Britain Separates from Europe
Britain becomes permanently separated from Europe (around 10,000 years ago).
Life in the UK
History Timeline
Swipe or scroll horizontally to review key dates quickly. Each card is a milestone.
← Back to Answer KeyFirst Farmers Arrive
Farming reaches Britain (around 6,000 years ago).
Bronze Age
People learn to make bronze (around 4,000 years ago).
Julius Caesar Fails to Invade
Roman Julius Caesar attempts but fails to invade Britain.
Roman Invasion
Emperor Claudius successfully invades most of Britain.
Romans Leave Britain
Roman rule ends as forces withdraw.
Anglo-Saxons Establish
Anglo-Saxons settle (excluding much of Wales and Scotland).
Vikings Arrive
Vikings begin raiding coastal towns for goods and slaves.
Norman Conquest
William defeats Harold and becomes first Norman king; last successful invasion of England.
England Rules the Pale
England controls the Pale around Dublin.
Magna Carta
King John signs Magna Carta, making the king subject to the law.
Wales Annexed
Statute of Rhuddlan: Edward I takes over Wales.
Battle of Bannockburn
Robert the Bruce defeats England.
Hundred Years’ War Begins
Long conflict between England and France starts.
Black Death
Plague arrives in Britain, killing roughly one-third of the population.
Chaucer Writes Canterbury Tales
Geoffrey Chaucer writes The Canterbury Tales.
English Replaces Norman French
English becomes the preferred language of the royal court and Parliament.
Battle of Agincourt
Henry V defeats a larger French army.
Hundred Years’ War Ends
England loses most of its territories in France.
War of the Roses Begins
Conflict between the houses of York and Lancaster.
Battle of Bosworth Field
Henry Tudor defeats Richard III and becomes Henry VII.
Scotland Becomes Protestant
Abolishes papal authority; Mary Queen of Scots flees to England.
William Shakespeare Born
Born in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Spanish Armada Defeated
English forces defeat Spain’s invading fleet.
Union of the Crowns
Elizabeth I dies; James VI of Scotland becomes James I of England.
First Union Flag Created
Early version of the Union Flag established.
Shakespeare Dies
William Shakespeare dies.
Parliament Recalled
Charles I recalls Parliament after 11 years of personal rule.
Irish Revolt Begins
Rebellion breaks out in Ireland.
Civil War Begins
Roundheads vs Cavaliers.
Isaac Newton Born
Born in Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire.
Civil War Ends
King defeated at Marston Moor and Naseby.
Charles I Executed
Charles I beheaded; Cromwell becomes Lord Protector and suppresses Irish rebellion.
First Jews Come to Britain
Jewish resettlement begins.
Cromwell Dies
Oliver Cromwell dies.
The Restoration
Charles II restored as king.
Huguenot Refugees Arrive
French Protestant refugees settle in Britain.
James II Becomes King
Charles II dies; Catholic James II ascends.
William of Orange Invades
William becomes William III.
Bill of Rights
Limits the monarch’s power.
Battle of the Boyne
William defeats James in Ireland.
Press Freed
Newspapers allowed without government license.
The Enlightenment
New ideas in politics, philosophy and science.
Act of Union
Kingdom of Great Britain created.
George I Chosen
Queen Anne dies; George I becomes king.
First Prime Minister
Sir Robert Walpole becomes PM (until 1742).
Newton Dies
Isaac Newton dies.
Richard Arkwright Born
Industrialist known for factory efficiency.
Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Rising
Jacobite attempt supported by Highland clans.
Battle of Culloden
Jacobites defeated; Highland power reduced.
Robert Burns Born
Poet of Auld Lang Syne; also Sake Dean Mahomet born.
American Independence Declared
13 American states declare independence.
Mahomet Arrives in Britain
Sake Dean Mahomet comes to Britain.
American Independence Recognised
Britain recognises American independence.
Mahomet Marries Jane Daly
Mahomet elopes with Jane Daly.
War with France
France (Napoleon) declares war on Britain.
Arkwright Dies
Richard Arkwright dies.
Robert Burns Dies
Robert Burns dies.
Anti-Slavery Groups
Quakers establish anti-slavery groups.
Battle of Trafalgar
Britain defeats France; Nelson dies.
Slave Trade Banned
Slave trading made illegal in British ports.
Battle of Waterloo
Duke of Wellington defeats Napoleon.
Emancipation Act
Slavery outlawed across the British Empire.
Hindoostane Coffee House
Mahomet opens a coffee house and promotes “shampooing.”
Mahomet Dies
Sake Dean Mahomet dies.