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1066 - Harold II is crowned king the day after Edward the Confessor dies. Tostig and Harold
Hardraada of Norway invade England: Harold defeats them at the Battle of Stamford Bridge,
killing both; Battle of Hastings: 19 days after battle of Stamford Bridge, William of Normandy
lands at Pevensey, defeats and kills Harold; William I, the Conqueror, first Norman King of
England (to 1087)
1067 - Work is begun on building the Tower of London.
1068 - The Norman Conquest continues until 1069: William subdues the north of England (the
"Harrying of the North" ): the region is laid waste
1070 - Hereward the Wake begins a Saxon revolt in the Fens of eastern England; Lanfranc, an
Italian lawyer, becomes William's formidable Archbishop of Canterbury. Lanfranc rebuilds
Canterbury Cathedral and establishes the primacy of the see of Canterbury over York, but does
not enforce clerical celibacy.
1072 - William invades Scotland, and also receives the submission of Hereward
the Wake.
1080 - William, in a letter, reminds the bishop of Rome that the King of England owes him no
allegiance.
1086 - Domesday Book is completed in England
1087 - William II, Rufus, King of England (to 1100); his elder brother, Robert, is Duke of
Normandy
1093 - Donald Bane, King of Scots (to 1097), following the death of his brother, Malcolm III, in
battle against the English
1097 - Edgar, second son of Malcolm Canmore, King of Scotland (to 1107); he defeats Donald
Bane with the assistance of William II of England
1099 - Crusaders capture Jerusalem; Godfrey of Bouillon is elected King of Jerusalem
1100 - Henry I, youngest son of William the Conqueror, King of England (to 1135), following
assassination of William Rufus
1106 - Henry I defeats his brother Rober, Duke of Normandy, at battle of Tinchebrai: Robert
remains captive for life
1113 - Founding of the Order of St. John is formally acknowledged by the papacy
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1114 - Matilda (Maud), daughter of Henry I of England marries Emperor Henry V
1118 - Hugues de Payens founds the order of Knights of Templars
1120 - William, heir of Henry I of England, is drowned in wreck of the "White Ship"
1129 - Empress Matilda, widow of Henry V, marries Geoffrey the Handsome, Count of Anjou,
nicknamed " Plantagenet "
1139 - Matilda lands in England
1141 - Matilda captures Stephen at the battle of Lincoln, and reigns disastrously as queen; she is
driven out by a popular rising and Stephen restored
1148 - Matilda leaves England for the last time
1152 - Marriage of Louis VII of France and Eleanor of Aquitaine is annulled on grounds of
blood relationship; Eleanor marries Henry of Anjou, allying Aquitaine to his lands of Anjou and
Normandy, two months after her divorce
1153 - Henry of Anjou, son of Matilda, invades England and forces Stephen to make him heir to
the English throne
1154 - Henry II, King of England (to 1189); he also rules more than half of France; Pope Adrian
IV (to 1159) (Nicholas Breakspear, the only English pope)
1155 - Henry II appoints the Archdeacon of Canterbury, Thomas a Becket, as Chancellor
1159 - Henry II levies scutage, payment in cash instead of military service
1162 - Becket is appointed Archbishop of Canterbury and at once quarrels with Henry II over the
Church's rights
1164 - Constitutions of Clarendon; restatement of laws governing trial of ecclesiastics in
England; Becket is forced to flee to France
1170 - Becket is reconciled with Henry II, returns to Canterbury; is murdered by four knights
after Henry's hasty words against him
1173 - Rebellion of Henry's eldest sons, Henry, Richard, and Geoffrey, supported by their
mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine; Thomas a Becket canonized
1189 - Richard I, Coeur de Lion, eldest surviving son of Henry II, King of England (to 1199)
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1191 - The bodies of King Arthur and Guinevere were reported to have been exhumed from a
grave at Glastonbury Abbey; Richard I conquers Cyprus and captures the city of Acre
1192 - Richard I captures Jaffa, makes peace with Saladin; on the way home he is captured by
his enemy, Duke Leopold of Austria
1193 - Leopold hands Richard over to Emperor Henry VI, who demands ransom
1194 - Richard is ransomed and returned to England
1199 - John Lackland, youngest son of Henry II, King of England (to 1216)
1203 - John of England orders the murder of his nephew Arthur, Duke of Brittany
1207 - Pope Innocent III appoints Stephen Langton Archbishop of Canterbury (Langton is the
man who divided the books of the Bible into chapters); John refuses to let him take office
1208 - Innocent III lays England under interdict
1209 - Cambridge University is founded in England; Innocent III excommunicates John for
attacks on Church property
1213 - Innocent III declares John deposed; John resigns his kingship to the pope and receives it
back as a holding from the Roman legate, thereby ending the interdict.
1215 - Signing of Magna Carta; English barons force John to agree to a statement of their rights
1216 - Henry III becomes king of England at age nine (to 1272)
1227 - Henry III begins personal rule in England
1256 - Prince Llewellyn sweeps English from Wales
1264 - Simon de Montfort and other English barons defeat Henry III at battle of Lewes
1265 - De Montfort's Parliament: burgesses from major towns summoned to Parliament for the
first time; Henry III's son Edward defeats and kills Simon de Montfort at battle of Evesham
1269 - Rebuilding of Westminster Abbey begun by Henry III.
1272 - Edward I, King of England (to 1307)
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1283 - Edward I defeats and kills Llewellyn, Prince of Wales, and executes Llewellyn's brother
David; conquest of Wales complete
1290 - Edward I expells all Jews from England
1291 - Scots acknowledge Edward I of England as suzerain; he arbitrates in succession dispute
1295 - Model Parliament of Edward I : knights and burgesses from English shires and towns
summoned. First representative parliament
1296 - Edward I of England deposes John Balliol from Scottish throne
1297 - Battle of Cambuskenneth: Scottish patriot William Wallace defeats English army
1298 - Edward I defeats Wallace at battle of Falkirk and reconquers Scotland
1301 - Edward I of England invests his baby son Edward as Prince of Wales
1305 - The English capture and execute William Wallace
1306 - New Scottish rebellion against English rule led by Robert Bruce. Robert I, the Bruce
crowned King of Scotland (to 1329) at Scone
1307 - Edward I dies on march north to crush Robert Bruce. Edward II, King of England (to
1327)
1310 - English barons appoint 21 peers, the Lords Ordainers, to manage Edward II's household
1312 - Order of Knights Templar abolished
1314 - Battle of Bannockburn: Robert Bruce defeats Edward II and makes Scotland independent
1326 - Queen Isabella and Roger Mortimer sail from France with an army to rebel against
Edward II of England
1327 - Parliament declares Edward II deposed, and his son accedes to the throne as Edward III.
Edward II is hideously murdered, nine months later
1328 - Charles IV dies, ending the Capetian dynasty. Philip of Valois succeeds him as Philip VI.
1329 - Edward III of England does simple homage for Aquitaine (Guienne), but refuses to do
liege homage.
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1333 - Edward III invades Scotland on Balliol's behalf and defeats the Scots at battle of Halidon
Hill
1336 - Edward places an embargo on English exports of wool to Flanders.
1337 - Philip declares Edward's fiefs forfeit and begins harassing the frontiers of Aquitaine;
Edward III, provoked by these attacks on his territories in France, declares himself king of
France; "The Hundred Years' War " begins (ends 1453)
1338 - Treaty of Koblenz: alliance between England and the Holy Roman Empire; Edward III
formally claims the French crown.
1340 - Naval victory at Sluys gives England the command of the English Channel; English
Parliament passes four statues providing that taxation shall be imposed only by Parliament
1346 - Edward III of England invades France with a large army and defeats an even bigger army
under Philip VI at theBattle of Cr&eacutecy
1347 - The English capture Calais
1348 - Edward III establishes the Order of the Garter; Black Death (bubonic plague) reaches
England
1351 - The English remove the Pope's power to give English benefices to foreigners
1353 - Statue of Praemunire: English Parliament forbids appeals to Pope
1356 - Edward the Black Prince, son of Edward III, defeats the French at the battle of Poitiers,
capturing King John II
1358 - The Jacquerie
1360 - Peace of Bretigny ends the first stage of the Hundred Years' War. Edward III gives up
claim to French throne
1369 - Second stage of war between England and France begins
1370 - French troops commanded by Bertrand du Guesclin; Edward, the Black Prince, sacks
Limoges
1372 - French troops recapture Poitou and Brittany; Naval battle of La Rochelle: French regain
control of English Channel
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1373 - John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, son of Edward III, leads new English invasion of
France
1374 - John of Gaunt returns to England and takes charge of the government; Edward III in his
dotage, the Black Prince is ill
1375 - Truce of Bruges ends hostilities between England and France
1376 - The Good Parliament in England, called by Edward the Black Prince, introduces many
reforms of government; Death of Edward the Black Prince, aged 45; The Civil Dominion of John
Wyclif, an Oxford don, calling for Church reforms
1377 - Richard II, son of the Black Prince, King of England (to 1399)
1381 - Peasants' Revolt in England; John Wyclif, an Oxford theologian, publishes his
"Confession", denying that the "substance" of bread and wine are miraculously changed during
the Eucharist.
1382 - John Wyclif is expelled from Oxford because of his opposition to certain Church
doctrines
1386 - John of Gaunt leads an expedition to Castile, which he claims in his wife's name; fails
1388
1387 - Geoffrey Chaucer begins work on The Canterbury Tales
1389 - Richard II, aged 22, assumes power
1394 - Richard II leads expedition to subdue Ireland; returns to England 1395
1396 - Richard II marries the seven-year old Princess Isabella of France
1399 - Death of John of Gaunt; Gaunt's eldest son, Henry of Bolingbroke, lands in Yorkshire
with 40 followers, and soon has 60,000 supporters: Richard II is deposed; Bolingbroke becomes
Henry IV, King of England (to 1413)
1400 - Richard II murdered at Pontefract Castle; Owen Glendower proclaims himself Prince of
Wales and begins rebellion
1401 - Persecution of Lollards for revolting against clergy.
1402 - Henry IV enters Wales in pursuit of Glendower
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1403 - Battle of Shrewsbury; rebellion by the Percy family: Henry IV defeats and kills Harry
"Hotspur" Percy
1406 - Henry, Prince of Wales, defeats Welsh
1413 - Henry V, King of England (to 1422)
1415 - Henry V invades France, and defeats the French at Agincourt
1416 - Death of Owen Glendower
1420 - Treaty of Troyes
1422 - Deaths of Henry V of England and Charles VI of France; Henry VI, King of England (to
1461)
1424 - John, Duke of Bedford, regent for Henry VI of England, defeats the French at Cravant
1428 - Henry VI begins siege of Orleans
1429 - A French force, led by military commander Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc), relieves the siege
of Orleans; Charles VII crowned king of France at Rheims
1430 - Burgundians capture Jeanne d'Arc and hand her over to the English
1431 - Jeanne d'Arc burned as a witch at Rouen; Henry VI of England crowned king of France in
Paris
1453 - Bordeaux falls to the French, Hundred Years' War ends; England's only French
possession is Calais; In England, Henry VI becomes insane
1454 - Richard, Duke of York, is regent of England while Henry VI is insane; Printing with
movable type is perfected in Germany by Johannes Gutenberg
1455 - Henry VI recovers. Richard of York is replaced by Somerset and excluded from the Royal
Council; War of the Roses - civil wars in England between royal houses of York and Lancaster
(until 1485); Battle of St. Albans. Somerset defeated and killed
1460 - Battle of Wakefield. Richard of York is defeated and killed; Earl of Warwick (the
Kingmaker) captures London for the Yorkists; Battle of Northampton: Henry VI is captured by
Yorkists
1461 - Battles of Mortimer's Cross and Towton: Richard's son, Edward of York, defeats
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Lancastrians and becomes king; Edward IV, King of England (to 1483)
1465 - Henry VI imprisoned by Edward IV
1466 - Warwick's quarrels with Edward IV begin; forms alliance with Louis XI
1470 - Warwick turns Lancastrian: he defeats Edward IV and restores Henry VI
1471 - Battle of Barnet. Edward IV defeats and kills Warwick; Henry VI dies, probably
murdered in the Tower of London
1475 - Edward IV invades France; Peace of Piequigny between England and France
1476 - William Caxton sets up printing press at Westminster
1483 - Death of Edward IV; Edward V, King of England; he is deposed by his uncle, Richard
Duke of Gloucester;Richard III, King of England (to 1485); Edward V and his brother are
murdered in the Tower of London
1484 - Caxton prints Morte D'Arthur, the poetic collection of legends about King Arthur
compiled by Sir Thomas Malory
1485 - Battle of Bosworth Field: Henry Tudor, with men, money and arms provided by Charles
VIII of France, defeats and kills Richard III in the decisive (but not final) battle of the Wars of
the Roses.
Timeline of the Reformation and Restoration Periods in Britain
1486 - Henry VII (Tudor) married Elizabeth of York uniting houses of York and Lancaster.
1487 - Battle of Stoke Field: In final engagement of the Wars of the Roses, Henry VII, defeats
Yorkist army "led" by Lambert Simnel (who was impersonating Edward, the nephew of Edward
IV, the only plausible royal alternative to Henry, who was confined in the Tower of London).
1496 - Henry VII joins the Holy League; commercial treaty between England and Netherlands.
1497 - John Cabot discovers Newfoundland
1502 - Margaret, daughter of Henry VII, marries James IV of Scotland.
1509 - Henry VIII, becomes king.
1513 - Battle of Flodden Field (fought at Flodden Edge, Northumberland) in which invading
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Scots are defeated by the English under their commander, 70 year old Thomas Howard, Earl of
Surrey; James IV of Scotland is killed.
1515 - Thomas Wolsey, Archbisop of York, is made Lord Chancellor of England and Cardinal
1517 - The Protestant Reformation begins; Martin Luther nails his "95 Theses" against the
Catholic practice of selling indulgences, on the church door at Wittenberg
1520 - Field of Cloth of Gold: Francois I of France meets Henry VIII but fails to gain his support
against Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V
1521 - Henry VIII receives the title "Defender of the Faith" from Pope Leo X for his opposition
to Luther
1529 - Henry VIII dismisses Lord Chancellor Thomas Wolsey for failing to obtain the Pope's
consent to his divorce from Catherine of Aragon; Sir Thomas More appointed Lord Chancellor;
Henry VIII summons the "Reformation Parliament" and begins to cut the ties with the Church of
Rome
1530 - Thomas Wolsey dies
1532 - Sir Thomas More resigns over the question of Henry VIII's divorce
1533 - Henry VIII marries Anne Boleyn and is excommunicated by Pope Clement VII; Thomas
Cranmerappointed Archbishop of Canterbury
1534 - Act of Supremacy: Henry VIII declared supreme head of the Church of England
1535 - Sir Thomas More is beheaded in Tower of London for failing to take the Oath of
Supremacy
1536 - Anne Boleyn is beheaded; Henry VIII marries Jane Seymour; dissolution of monasteries
in England begins under the direction of Thomas Cromwell, completed in 1539.
1537 - Jane Seymour dies after the birth of a son, the future Edward VI
1539 - Dissolution of Glastonbury Abbey; buildings torched and looted by king's men; Abbot
Richard Whiting is executed by hanging atop Glastonbury Tor.
1540 - Henry VIII marries Anne of Cleves following negotiations by Thomas Cromwell; Henry
divorces Anne of Cleves and marries Catherine Howard; Thomas Cromwell executed on charge
of treason
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1542 - Catherine Howard is executed
1543 - Henry VIII marries Catherine Parr; alliance between Henry and Charles V (Holy Roman
Emperor) against Scotland and France
1544 - Henry VIII and Charles V invade France
1547 - Edward VI, King of England: Duke of Somerset acts as Protector
1549 - Introduction of uniform Protestant service in England based on Edward VI's Book of
Common Prayer
1550 - Fall of Duke of Somerset:; Duke of Northumberland succeeds as Protector
1551 -Archbishop Cranmer publishes Forty-two Articles of religion
1553 - On death of Edward VI, Lady Jane Grey proclaimed queen of England by Duke of
Northumberland, her reign lasts nine days; Mary I, daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of
Aragon, Queen of England (to 1558); Restoration of Roman Catholic bishops in England
1554 - Execution of Lady Jane Grey
1555 - England returns to Roman Catholicism: Protestants are persecuted and about 300,
including Cranmer, are burned at the stake
1558 - England loses Calais, last English possession in France; Death of Mary I; Elizabeth I,
daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, becomes Queen; Repeal of Catholic legislation in
England
1560 - Treaty of Berwick between Elizabeth I and Scottish reformers; Treaty of Edinburgh
among England, France, and Scotland
1563 - The Thirty-nine Articles, which complete establishment of the Anglican Church
1564 - Peace of Troyes between England and France
1567 - Murder of Lord Darnley, husband of Mary Queen of Scots, probably by Earl of Bothwell;
Mary Queen of Scots marries Bothwell, is imprisoned, and forced to abdicate; James VI, King of
Scotland
1568 - Mary Queen of Scots escapes to England and is imprisoned by Elizabeth I at Fotheringay
Castle
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1577 - Alliance between England and Netherlands; Francis Drake sails around the world (to
1580)
1584 - William of Orange is murdered and England sends aid to the Netherlands; 1586
Expedition of Sir Francis Drake to the West Indies; Conspiracy against Elizabeth I involving
Mary Queen of Scots
1587 - Execution of Mary Queen of Scots; England at war with Spain; Drake destroys Spanish
fleet at Cadiz
1588 - The Spanish Armada is defeated by the English fleet under Lord Howard of Effingham,
Sir Francis Drake, and Sir John Hawkins: war between Spain and England continues until 1603
1597 - Irish rebellion under Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone (finally put down 1601)
1600 - Elizabeth I grants charter to East India Company
1601 - Elizabethan Poor Law charges the parishes with providing for the needy; Essex attempts
rebellion, and is executed
1603 - Elizabeth dies; James VI of Scotland becomes James I of England
1604 - Hampton Court Conference: no relaxation by the Church towards Puritans; James bans
Jesuits; England and Spain make peace
1605 - Gunpowder Plot; Guy Fawkes and other Roman Catholic conspirators fail in attempt to
blow up Parliament and James I.
1607 - Parliament rejects proposals for union between England and Scotland; colony of Virginia
is founded at Jamestown by John Smith; Henry Hudson begins voyage to eastern Greenland and
Hudson River
1610 - Hudson Bay discovered
1611 - James I's authorized version (King James Version) of the Bible is completed; English and
Scottish Protestant colonists settle in Ulster
1614 - James I dissolves the "Addled Parliament" which has failed to pass any legislation
1618 - Thirty Years' War begins, lasts until 1648
1620 - Pilgrims land at Plymouth Rock on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in the "Mayflower"; found
New Plymouth
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1622 - James I dissolves Parliament for asserting its right to debate foreign affairs
1624 - Alliance between James I and France; Parliament votes for war against Spain; Virginia
becomes crown colony
1625 - Charles I, King of England (to 1649); Charles I marries Henrietta Maria, sister of Louis
XIII of France; dissolves Parliament which fails to vote him money
1628 - Petition of Right; Charles I forced to accept Parliament's statement of civil rights in
return for finances
1629 - Charles I dissolves Parliament and rules personally until 1640
1630 - England makes peace with France and Spain
1639 - First Bishops' War between Charles I and the Scottish Church; ends with Pacification of
Dunse
1640 - Charles I summons the "Short " Parliament ; dissolved for refusal to grant money; Second
Bishops' War; ends with Treaty of Ripon; The Long Parliament begins.
1641 - Triennial Act requires Parliament to be summoned every three years; Star Chamber and
High Commission abolished by Parliament; Catholics in Ireland revolt; some 30,000 Protestants
massacred; Grand Remonstrance of Parliament to Charles I
1642 - Charles I fails in attempt to arrest five members of Parliament and rejects Parliament's
Nineteen Propositions; Civil War (until 1645) begins with battle of Edgehill between Cavaliers
(Royalists) and Roundheads (Parliamentarians)
1643 - Solemn League and Covenant is signed by Parliament
1644 - Battle of Marston Moor; Oliver Cromwell defeats Prince Rupert
1645 - Formation of Cromwell's New Model Army; Battle of Naseby; Charles I defeated by
Parliamentary forces
1646 - Charles I surrenders to the Scots
1647 - Scots surrender Charles I to Parliament; he escapes to the Isle of Wright; makes secret
treaty with Scots.
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1648 - Scots invade England and are defeated by Cromwell at battle of Preston Pride's Purge:
Presbyterians expelled from Parliament (known as the Rump Parliament); Treaty of Westphalia
ends Thirty Years' War
1649 - Charles I is tried and executed; The Commonwealth, in which ; England is governed as a
republic, is established and lasts until 1660; Cromwell harshly suppresses Catholic rebellions in
Ireland
1650 - Charles II lands in Scotland; is proclaimed king.
1651 - Charles II invades England and is defeated at Battle of Worcester; Charles escapes to
France; First Navigation Act, England gains virtual monopoly of foreign trade
1653 - Oliver Cromwell dissolves the "Rump" and becomes Lord Protector
1654 - Treaty of Westminster between England and Dutch Republic
1655 - England divided into 12 military districts by Cromwell; seizes Jamaica from Spain
1656 - War with Spain (until 1659)
1658 - Oliver Cromwell dies; succeeded as Lord Protector by son Richard; Battle of the Dunes,
England and France defeat Spain; England gains Dunkirk
1659 - Richard Cromwellforced to resign by the army; "Rump" Parliament restored
1660 - Convention Parliament restores Charles II to throne
1661 - Clarendon Code; "Cavalier" Parliament of Charles II passes series of repressive laws
against Nonconformists; English acquire Bombay
1662 - Act of Uniformity passed in England
1664 - England siezes New Amsterdam from the Dutch, change name to New York
1665 - Great Plague in London
1666 - Great Fire of London
1667 - Dutch fleet defeats the English in Medway river; treaties of Breda among Netherlands,
England, France, and Denmark
1668 - Triple Alliance of England, Netherlands, and Sweden against France
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1670 - Secret Treaty of Dover between Charles II of England and Louis XIV of France to restore
Roman Catholicism to England; Hudson's Bay Company founded
1672 - Third Anglo-Dutch war (until 1674); William III (of Orange) becomes ruler of
Netherlands
1673 - Test Act aims to deprive English Roman Catholics and Nonconformists of public office
1674 - Treaty of Westminster between England and the Netherlands
1677 - William III, ruler of the Netherlands, marries Mary, daughter of James, Duke of York,
heir to the English throne
1678 - 'Popish Plot' in England; Titus Oates falsely alleges a Catholic plot to murder Charles II
1679 - Act of Habeas Corpus passed, forbidding imprisonment without trial; Parliament's Bill of
Exclusion against the Roman Catholic Duke of York blocked by Charles II; Parliament
dismissed; Charles II rejects petitions calling for a new Parliament; petitioners become known as
Whigs; their opponents (royalists) known as Tories
1681 - Whigs reintroduce Exclusion Bill; Charles II dissolves Parliament
1685 - James II of England and VII of Scotland (to 1688); rebellion by Charles II's illegitimate
son, the Duke of Monmouth, against James II is put down
1686 - James II disregards Test Act; Roman Catholics appointed to public office
1687 - James II issues Declaration of Liberty of Conscience, extends toleration to all religions
1688 - England's 'Glorious Revolution'; William III of Orange is invited to save England from
Roman Catholicism, lands in England, James II flees to France
1689 - Convention Parliament issues Bill of Rights; establishes a constitutional monarchy in
Britain; bars Roman Catholics from the throne; William III and Mary II become joint monarchs
of England and Scotland (to1694), Toleration Act grants freedom of worship to dissenters in
England; Grand Alliance of the League of Augsburg, England, and the Netherlands.
1689 - Parliament draws up the Declaration of Right detailing the unconstitutional acts of King James II.
James' daughter and her husband, his nephew, become joint sovereigns of Britain as King William III and
Queen Mary II. Parliament passes the Bill of Rights. Toleration Act grants rights to Trinitarian Protestant
dissenters. Catholic forces loyal to James II land in Ireland from France and lay siege to Londonderry
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1690 - King William defeats the Irish and French armies of his father-in-law at the Battle of the Boyne in
Ireland
1691 - The Treaty of Limerick allows Cathloics in Ireland to exercise their religion freely, but severe
penal laws soon follow. The French War begins
1692 - The Glencoe Massacre occurs
1694 - Death of Queen Mary; King William now rules alone. Foundation of the Bank of England.
Triennial Act sets the maximum duration of a parliament to three years
1695 - Lapse of the Licensing Act
1697 - Peace of Ryswick between the allied powers of the League of Augsburg and France ends the
French War. Civil List Act votes funds for the maintenance of the Royal Household
1701 - The Act of Settlement settles the Royal Succession on the Protestant descendants of Sophia of
Hanover. Death of the former King James II in exile in France. The French king recognizes James II's son
as "King James III". King William forms a grand alliance between England, Holland and Austria to
prevent the union of the Spanish and French crowns. The War of the Spanish Succession breaks out in
Europe over the vacant throne
1702 - Death of King William III in a riding accident. He is succeeded by his sister-in-law, Queen Anne.
England declares war on France as part of the War of the Spanish Succession
1704 - British, Dutch, German and Austrian troops, under the Duke of Marlborough, defeat the French
and Bavarians at the Battle of Blenheim. British, Bavarian and Austrian troops under Marlborough defeat
the French at the Battle of Ramillies, and expel the French from the Netherlands. The British capture
Gibraltar from Spain
1707 - The Act of Union unites the kingdoms of England and Scotland and transfers the seat of Scottish
Government to London
1708 - The Duke of Marlborough defeats the French at the Battle of Oudenarede. The French incur heavy
losses. Queen Anne vetoes a parliamentary bill to recognise the Scottish militia. This is the last time a bill
is vetoed by the sovereign
1709 - Marlborough defeats the French at the Battle of Malplaquet
1710 - A Tory ministry is formed, under Harley, with the impeachment of Dr. Sacheverell and the fall of
the Whig government
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1713 - The Treaty of Utrecht is signed by Britain and France, thus concluding the War of the Spanish
Succession
1714 - Death of Queen Anne at Kensington Palace. She is succeeded by her distant cousin, the Elector
George of Hanover, as King George I. A new parliament is elected with a strong Whig majority, led by
Charles Townshend and Robert Walpole
1715 - The Jacobite Rebellion begins in Scotland with the aim of overthrowing the Hanovarian
succession and placing the "Old Pretender" - James II's son - on the throne. The rebellion is easily
defeated
1716 - The Septennial Act sets General Elections to be held every seven years
1717 - Townshend is dismissed from government by George I, causing Walpole to resign. The Whig
party is split. Convocation is suspended
1719 - South Sea Bubble bursts, leaving many investors ruined after speculating with stock of the 'South
Sea Company'
1721 - Sir Robert Walpole returns to government as First Lord of the Treasury. He remains in office until
1742 and effectively becomes Britain's first Prime Minister
1722 - Death of the Duke of Marlborough. The Jacobite 'Atterbury Plot' is hatched
1726 - First circulating library in Britain opens in Edinburgh. Jonathan Swift publishes his 'Gulliver's
Travels'
1727 - Death of great British scientist, Sir Isaac Newton and of King George I (in Hanover). The latter is
succeeded by his son as King George II
1729 - Alexander Pope publishes his ' Dunciad'
1730 - A split occurs between Walpole and Townshend
1732 - A royal charter is granted for the founding of Georgia in America
1733 - The 'Excise Crisis' occurs and Walpole is forced to abandon his plans to reorganise the customs
and excise
1737 - Death of King George II's wife, Queen Caroline
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1738 - John and Charles Wesley start the Methodist movement in Britain
1739 - Britain goes to war with Spain in the 'War of Jenkins' Ear'. The cause: Captain Jenkins' ear was
claimed to have been cut off during a Naval Skirmish
1740 - Commencement of the War of Austrian Succession in Europe
1742 - Walpole resigns as Prime Minister
1743 - George II leads British troops into battle at Dettingen in Bavaria
1744 - Ministry of Pelham
1745 - Jacobite Rebellion in Scotland led by 'Bonnie Prince Charlie'. There is a Scottish victory at
Prestonpans
1746 - The Duke of Cumberland crushes the Scottish Jacobites at the Battle of Culloden
1748 - The Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle brings the War of Austrian Succession to a close
1751 - Death of Frederick, Prince of Wales. His son, Prince George, becomes heir to the throne
1752 - Adoption of the Gregorian Calendar in Britain
1753 - Parliament passes the Jewish Naturalization Bill
1754 - The ministry of Newcastle
1756 - Britain, allied with Prussia, declares war against France and her allies, Austria and Russia. The
Seven Years' War begins
1757 - The Pitt-Newcastle ministry. Robert Clive wins the Battle of Plassey and secures the Indian
province of Bengal for Britain. William Pitt becomes Prime Minister
1759 - Wolfe captures Quebec and expels the French from Canada
1760 - Death of King George II. He is succeeded by his grandson as George III
1761 - Laurence Sterne publishes his 'Tristram Shandy'
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1762 - The Earl of Bute is appointed Prime Minister. He becomes very unpopular and employs a
bodyguard
1763 - Peace of Paris ends the Seven Years' War. Grenville ministry.
1765 - Rockingham ministry. The American Stamp Act raises taxes in the colonies in an attempt to make
their defence self-financing
1766 - Chatham ministry. Repeal of the American Stamp Act
1768 - Grafton ministry. The Middlesex Election Crisis occurs
1769 - James Watt patents the Steam Engine
1769-70 - Captain James Cook's first voyage to explore the Pacific
1770 - Lord North begins service as Prime Minister. The Falkland Island Crisis occurs. Edmund Burke
publishes his 'Thoughts on the Present Discontents'
1771 - The Encyclopedia Britannica is first published
1773 - American colonists protest at the East India Company's monopoly over tea exports to the colonies,
at the so-called 'Boston Tea Party'. The World's first cast-iron bridge is constructed over the River Severn
at Coalbrookdale
1774 - Parliament passes the Coercive Acts in retaliation for the 'Boston Tea Party'
1775 - American War of Independence begins when colonists fight British troops at Lexington. James
Watt further develops his steam engine
1776 - On 4th July, the American Congress passes their Declaration of Independence from Britain.
Edward Gibbons' publishes his 'Decline and Fall' and Adam Smith, his 'Wealth if Nations'
1779 - The rise of Wyvill's Association Movement
1780 - The Gordon Riots develop from a procession to petition parliament against the Catholic Relief Act
1781 - The Americans obtain a great victory of British troops at the surrender of Yorktown
1782 - End of Lord North's time as Prime Minister. He is succeeded by Rockingham in his second
ministry. Ireland obtains short-lived parliament
19
1783 - Shelburne's ministry, followed by that of William Pitt the Younger. Britain recognises American
independence at the Peace of Versailles. Fox-North coalition established
1784 - Parliament passes the East India Act
1785 - Pitt's motion for Parliamentary Reform is defeated
1786 - The Eden commercial treaty with France is drawn up
1788 - George III suffers his first attack of 'madness' (caused by porphyria)
1789 - Outbreak of the French Revolution
1790 - Edmund Burke publishes his 'Reflections on the Revolution in France'
1791 - James Boswell publishes his 'Life of Johnson' an Thomas Paine, his 'Rights of Man'
1792 - Coal gas is used for lighting for the first time. Mary Wollstonecraft publishes her 'Vindication of
the Rights of Women'
1793 - Outbreak of War between Britain and France. The voluntary Board of Agriculture is set up.
Commercial depression throughout Britain
1795 - The 'Speenhamland' system of outdoor relief is adopted, making wages up to equal the cost of
subsistence
1796 - Vaccination against smallpox is introduced
1798 - Introduction of a tax of ten percent on incomes over 200. T.R. Malthus publishes his 'Essay on
Population'
1799 - Trade Unions are suppressed. Napoleon is appointed First Consul in France
1799-1801 - Commercial boom in Britain
1800 - Act of Union with Ireland unites Parliaments of England and Ireland
1801 - Close of Pitt the Younger's Ministry. The first British Census is undertaken
1802 - Peace with France is established. Peel introduces the first factory legislation
20
1803 - Beginning of the Napoleonic Wars. Britain declares war on France. Parliament passes the General
Enclosure Act, simplifying the process of enclosing common land
1805 - Nelson destroys the French and Spanish fleets at the Battle of Trafalgar, but is killed in the process
1808-14 - Peninsular War to drive the French out of Spain
1809-10 - Commercial boom in Britain
1810 - Final illness of George III begins
1811 - Depression caused by Orders of Council. There are Luddite disturbances in Nottinghamshire and
Yorkshire. The King's illness leads to his son, the Prince of Wales, becoming Regent
1812 - Prime Minister Spencer Perceval is assassinated in the House of Commons by a disgruntled
bankrupt
1813 - Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice' is published. The monopolies of the East India Company are
abolished
1815 - The defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte at Waterloo marks the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Peace is
established in Europe at the Congress of Vienna. The Corn Laws are passed by Parliament to protect
British agriculture from cheap imports
1815-17 - Commercial boom in Britain
1817- Economic slimp in Britain leads to the 'Blanketeers' March' and other disturbances
1818 - Death of the King's wife, Queen Caroline. Mary Shelley's publishes her 'Frankenstein'
1819 - Troops intervene at a mass political reform meeting in Manchester, killing and wounding four
hundred people at the 'Peterloo Massacre'
1820 - Death of the blind and deranged King George III. He is succeeded by his son, the Prince Regent,
who becomes King George IV. A radical plot to murder the Cabinet, known as the Cato Street
Conspiracy, fails. Trial of Queen Caroline, in which George IV attempts to divorce her for adultery
1821 - Queen Caroline is excluded from the coronation
1821-23 - Famine in Ireland
21
1823 - The Royal Academy of Music is established in London. The British Museum is extended and
extensively rebuilt to house an expanding collection
1824 - The National Gallery is established. Commercial boom in Britain
1825 - Nash reconstructs Buckingham Palace. The World's first railway service, the Stockton and
Darlington Railway opens. Trade Unions are legalized. Commercial depression in Britain
1828 - The Duke of Wellington becomes British Prime Minister
1829 - The Metropolitan Police Force is set up by Robert Peel. Parliament passes the Catholic Relief Act,
ending most restrictions on Catholic Civil Rights. They are allowed to own property and run for public
office, including parliament
1830 - Death of King George IV at Windsor. He is succeeded by his brother, William IV. Opening of the
Liverpool and Manchester Railway. Rise of the Whigs, under Grey
1830-32 - First major cholera epidemic in Britain
1831 - 'Swing' Riots in rural areas against the mechanization of agricultural activities. The new London
Bridge is opened over the River Thames
1832 - The first or great Reform Act is passed. This climax of a period of political reform extends the
vote to a further 500,000 people and redistributes Parliamentary seats on a more equitable basis
1833 - Abolition of Slavery throughout the British Empire. Parliament passes the Factory Act, prohibiting
children aged less than nine from working in factories, and reducing the working hours of women and
older children. Start of the Oxford Movement in the Anglican Church
1834 - Parliament passes the Poor Law Act, establishing workhouses for the poor. Robert Owen founds
the Grand National Consolidated Trade Union. The government acts against 'illegal oaths' in such
unionism, rsulting in the Tolpuddle Martyrs being transported to Australia. Fire destroys the Palace of
Westminster
1835 - Parliament passes the Municipal Reform Act, requiring members of town councils to be elected by
ratepayers and councils to publish their financial accounts
1835-36 - Commercial boom with 'little' railway mania across Britain
1837 - Death of King William IV at Windsor. He is succeeded by his niece, Victoria. Births, deaths and
22
marriages must be registered by law. Charles Dickens publishes 'Oliver Twist,' drawing attention to
Britain's poor.
1838 - The Anti-Corn Law League is established. Publication of the People's Charter. The start of
Chartism
1839 - Chartist Riots take place
1840 - Queen Victoria marries Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. The penny post is instituted
1841 - The first British Census recording the names of the populace is undertaken. The Tories come to
power. Sir Robert Peel becomes Prime Minister
1844 - Parliament passes the Bank Charter Act. Foundation of the Rochdale Co-Operative Society and the
Royal Commission on the Health of Towns
1844-45 - Railways mania explodes across Britain. Massive investment and speculation leads to the
laying of 5,000 miles of track
1845-49 - Irish Potato Famine kills more than a million people
1846 - End of Sir Robert Peel's Ministry. Whigs come to Power. Repeal of the Corn Laws
1848 - Major Chartist demonstration in London. Revolutions in Europe. Parliament passes the Public
Health Act
1851 - The Great Exhibition is staged in Hyde Park. Thanks to Prince Albert, it is a great success
1852 - Death of the Duke of Wellington. Derby's first minority Conservative government. Aberdeen's
coalition government is established
1853 - Vaccination against smallpox is made compulsory. Queen Victoria uses chloroform during birth of
Prince Leopold. Gladstone presents his first budget
1854 - The Northcote-Trevelyan civil service report is published The Crimean War begins, as Britain and
France attempt to defend European interests in the Middle East against Russia
1855 - End of Aberdeen's coalition government. Palmerston's first government comes to power
1856 - Crimean War comes to an end. The Victoria Cross is instituted for military bravery
23
1857-58 - The Second Opium War opens China to European trade. The Indian Mutiny erupts against
British Rule on the sub-continent
1858 - Derby establishes his second minority government. Parliament passes the India Act
1859 - End of Derby's second minority government. Palmerston brings his second Liberal government to
power. Charles Darwin publishes his 'The Origin of the Species'
1860 - Gladstone's budget and the Anglo-French Cobden Treaty codifies and extends the principles of
free trade
1861 - Death of Prince Albert, Prince Consort
1862 - Parliament passes the Limited Liability Act in order to provide vital stimulus to accumulation of
capital in shares
1863 - Edward, Prince of Wales, marries Princess Alexandra of Denmark. The Salvation Army is founded
1865 - Death of Palmerston. Russell establishes his second Liberal government
1866 - Russell and Gladstone fail to have their moderate Reform Bill passed in parliament. Derby takes
power in his third minority Conservative government
1867 - Derby and Disraeli's Second Reform Bill doubles the franchise to two million. Canada becomes
the first independent dominion in the British Empire under the Dominion of Canada Act
1868 - Disraeli succeeds Derby as Prime Minister. Gladstone becomes Prime Minister for the first time
1869 - The Irish Church is disestablished. The Suez Canal is opened
1870 - Primary education becomes compulsory in Britain through the Forster-Ripon English Elementary
Education Act. Parliament also passes the Women's Property Act, extending the rights of married women,
and the Irish Land Act
1871 - Trade Unions are legalized
1872 - Secret voting is introduced for elections. Parliament passes the Scottish Education Act
1873 - Gladstone's government resigns after the defeat of their Irish Universities Bill. Disraeli declines to
take up office instead
24
1874 - Disraeli becomes Conservative Prime Minister for the second time
1875 - Disraeli purchases a controlling interest for Britain in the Suez Canal. Agricultural depression
increases
1875-76 - Parliament passes R.A. Cross's Conservative social reforms
1876 - Queen Victoria becomes Empress of India. The massacre of Christians in Turkish Bulgaria leads
to anti-Turkish campaigns in Britain, led by Gladstone
1877 - Confederation of British and Boer states established in South Africa
1878 - The Congress of Berlin is held. Disraeli announces 'peace with honour'
1879 - A trade depression emerges in Britain. The Zulu War is fought in South Africa. The British are
defeated at Isandhlwana, but are victorious at Ulundi
1879-80 - Gladstone's Midlothian campaign denounces imperialism in South Africa and Afghanistan
1880 - Gladstone establishes his second Liberal government
1880-81 - The first Anglo-Boer War is fought
1881 - Parliament passes the Irish Land and Coercion Acts
1882 - Britain occupies Egypt. A triple alliance is established between Germany, Austria and Italy
1884 - Parliament passes the third Reform Act which further extends the franchise
1885 - Death of General Gordon at Khartoum. Burma is annexed. Salisbury succeeds Gladstone with his
first minority Conservative government. Parliament passes the Redistribution Act
1886 - Gladstone's third Liberal government fails to pass its first Irish Home Rule Bill through the House
of Commons. Gladstone resigns as Prime Minister. Split in the Liberal Party. Salisbury establishes his
second Conservative-Liberal-Unionist government. The Royal Niger Company is chartered. Gold is
discovered in the Transvaal
1887 - Queen Victoria celebrates her Golden Jubilee. The Independent Labour Party is founded. The
British East Africa Company is chartered
1888 - The County Councils' Act establishes representative county based authorities
25
1889 - London Dockers' Strike. The British South Africa Company is chartered
1892 - Gladstone forms his fourth Liberal government
1893 - Second Irish Home Rule Bill fails to pass the House of Lords
1894 - Rosebery takes power with his minority Liberal government
1895 - Salisbury forms his third Unionist ministry
1896 - The British conquest of the Sudan begins
1897 - Queen Victoria celebrates her Diamond Jubilee
1898 - British rule over Sudan fully established. German Naval expansion begins
1899 - British disasters in South Africa
1899-1902 - Boer War in South Africa
1900 - Salisbury wins the Khaki election. The Labour Representation Committee is formed. Parliament
passes the Commonwealth of Australia Act
1901 - Death of Queen Victoria. She is succeeded by her son, Prince Albert, as King Edward VII
1642-6 The Great Civil War
1642
Charles I (Stuart; Anglican) captured !ueen "enrietta #aria and Charles$
%rince &' Wales$ escape t& (rance
164) Charles I *eheaded
164)-6+ The Interregnu,; the C&,,&n-ealth esta*lished
16./ 0liver Cr&,-ell (%uritan) *ec&,es 1&rd %r&tect&r &' the C&,,&n-ealth
16.2 0liver Cr&,-ell dies; his s&n 3ichard atte,pts t& succeed hi,
166+
The 3est&rati&n Charles (II4Anglican) returns 'r&, (rance and ta5es the
thr&ne
1621-. %arlia,ent d&es n&t ,eet C&urt h&lds p&-er
162.
Charles dies; his *r&ther 6a,es (II; 3&,an Cath&lic) succeeds hi, Threat &'
7p&per87
1622 6a,es$ %rince &' Wales *&rn This ,eans the cr&-n -ill pass t& hi,$ a 3&,an
Cath&lic$ rather than t& the 9ing:s Anglican si*lings
26
Gl&ri&us (ie$ *l&&dless) 3ev&luti&n 6a,es 'lees t& (rance and is dep&sed$
*ecause his daughter #ar8 and her hus*and Willia,$ %rince &' 0range$ have
*een invited *8 %arlia,ent t& share the cr&-n ;<ecutive = p&-er l&dged -ith
Willia, >alance &' p&-er shi'ts 'inall8 'r&, C&urt t& %arlia,ent
1622-1?22
(&r 1++ 8ears$ till the death &' >&nnie %rince Charlie$ ;ngland 'eels the threat
&' an invasi&n 'r&, (rance -hich -&uld rest&re Stuart (6ac&*ite)$ and thus
3&,an Cath&lic$ rule In 'act$ 6ac&*ite risings &ccur t-ice during this peri&d$
in 1?1. and 1?4.
16)4 #ar8 dies; Willia, (III) s&le ruler
1?+1
6a,es II dies in (rance Act &' Settle,ent directs successi&n$ sh&uld Anne die
childless$ t& the (%r&testant) "&use &' "an&ver--unless 7the 0ld %retender$7
6a,es (s&n &' 6a,es II) &r$ later$ >&nnie %rince Charlie$ 7the @&ung
%retender$7 -&uld = a*Aure 3&,an Cath&licis, (See the chart &' 5ings and
Bueens)
1?+2 Willia, dies; Anne (#ar8:s Anglican sister) succeeds
1?+? Act &' Cni&n *et-een Sc&tland and ;ngland
1?+2-1/ War &' the Spanish successi&n
1?1/ %eace &' Ctrecht
1?14 Anne dies; D8nastic crisis; Ge&rge I (&' "an&ver) succeeds un&pp&sed
1?1. 6ac&*ite re*elli&n
1?2+
Charles ;d-ard Stuart (a5a >&nnie %rince Charlie &r the @&ung %retender)
*&rn in (rance t& 6a,es (the 0ld %retender)
S&uth Sea >u**le
1?21-42 3&*ert Walp&le %ri,e #inister
1?2? Ge&rge I dies; Ge&rge II cr&-ned
1?// 6&hn 9a8:s 'l8ing shuttle
1?4. 6ac&*ite rising in supp&rt &' >&nnie %rince Charlie
1?.4 Angl&-(rench -ar *egins in E&rth A,erica
1?.. 1is*&n earthBua5e
1?.6-6/ Seven @ears: War
1?.? Clive captures India 'r&, the (rench
1?.2 'irst threshing ,achine
1?.) >ritish #useu, &pens
1?6+
Ge&rge II dies; his grands&n cr&-ned Ge&rge III
(rench surrender #&ntreal t& the >ritish
Wedg-&&d &pens p&tter8 -&r5s
1?6/
Treat8 &' %aris ends the Seven @ears: War (rance cedes Canada and the
#ississippi Falle8 t& >ritain
1?64 "argreaves invents the spinning Aenn8
1?66 6a,es 7the 0ld %retender7 dies in (rance
1?6) Ar5-right invents a spinning ,achine
27
1??1 Ar5-right:s 'irst spinning ,ill
1??/ >&st&n Tea %art8
1??4
%riestl8 is&lates &<8gen
Accessi&n &' 1&uis GFI &' (rance
1??.
A,erican 3ev&luti&n *egins
Watt:s 'irst e''icient stea, engine
1??6
Ada, S,ith$ The Wealth of Nations
A,erican c&l&nies declare their independence
1??2 3&usseau and F&ltaire die
1??) 'irst stea, p&-ered ,ills Cr&,pt&n invents spinning 7,ule7
1?21 C&rn-allis surrenders t& Washingt&n at @&r5t&-n$ Fa
1?22 1&rd E&rth resigns; 'ull %arlia,entar8 g&vern,ent rest&red
1?2/ %eace treat8 signed in %aris *et-een Great >ritain and the Cnited States
1?2. Cart-right *uilds p&-er l&&,
1?26 C&al gas 'irst used '&r lighting
1?2? Warren "astings i,peached
1?22 >&nnie %rince Charlie dies in (rance
1?2)
>astille 'alls; (rench 3ev&luti&n *egins
>entha,$ Introduction to the Principles of Morals (see utilitarianis,)
1?)1-2 %aine$ The Rights of Man.
1?)2 3eign &' Terr&r in (rance
1?)/
1&uis GFI e<ecuted in (rance ;ngland and (rance at -ar
G&d-in$ Political Justice
1?)4 ;<ecuti&n &' 3&*espierre ends the 3eign &' Terr&r
1?)6 Invasi&n &' ;ngland threatened
1?)2
>attle &' the Eile
#althus$ Essay on . . . Population
1?)) Eap&le&n na,ed (irst C&nsul &' (rance
12+1 Cni&n &' Great >ritain and Ireland
12+4 Eap&le&n declared ;,per&r
12+. >attle &' Tra'algar
12+) Eap&le&n captures Fienna
1211 %rince &' Wales na,ed 3egent t& act '&r Ge&rge III$ n&- insane
1211-12
1uddite ri&ts in the E&rth and the #idlands 1a*&rers attac5 'act&ries and
*rea5 up the ,achines -hich the8 'ear -ill replace the,
1212 Eap&le&n invades 3ussia
1212-14 War &' 1212 *et-een ;ngland and the Cnited States
1214
Treat8 &' Ghent ends Angl&-CS War
;ngland and allies invade (rance
Eap&le&n e<iled t& ;l*a
28
121.
Eap&le&n escapes ;l*a; *egins the 7"undred Da8s7
>attle &' Waterl&&; Eap&le&n e<iled t& St "elena in the S&uth Atlantic
C&rn 1a-s passed
121? David 3icard&$ Principles of Political Economy
121) %eterl&& #assacre &' C&rn 1a- pr&test&rs
122+
Ge&rge III dies; succeeded *8 %rince 3egent as Ge&rge IF Cat& Street
C&nspirac8
1221 Eap&le&n dies
1222 Classical Trip&s esta*lished at Ca,*ridge
122/ 1&nd&n #echanics Institute '&unded
122? Th&,as Arn&ld app&inted t& 3ug*8
122)
Cath&lic ;,ancipati&n Act
%eel esta*lishes the #etr&p&litan %&lice
12/+
Ge&rge IF dies; his *r&ther Willia, IF succeeds
#anchester - 1iverp&&l 3ail-a8 ('irst in ;ngland)
12/2
(irst 3e'&r, >illH adds I1+J8ear h&useh&lders t& the v&ting r&lls and
reapp&rti&ns %arlia,entar8 representati&n ,uch ,&re 'airl8$ d&ing a-a8 -ith
,&st 7r&tten7 and 7p&c5et7 *&r&ughs Adds 21?$+++ v&ters t& an elect&rate &'
4/.$+++
12//
Slaver8 a*&lished thr&ugh&ut the >ritish ;,pire
(act&r8 Act
12/4
Ee- %&&r 1a-
"&uses &' %arlia,ent *urn d&-n
1ate 12/+s
(irst &' the %arlia,entar8 7>lue >&&5s74'acts and 'igures a*&ut ;ngland
c&,piled *8 the 3&8al C&,,issi&ners
12/6-42 Chartist ,&ve,ent
12/? Willia, IF dies; succeeded *8 his niece$ Fict&ria
12/2 3egular Atlantic stea,ship service *egins
12/) Anti-C&rn-1a- 1eague '&unded
124+
!ueen Fict&ria ,arries her c&usin Al*ert$ -h& *ec&,es %rince C&ns&rt
%enn8 p&st started
S(> #&rse invents the telegraph
Gra,,ar Sch&&ls Act
1242
Chartist 3i&ts
C&p8right Act
124.-6
%&tat& (ailure in ;ur&pe; starvati&n in Ireland C&rn 1a-s (-hich had 5ept up
the price &' grain) repealed
1242
3ev&luti&ns in ;ur&pe
!ueen:s C&llege ('&r -&,en) '&unded in 1&nd&n
124) G&ld disc&vered in Cali'&rnia and Australia
12.+ Telegraph ca*le laid under ;nglish Channel
29
12.1
Great ;<hi*iti&n (7Cr8stal %alace7)
%&pulati&n &' Cnited 9ingd&, at 21 ,illi&n
12./-6 Cri,ean War
12..
1ivingst&n disc&vers Fict&ria (alls
Civil Service C&,,issi&ners app&inted
12.?-2 The #utin8 (India)
12.2 (irst Atlantic ca*le laid
126+ Gari*aldi ta5es Eaples; uni'icati&n &' Ital8
1261 Al*ert dies; Fict&ria retires int& ,&urning
1261-. A,erican Civil War
1262 >is,arc5 *ec&,es %russian pre,ier
1264 Geneva C&nventi&n esta*lishes 3ed Cr&ss
1266
Ital8 de'eated *8 Austria
Telegraph ca*le laid under the Atlantic
126?
Sec&nd 3e'&r, >illH en'ranchises ,an8 -&r5ing,en; adds )/2$+++ t& an
elect&rate &' 1$+.?$+++ in ;ngland and Wales (Disraeli:s legislati&n)
S&uth A'rican dia,&nd 'ields disc&vered
(enian rising in Ireland
126)
SueK Canal &pened
Cni&n %aci'ic 3ail-a8 c&,pleted in CS
12?+
(&rster:s ;le,entar8 ;ducati&n Act esta*lishes Sch&&l >&ards
Fatican C&uncil (esta*lishes the in'alli*ilit8 &' the %&pe)
12?+-1 (ranc&-%russian War
12?1
Cniversit8 Tests Act re,&ves religi&us tests at 0<'&rd and Ca,*ridge
Trade uni&ns legaliKed
Ee-castle engineers stri5e '&r a nine-h&ur da8
Ger,an8 uni'ied
12?/ %&pulati&n &' the Cnited 9ingd&, at 26 ,illi&n ((rance /6 ,illi&n)
12?6
Fict&ria na,ed ;,press &' India
;dis&n invents the ph&n&graph
C&,puls&r8 sch&&l attendance in Great >ritain
12?? Transvaal anne<ed
12?)
S&,erville and 1ad8 #argaret C&lleges ('&r -&,en) '&unded at 0<'&rd
Lulu -ar
122+ War -ith Transvaal
1221 Ca,*ridge Trip&s e<a,s &pened t& -&,en
1222
Triple Alliance (Ger,an8$ Ital8$ and Austria)
#arried W&,en:s %r&pert8 Act ena*les -&,en t& *u8$ &-n$ and sell pr&pert8$
and t& 5eep their &-n earnings
122/ 70&, %aul7 9ruger na,ed president &' the S&uth A'rican 3epu*lic
(a*ian S&ciet8 '&unded
30
#ahdi 3e*elli&n in the Sudan
1224-.
Third 3e'&r, Act and 3edistri*uti&n Act e<tend v&te t& agricultural -&r5ers;
elect&rate tripled
122. (all &' 9hart&u,
1226 (irst (Irish) "&,e 3ule *ill reAected
122? !ueen Fict&ria:s G&lden 6u*ilee
122) 1&nd&n d&c5 -&r5ers and ,atch girls stri5e '&r 6dJh&ur
12)+
%arnell--0:Shea div&rce case ends %arnell:s in'luence; n& "&,e 3ule '&r
Ireland
12)4 Dre8'us trial in (rance
12). CS eBuals the C9:s industrial &utput
12)? Fict&ria:s Dia,&nd 6u*ilee
12)2-)) Spanish-A,erican War
12))-1)+2 >&er -ar
1)+1 Fict&ria dies; ;d-ard %rince &' Wales succeeds
1)+/ CS acBuires Canal L&ne 'r&, %ana,a
1)+4 ;ntente C&rdiale (;ngland and (rance)
1)+. 3ev&luti&n in 3ussia
1)14-12 The 7Great War7 (W&rld War I)
1)16 ;aster 3ising in Du*lin
1)1? 3ussian 3ev&luti&n
1)12 all ,en &ver 21 and -&,en &ver thirt8 en'ranchised
1)22
Irish (ree State esta*lished
6a,es 6&8ce$ Ulysses; TS ;li&t$ The Waste Land.
1)22 ;Bual (ranchise Act grants right t& v&te t& -&,en &ver 21 (as -ell as ,en)
1)/6-2 Spanish Civil War
1)/2 Cha,*erlain cedes CKech territ&r8 t& "itler at #unich
1)/)-4. W&rld War II
Monarch Reign
HOUSE OF WESSEX
Egbert 802-839
Aethelbald 855-860
Aethelbert 860-866
Aethelred 866-871
Alfred the Great 871-899
31
Edward the Elder 899-925
Athelstan 925-940
Edmund the
Magnf!ent
940-946
Eadred 946-955
Eadwg "Edw#$
All-%ar
955-959
Edgar the
&ea!eable
959-975
Edward the Mart#r 975-978
'thelred
(( "Ethelred the
)nread#$
979-1013 and 1014-1016
Edmund ((
"(r*nsde$
1016
DANISH
+,en %*r-beard 1014
.nut ".anute$ 1016-1035
/ar*ld ( 1035-1040
/ard!nut 1040-1042
SAXONS
Edward "the
.*nfess*r$
1042-1066
/ar*ld (( 1066
NORMANS
0llam ( 1066-1087
0llam ( ( 1087-1100
/enr# ( 1100-1135
+te1hen 1135-1154
Em1ress
Matlda "2ueen
Maud$
1141
32
PLANTAGENETS
/enr# (( 1154-1189
3!hard ( 1189-1199
4*hn 1199-1216
/enr# ((( 1216-1272
Edward ( 1272-1307
Edward (( 1307-1327
Edward ((( 1327-1377
3!hard (( 1377-1399
HOUSE OF LANCASTER
/enr# (5 1399-1413
/enr# 5 1413-1422
/enr# 5( 1422-1461
HOUSE OF YORK
Edward (5 1461-1483
Edward 5 1483
3!hard ((( 1483-1485
TUDORS
/enr# 5(( 1485-1509
/enr# 5((( 1509-1547
Edward 5( 1547-1553
4ane Gre# 1553
Mar# ( 1553-1558
El6abeth ( 1558-1603
STUARTS
33
4ames ( 1603-1625
.harles ( 1625-1649
COMMONWEALTH
7l,er .r*mwell 1649-1658
3!hard .r*mwell 1658-1659
STUARTS (restored)
.harles (( 1660-1685
4ames (( 1685-1688
0llam ((( 1689-1702
Mar# (( 1689-1694
Anne 1702-1714
HOUSE OF HANOVER
Ge*rge ( 1714-1727
Ge*rge (( 1727-1760
Ge*rge ((( 1760-1820
Ge*rge (5 1820-1830
0llam (5 1830-1837
5!t*ra 1837-1901
SAXECO!URGGOTHA
Edward 5(( 1901-1910
WINDSOR
Ge*rge 5 1910-1936
Edward 5((( 1936-1936
Ge*rge 5( 1936-1952
El6abeth (( 1952 - 1resent
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