British History, Language, and Monarchy Timeline

Posted on Feb 28, 2025 in English and French Studies

Timeline of Key Events in British History

2000 BC: Stonehenge completed.

500 BC: The Celtic people arrived from Central Europe.

43 AD: Romans invade, and Britain becomes part of the Roman Empire.

50 AD: London founded.

122-128 AD: Emperor Hadrian builds a wall on the Scottish Borders.

401-410 AD: The Romans withdraw from Britain.

450 AD: Anglo-Saxon migrants begin to settle.

450-750 AD: Britain is divided up into the seven Kingdoms.

597 AD: Saint Augustine brings Christianity to Britain from Rome and becomes Archbishop of Canterbury.

1042 AD: Edward the Confessor becomes King.

1055 AD: Westminster Abbey is completed.

1066 AD: The Battle of Hastings.

1348-1349 AD: The Black Death (bubonic plague) arrives in England, killing nearly half of the population.

1455 AD: Civil war: the War of the Roses starts.

1534 AD: Henry VIII forms the Church of England and is confirmed as Supreme Head.

1558 AD: Elizabeth I begins her 45-year reign.

1620 AD: The Pilgrim Fathers set sail for New England from Plymouth aboard the Mayflower.

1666 AD: Great Fire of London.

1689 AD: English Bill of Rights. From now on, England’s monarchy would rule in partnership with Parliament, and Catholics are barred from the English throne.

1780 AD: Industrial Revolution begins.

1952 AD: Elizabeth II becomes Queen.

1973 AD: Britain joins the European Community.

Evolution of the English Language

The English language started with the arrival of three Germanic tribes:

  1. Angles
  2. Jutes
  3. Saxons

Old English (450-1100 AD)

  • Very different from modern English.
  • Words like “be,” “strong,” and “water” are derived from it.
  • Spoken until around 1100 AD.

Middle English (1100-1500 AD)

  • New conquerors brought French.
  • The lower class spoke English, and the upper class spoke French.
  • In the 14th century, English dominated England, but many French words were added.

Modern English (1500-Present)

Early Modern English (1500-1800)

  • Words were pronounced shorter.
  • Contact with the world and the Renaissance of classical music originated.
  • Many new words and phrases.
  • The invention of printing brought the standardization of English.
  • People learned to read, books became cheaper, and spelling and grammar became fixed.
  • In 1604, the first English dictionary was published.

Late Modern English (1800-Present)

  • More new vocabulary.
  • The Industrial Revolution and technology created a need for new words.
  • The English language adopted foreign words from many countries.

Varieties of English

From around 1600, the English colonization of North America resulted in the creation of a distinct American variety. Today, American English is particularly influential due to the USA’s dominance in cinema, television, popular music, and technology. There are varieties of English around the world, e.g., Australian, New Zealand, Canadian, South African, Indian, and Caribbean English.

Monarchs of Great Britain: A Brief Timeline

House of Wessex: Alfred the Great (871-899)

  • Defeats the Vikings but allows them to settle in Eastern England.
  • The North is subject to the Danelaw, the rules of the Vikings.
  • The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles start.

House of Wessex (Restored): Edward the Confessor (1042-1066)

  • Westminster Abbey is completed.
  • The Battle of Stamford Bridge: Saxon victory over invading Vikings.
  • Harold II (1066): William of Normandy defeats Harold and becomes King of England – Norman Conquest (The Battle of Hastings: invading Normans defeat the Saxons).

Norman Line: William I the Conqueror (1066-1087)

  • Work starts on Canterbury Cathedral.
  • Work starts on the Great Monastery, and Cathedral building begins.

Plantagenet Line: Richard I the Lionheart

  • Work starts on York Minster.
  • Oxford University founded.
  • 1170: Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket is murdered by King Henry II.
  • Work starts on Wells Cathedral.

House of Tudor: Henry VIII (1509-1547)

  • English defeat the Scots at the Battle of Flodden.
  • Henry VIII forms the Church of England and is confirmed as Supreme Head of the Church of England.
  • Act of Union joins England and Wales.
  • Destruction or closure of 560 monasteries and religious houses.

Mary I Tudor (1553-1558)

House of Tudor: Elizabeth I (1558-1603)

  • Queen Elizabeth I executes Mary Queen of Scots.
  • The English defeat the Spanish Armada.
  • 1591: First performance of a play by William Shakespeare.
  • First British involvement in the Indian continent: East India Company formed.
  • The population of Britain is just over 4 million.

The Commonwealth: Oliver Cromwell (1649-1658)

  • Cromwell’s conquest of Ireland.
  • Cromwell’s conquest of Scotland.
  • Tea arrives in Britain.
  • Cromwell proclaimed Lord Protector.

House of Brunswick (Hanover Line): Victoria (1837-1901)

House of Windsor: Edward VIII (1936)

1952: Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II