1066 William of Normandy defeats Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings to claim the throne of England. 1096 Oxford University founded. 1170 Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Beckett murdered. 1209 Cambridge University founded. 1215 King John signs Magna Carta. 1282 Wales annexed by Edward I. British History Timeline: Robert the Bruce of Scotland defeats Edward II of England at the Battle of Bannockburn
1314 Scotland defeats England at the Battle of Bannock Burn. 1346 England defeat France at the Battle of Crecy. 1348 Black Death. 1381 Peasants’ Revolt. 1387 Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales published. British History Timeline: Owain Glyndŵr leads a Welsh Rebellion
1400 Owain Glyndwr starts Welsh Rebellion. 1415 Henry V defeats larger French army at the Battle of Agincourt. 1455 Wars of the Roses starts. 1477 William Caxton first uses a printing press. 1485 Henry Tudor (Henry VII) defeats Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth to claim the England Crown and ends the Wars of the Roses. British History Timeline: Henry VIII become Head of the Church of England
1534 Henry VIII becomes Head of the English Church. 1536 Act of Union between England and Wales. 1536 Dissolution of the Monasteries. 1541 Henry VIII declares himself King of Ireland. 1558 England looses its last possession on continental Europe, Calais which it had held since Edward III besieged it in 1347. 1580 Francis Drake sails around the World. 1587 Mary Queen of Scots executed. 1588 Spanish Armada defeated. British History Timeline: The East India Company would be a major contributor to the future British Empire
1600 East India Company founded. 1603 Crowns of Scotland and England unified when King James VI of Scotland also becomes James I of England. 1605 Guy Fawkes caught in the Gunpowder Plot 1613 King James’s daughter, Elizabeth marries Frederick V, Elector of the Palatinate – Grandparents of future King George I. 1620 Pilgrim Fathers sail for America in the Mayflower. 1642 English Civil War starts. 1649 Charles I beheaded. 1660 Charles II restored to the throne. 1665 Plague of London. 1666 Great Fire of London. 1690 William of Orange defeats the supporters of the deposed James II at the Battle of the Boyne. 1694 Bank of England established. British History Timeline: The Duke of Marlborough decisively defeats the French army of Louis XIV at the Battle of Blenheim in the War of Spanish Succession
1704 England and its allies led by the Duke of Marlborough defeat French Army of Louis XIV at the Battle of Blenheim. 1704 Royal Navy captures Gibraltar 1707 Act of Union between England and Scotland. 1744 Clive of India starts his 16 year campaign in which he takes military control of India for the East India Company. 1759 In the Seven Years War, General Wolfe captures Quebec. 1768 Captain Cook’s first expedition to the Pacific 1775 American War of Independence starts. 1781 The Americans defeat the British Army at the Battle of Yorktown. 1788 The Times newspaper first published. British History Timeline: The Royal Navy commanded by Lord Nelson defeats the combined fleet of the next two biggest Navies (of France & Spain) to give Britain mastery of the Seas
1805 Nelson defeats combined French-Spanish fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar. 1807 UK abolishes Slave Trade. 1815 Wellington defeats Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. 1825 First Steam Train Passenger Service 1829 Robert Peel establishes the first Police Force. 1833 Factory Act restricts hours of work of women and children 1840 Penny Post universal postage rate is established. 1845 Irish Potato Famine 1851 Britain holds the Great Exhibition. 1854 Crimea War starts. 1857 The Indian Mutiny 1858 East India Company hands over control of India to British Government. 1869 The Franco-British owned Suez Canal opens 1876 Queen Victoria become Empress of India. 1899 Second Boer War starts. British History Timeline: Britain develops the Dreadnought Class Battleship in the arms race with Germany
1904 Entente Cordial signed by Britain and France. 1906 First Dreadnought class Battleship launched. 1914 First World War begins. 1918 Votes for women for the first time. 1921 Ireland gains Independence. 1922 BBC begins broadcasting. 1929 Wall Street Crash. 1939 Second World War starts. 1947 India gains independence. 1958 First stretch of Motorway is opened in UK – M6 Preston Bypass. 1965 Parliament abolishes the Death Penalty. 1971 First fatalities as Northern Ireland Troubles escalate. 1991 Kuwait is liberated in First Gulf War. 1992 Channel Tunnel opens. 1997 Britain hands back Hong Kong to China. British History Timeline: British troops take part in the US-led invasion of Iraq
2003 USA and Britain invade Iraq. 2016 UK votes to leave the European Union. 
