.
John Cabot sails from Bristol aboard the 'Matthew' and discovers North America
1509–1547 Henry Vlll succeeds to the throne
Henry VIII forms the 'Church of England'. Henry is confirmed as 'Supreme Head of the Church of England 'following a parliamentary Act of Supremacy
Act of Union joins England and Wales
Mary, Queen of Scots lays claim to the English throne
Elizabeth I begins her 45 year reign
Sir Francis Drake sets sail for his first voyage to the West Indies
Queen Elizabeth I executes Mary, Queen of Scots
The English defeat the Spanish Armada
First performance of a play by William Shakespeare
First British involvement in the Indian continent – East India Company formed. Population of Britain just over 4 million
Stuart Britain The Stuarts had ruled Scotland since 1371, but James VI of Scotland was the first Stuart king of England.
James VI of Scotland becomes James I of England uniting the two kingdoms
Guy Fawkes is thwarted when he tries to blow up Parliament.
The Union Flag adopted as the National Flag
'King James Bible' is published By the end of the 16th century, there were several different English bibles in circulation and the church authorities felt a definitive version was needed. The 'Authorised Version of the Bible' (also known as the 'King James Bible') was commissioned in 1604. It became the most famous English translation of the scriptures and had a profound impact on the English language.
The Pilgrim Fathers set sail for New England from Plymouth, aboard the 'Mayflower'
1624–1630 War with Spain
1626–1629 War with France
Parliament dissolved by King Charles
1642–1651 Civil War
King Charles executed
1649–1650 Cromwell's conquest of Ireland
1650–1652 Cromwell's conquest of Scotland
Cromwell proclaimed Lord Protector
Restoration of the Monarchy under King Charles II
1664–1665 The Great Plague breaks out and up to 100,000 people die in London
Great Fire of London
William III massacres the Jacobites at Glencoe
Act of Union between Scotland and England. The Scottish parliament was dissolved and England and Scotland became one country.
Georgian Britain In 1714 the British throne passed to a German family, the Hanoverians.
George of Hanover, Germany succeeds Queen Anne to the Throne
America declares independence from Britain
1780's Industrial Revolution Begins
First convict ships are sent to Australia
Edward Jenner invented a vaccination against small pox
Act of Union with Ireland
The first census. Population of Britain 8 million Ireland made part of the United Kingdom
Lord Nelson defeats Napoleon at the Battle of Trafalgar
Abolition of Slave Trade
Duke of Wellington defeats Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo
World's first railway opens between Stockton and Darlington
Robert Peel set up the Metropolitan Police force
Victorian Britain The Victorians lived over one hundred and fifty years ago during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837 to 1901) and was a time of enormous change in this country. In 1837 most people lived in villages and worked on the land; by 1901, most lived in towns and worked in offices, shops and factories.
Queen Victoria becomes Queen at the age of 18
The first postage stamps (Penny Post) came into use
1845–1849 Ireland suffered the Great Potato Famine when entire crops of potao, the staple Irish food, were ruined. The famine was a consequence of the appearance of blight, the potato fungus. About 800,000 people died as a result of the famine. A large number of people migrated to Britain, the United States, Canada and Australia
1850s The first post boxes were built
London Underground opens
The last public hanging
Education Act means school for everyone
Alexander Bell invented the telephone Primary education was made compulsory
The first public electric lighting in London
Free education for every child
Modern Britain
Britain defeats Dutch settlers in Boer War in South Africa
1914–1918 First World War Compulsory military service and food rationing introduced
1939–1945 The Second World War
Elizabeth II becomes Queen
Britain joins the European Community
Margaret Thatcher becomes Britain's first woman prime minister
Falklands War
Gulf War
Sir Tim Berners Lee invents the World Wide Web
Channel Tunnel links Britain back to the European continent
Welsh national assembly and Scottish parliament
The Second Gulf War
England Wins the Rugby World Cup
     

 




Date: 2015-01-29; view: 908


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