This is atimeline of English history, comprising important legal and territorial changes and political events inEngland and its predecessor states. To read about the background to these events, seeHistory of England.
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 55 BC | RomanGeneralJulius Caesar invades for the first time, gaining abeachhead on the coast ofKent.[1] | |
| 54 BC | Caesar invades a second time. These two invasions are known asCaesar's invasions of Britain.[1] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| c.10–c.40 | Reign ofCuno, an influential king of southern England before the Roman occupation; son of Tasciovanus[2] | |
| 43 | Aulus Plat leads an army of forty thousand to invadeGreat Britain;[3]Emperor Claudius makesBritain a part of theRoman Empire[4] | |
| C. 47 – 50 | London settled by the Romans, known asLondini[5] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 122 – 128 | EmperorHadrian orders a 73-mile (117 km) wall built to mark the Northern Roman Empire's province on the British Isle.Hadrian's Wall,[6] as it comes to be known, is intended to keep theCaledonians,Picts, and other tribes at bay. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| c. 213 | Britain becomes divided into two provinces calledBritannia Inferior andBritannia Superior. This was likely due to the Roman emperor at the time,Caracalla.[7] | |
| 286 | Marcus Aurelius Mausaeus Carausius, a Roman military commander at the time, usurps power during theCarausian Revolt.[8] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 367 | TheGreat Conspiracy begins, starting a year-long period of disorder and war in Britain.[9] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 401 | Romans begin their withdrawal from Britain.[10]: 129–131 | |
| 449 | TheAngles begin their invasion of England and establish tribal kingdoms on the east coast.[11] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 597 | Christianisation of theKingdom of Kent and its leaderKing Æthelberht bySaint Augustine.[12] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 616 | 24 February | KingÆthelberht of Kent dies and is then succeeded by his sonEadbald of Kent.[13] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 740-756 | Reign ofCuthred, King of Wessex.[14] | |
| 757 | Offa becomes King of Mercia.[15] | |
| 793 | 8 June | Viking raid on a monastery inLindisfarne, often taken as the beginning of theViking age.[16] |
| 796 | 29 July | Offa of Mercia dies.[17] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 802 | Ecgberht of Wessex is enthroned. | |
| 849 | Alfred the Great, the future king of Wessex (r. 871-899), is born to parentsAethelwulf of Wessex andOsburh. | |
| 865 | Arrival of theGreat Heathen Army. | |
| 871 | April | Alfred the Great succeeds his brotherÆthelred as King of the West Saxons. |
| 874 | Edward the Elder, the future king of England (r. 899-924), is born to parents Alfred the Great and Ealhswith. | |
| 894 | Æthelstan the Glorious, the future king of England (r. 927-939), is born to parents Edward the Elder and Ecgwynn. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 921 | Edmund the Magnificent, the future king of England (r. 939-946), is born to parents Edward the Elder and Eadgifu of Kent. | |
| 923 | Eadred, the future king of England (r. 946-955), is born to parents Edward the Elder and Eadgifu of Kent. | |
| 924 AD | Æthelstan becomes king of England | |
| 940 | Eadwig All-Fair, the future king of England (r. 955-959), is born to parents Edmund I and Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury. | |
| 943 | Edgar the Peaceful, the future king of England (r. 959-975), is born to parents Edmund I and Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury. | |
| 962 | Edward the Martyr, the future king of England (r. 975-978) is born to parents Edgar the Peaceful and Æthelflæd. | |
| 963 | 17 April | Sweyn Forkbeard, the future king of England (r. 1013-1014), is born in Denmark to parentsHarald Bluetooth and either Tove or Gunhild. |
| 966 | Æthelred the Unready, the future king of England (r. 978~1013), is born to parents Edgar the Peaceful and Ælfthryth. | |
| 990 | Edmund Ironside, the future king of England (r. 1016-1016), is born to parents Æthelred and Ælfgifu of York. | |
| 995 | Cnut the Great, the future king of England (r.1016-1035), is born to parents Sweyn Forkbeard and Gunhilda of Poland. | |
| 992 AD | EarlByrhtnoth and histhegns led theEnglish against aViking invasion in theBattle of Maldon in Essex. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1003 | Edward the Confessor, the future king of England (r. 1042-1066), is born to parents Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy. | |
| 1016 | Harold Harefoot, the future king of England (r.1035-1040), is born to parents Cnut the Great and Ælfgifu of Northhampton. | |
| 1016 | Cnut the Great of Denmark becomes king of all England[18] | |
| 1018 | Harthacnut, the future king of England, (r. 1040-1042), is born to parents Cnut the Great and Emma of Normandy. | |
| 1022 | Harold II, the future king of England (r. 1066-1066), is born to parents Godwin of Wessex and Gytha Thorkelsdóttir. | |
| 1028 | William the Conqueror, the future king of England (r.1066-1087), is born to parents Robert the Magnificent and Herleva. | |
| 1042 | Edward the Confessor becomes king of all England[19] | |
| 1054 | The Great Schism; culmination of theological and political differences between Eastern and Western Christianity[20] | |
| 1056 | William II, the future king of England (r. 1087-1100), is born to parents William the Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders. | |
| 1066 | Battle of Fulford: English forces were defeated by Norse invaders in northeastern England. | |
| Battle of Stamford Bridge: the remaining Norse underHarald Hardrada defeated by the bulk of England's army under the command of its king | ||
| Battle of Hastings: England's remaining forces defeated by invaders fromNormandy, known as theNorman Conquest;William the Conqueror crowned king of England | ||
| 1068 | Henry I, the future king of England (r.1100-1135), is born to parents William the Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders. | |
| 1086 | Work commenced on theDomesday Book | |
| 1096 | Stephen of Blois, the future king of England (r. 1135-1154), is born to parents Stephen, Count of Blois, and Adela of Normandy. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1133 | 5 March | Henry II, the future king of England (r. 1154-1189), is born in Le Mans, France, to parents Geoffrey V of Anjou and Matilda. |
| 1135 | The Anarchy began, a civil war resulting from a dispute over succession to the throne that lasted until 1153. | |
| 1138 | TheBattle of the Standard, an engagement in which the English defeated an invading Scottish army led by King David I.[21] | |
| 1157 | 8 September | Richard the Lionheart, the future king of England (r. 1189-1199), is born to parents Henry II and Elanor of Aquitaine. |
| 1164 | TheConstitutions of Clarendon, a set of laws which governed the trial of members of theCatholic Church in England, were issued. | |
| 1166 | 24 December | John Lackland, the future king of England (r. 1199-1216), is born to parents Henry II and Elanor of Aquitaine. |
| 1170 | Archbishop ofCanterburyThomas Becket was assassinated. | |
| 1192 | Crusades: KingRichard I was captured byAustrian DukeLeopold V, Duke of Austria while returning from theHoly Land. | |
| 1194 | Richard was ransomed and returned to England. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1207 | 1 October | Henry III, the future king of England (r. 1216-1272), is born to John and Isabella of Angoulême. |
| 1209 | KingJohn was excommunicated from theCatholic Church byPopeInnocent III. | |
| 1214 | The English defeated inBattle of Bouvinnes. | |
| 1215 | TheMagna Carta was signed. | |
| 1237 | TheTreaty of York was signed, fixing the border betweenScotland and England. | |
| 1239 | 17 June | Edward I, the future king of England (r. 1272-1307), is born to Henry III and Elanor of Provence. |
| 1264 | Battle of Lewes: Rebel English barons led bySimon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester defeated KingHenry III. | |
| 1267 | Henry recognised the authority ofLlywelyn ap Gruffudd inGwynedd. | |
| 1277 | England annexedGwynedd. | |
| 1279 | TheStatute of Mortmain was issued. | |
| 1284 | 25 April | Edward II, the future king of England (r. 1307-1327), is born to Edward I and Elanor of Castile. |
| 1287 | Rhys ap Maredudd led a revolt against English rule in Wales. | |
| 1294 | Madog ap Llywelyn led a revolt against English rule in Wales. | |
| 1297 | Battle of Stirling Bridge: TheScots, led byWilliam Wallace, defeated the English. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1305 | 23 August | William Wallace was executed by the English on a charge of treason. |
| 1312 | 13 November | Edward III, the future king of England (r. 1327-1377), is born to Edward II and Isabella of France. |
| 1314 | 23 – 24 June | Battle of Bannockburn:Scotland won a decisive victory over England. |
| 1328 | 1 May | TheTreaty of Edinburgh–Northampton, under which England recognisedScottish independence, was signed. |
| 1348 | TheBlack Death arrived in England. | |
| 1356 | 19 September | Battle of Poitiers: Second of the three major battles of theHundred Years' War took place near Poitiers, France. |
| 1367 | 6 January | Richard II, the future king of England (r. 1377-1399), is born to parents Edward the Black Prince and Joan of Kent. |
| 1367 | April | Henry IV, the future king of England (r. 1399-1413), is born to parents John of Gaunt and Blanche of Lancaster. |
| 1373 | 16 June | TheAnglo-Portuguese Treaty of 1373 is signed, forming an alliance between England andPortugal; it remains an active treaty, most recently invoked in theFalklands War (see 1982)[22] |
| 1381 | May – June | Peasants' Revolt: Also called Wat Tyler's Rebellion or the Great Rising, was a major uprising across large parts of England led byWat Tyler. |
| 1386 | 16 September | Henry V, the future king of England (r. 1413-1422), is born to parents Henry IV and Mary de Bohun. |
| 1395 | TheStatute of Praemunire was issued. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1403 | 21 July | Battle of Shrewsbury was abattle waged between an army led by theLancastrian King,Henry IV, and a rebel army led byHenry "Harry Hotspur" Percy fromNorthumberland.[23] |
| 1415 | 25 October | Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory in theHundred Years' War[a]that occurred onSaint Crispin's Day, near modern-dayAzincourt, in northern France. |
| 1421 | 6 December | Henry VI, the future king of England (r. 1422~1471), is born to parents Henry V and Catherine of Valois. |
| 1442 | 28 April | Edward IV, the future king of England (r. 1461~1470), is born to parents Richard of York and Cecily Neville. |
| 1452 | 2 October | Richard III, the future king of England (r. 1483-1485), is born to parents Richard of York and Cecily Neville. |
| 1455 | 22 May | The start of theWars of the Roses acivil war for control of the throne of England between theHouse of York inYorkshire andHouse of Lancaster inLancashire. |
| 1457 | 28 January | Henry VII, the future king of England (r. 1485-1509), is born to parents Edmund Tudor and Margaret Beaufort. |
| 1485 | 22 August | Battle of Bosworth Field (Battle of Bosworth): the last significant battle of theWars of the Roses, thecivil war between theHouses of Lancaster andYork.Richard III, the lastPlantagenet king was killed, succeeded byHenry VII. |
| 1487 | 16 June | Battle of Stoke was the decisive engagement in an attempt by leading Yorkists to unseatHenry VII of England in favour of the pretenderLambert Simnel. |
| 1470 | 2 November | Edward V, the future king of England (r. 1483-1483), is born to parents Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. |
| 1491 | 28 June | Henry VIII, the future king of England (r. 1509-1547), is born to parents Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1513 | Battle of Flodden Field: Invading England, KingJames IV of Scotland and thousands of otherScots were killed in a defeat at the hands of the English. | |
| 1516 | 18 February | Mary I, the future queen of England (r. 1553-1558), is born to parents Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. |
| 1521 | Lutheran writings begin to circulate in England. | |
| 1527 | 21 May | Phillip II, the future king of England (r. 1554-1558), is born to parents Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire and Isabella of Portugal. |
| 1526 | Lord ChancellorCardinalThomas Wolsey ordered the burning ofLutheran books. | |
| 1533 | KingHenry VIII severs ties with theCatholic Church and declared himself head of the church in England. | |
| 7 September | Elizabeth I, the future queen of England (r. 1558-1603), is born to parents Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. | |
| 1534 | Henry VIII issued theAct of Supremacy. | |
| Henry VIII issued theTreasons Act 1534. | ||
| 1535 | Thomas More andCardinalJohn Fisher were executed. | |
| 1536 | William Tyndale was executed inAntwerp. | |
| Henry VIII issued theDissolution of the Monasteries. | ||
| 1537 | 12 October | Edward VI, the future king of England (r. 1547-1553), is born to parents Henry VIII and Jane Seymour. |
| 1549 | Prayer Book Rebellion: A rebellion occurred in the southwest. | |
| 1550 | England and France sign thePeace of Boulogne. | |
| 1553 | The Act Against Sectaries 1553 was issued. | |
| 1558 | Elizabeth I claims the throne of England and rules until 1603. | |
| 1559 | TheAct of Supremacy 1559 was issued. | |
| 1566 | 19 June | James I, the future king of England (r. 1603-1625), is born to parents Henry Stuart and Mary I. |
| 1571 | TheTreasons Act 1571 was issued. | |
| The Act Prohibiting Papal Bulls from Rome 1571 was issued. | ||
| 1585 | TheRoanoke Colony was founded in America. | |
| 1588 | 8 August | TheSpanish Armada was destroyed. |
| 1589 | TheEnglish Armada (or Counter Armada) was defeated bySpain. | |
| 1593 | The Act Against Papists 1593 was issued. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1600 | 19 November | Charles I, the future king of England (r. 1625-1649), is born to parents James I and Anne of Denmark. |
| 1601 | Catholic plot against theEarl of Essex includes some of the plotters from thegunpowder plot. | |
| 1603 | King James VI of Scotland ascends to the English throne, becoming James I of England and uniting the crowns – but not the parliaments – of the two kingdoms. | |
| 1605 | 5 November | Gunpowder Plot: A plot in whichGuy Fawkes and otherCatholic associates conspired to blow up KingJames VI and I and theParliament of England was uncovered. |
| 1607 | 14 May | Jamestown was founded in the Virginia Colony and was the first permanent English colony in America. |
| 1611 | Henry Hudson died. | |
| 1618 | 29 October | Walter Raleigh was executed. |
| 1630 | 29 May | Charles II, the future king of England (r. 1660-1685) is born to parents Charles I and Henrietta Maria of France. |
| 1633 | 14 October | James II, the future king of England (r. 1685-1688) is born to parents Charles I and Henrietta Maria of France. |
| 1639 | Bishops' Wars: A war withScotland began which would last until 1640. | |
| 1640 | Long Parliament: TheParliament was convened. | |
| 1642 | TheEnglish Civil War began (seetimeline of the English Civil War). | |
| 1649 | January | Trial and execution of Charles I |
| 1649 | Interregnum began with theFirst Commonwealth. | |
| 1650 | 4 November | William III, the future king of England (r. 1689-1702), is born to parents William II of Orange and Mary of England. |
| 1653–1659 | the Protectorate under the Lord ProtectorOliver Cromwell and later (1658) his sonRichard Cromwell | |
| 1659 | TheSecond Commonwealth under Richard Cromwell brings with it a period of great political instability. | |
| 1660 | Restoration of the monarchy: After a chaotic short revival of theCommonwealth of England, the monarchy was restored in May 1660, after agreeing to theDeclaration of Breda, largely through the initiative of GeneralGeorge Monck. | |
| 1662 | 30 April | Mary II, the future queen of England (r. 1689-1694), is born to parents James II and Anne Hyde. |
| 1665 | 6 February | Anne, the future queen of England (r. 1702-1707), is born to parents James II and Anne Hyde. |
| 1666 | 2 – 5 September | Great Fire of London : A majorconflagration that swept through the central parts ofLondon. |
| 1688 | Glorious Revolution:[24] Also called the Revolution of 1688, was the overthrow ofJames II by a union of EnglishParliamentarians with theDutchstadtholderWilliam III ofOrange-Nassau (William of Orange) and his wifeMary II. | |
| 1694 | 27 July | TheBank of England is founded. |
| 1698 | 2 July | English engineerThomas Savery patents the first steam engine.[25] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1701 | TheAct of Settlement 1701, which required the English monarch to beProtestant, was passed. | |
| 1702 | 8 March | William III died and was succeeded byAnne. |
| 1704 | 4 August | Gibraltar was captured by a combinedDutch and English fleet under the command ofAdmiral of the FleetGeorge Rooke. |
| 13 August | Battle of Blenheim: A combined English andDutch army under the command ofJohn Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough defeated theFrench army inBavaria. | |
| 1706 | 22 July | TheTreaty of Union was agreed between representatives of theParliament of England and theParliament of Scotland. |
| 1707 | TheActs of Union 1707 were passed in theParliament of England andParliament of Scotland, ratifying theTreaty of Union. | |
| 1716 | TheOld Dock, originally known as Thomas Steers' dock, was the world's first commercialwet dock.[26] | |
| 1744 | An attemptedFrench invasion of southern England was stopped by storms. | |
| 1756 | Following the start of theFrench and Indian War 2 years prior, theSeven Years' War begins.[27] | |
| 1763 | 10 Feb | TheTreaty of Paris (1763) is signed, formally ending the Seven Years' War. France renounces a large portion of North American land to Great Britain.[28] |
| 1765 | William Blackstone published his first volume ofCommentaries on the Laws of England. | |
| 1775 | 19 April | War of American Independence starts with theBattles of Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. TheThirteen Colonies unite anddeclare independence in 1776. American alliance with France in 1778, joined by Spain in 1779. Britain fights without European allies. War lasts until 1783. |
| 1790s | Canal Mania, an intense period of canal building in England and Wales. | |
| 1797 | 22–25 July | AdmiralHoratio Nelson suffer his worst defeat inBattle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (1797) and loses most of his right arm from a musket ball whilst fighting against canarian militias.[29] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1805 | Battle of Trafalgar:Horatio Nelson defeats the French at Trafalgar, establishing British naval supremacy over the world's oceans for approximately 140 years. | |
| 1819 | 16 August | Peterloo Massacre: about 18 people killed and several hundred injured in Manchester when a large cavalry charge demonstration demanding parliamentary representation reform broke out.[30] |
| 1830 | 15 September | TheLiverpool and Manchester Railway[31][32][33] (L&MR) was the first inter-city railway in the world.[34][i] Itopened on 15 September 1830 between theLancashire towns ofLiverpool andManchester in England. |
| 1837 | 20 June | Queen Victoria becomes queen of England, she will reign until January 22, 1901. TheVictorian era starts. |
| 1859 | 24 November | On the Origin of Species byCharles Darwin is published[35] |
| 1863 | 10 January | The firstunderground train goes into operation inLondon[36] |
| 1878 | Women first admitted to the Universities ofOxford andCambridge[37] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1912 | August | Harry Brearley inventsStainless Steel inSheffield,Yorkshire[38] |
| 1914 | 28 July | World War 1 begins |
| 1918 | 11 November | World War 1 ends |
| 1939 | 3 September | Britain declares war onNazi Germany and entersWorld War 2 |
| 1945 | 8 May | Germany surrenders andWorld War 2 ends in Europe |
| 1948 | 5 July | TheNational Health Service is founded |
| 1973 | 1 January | UK joins theEuropean Communities (predecessor of the European Union). |
| 1982 | 11 October | TheMary Rose is raised from the seabed of theSolent, where she had sunk in 1545[39] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | June | Thepopulation of England reaches fifty million.[40] |
| 2019 | 14 July | ICC Cricket World Cup: England win a thriller at Lords and clinch their maiden ODI World Cup led by Eoin Morgan.[41] |
| 2020 | 31 January | Brexit takes place. The UK officially withdraws from the European Union three years after it voted to leave during a referendum in 2016.[42] |
| 2020 | 31 January | The first patient withCOVID-19 is confirmed in York.[43] |
| 2022 | 8 September | QueenElizabeth II dies of after a reign of 70 years and 214 days. She is succeeded by KingCharles III.[44][45] |
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)