History Timelines

1. History Timelines

2. Timeline 1050 1960 1746; Battle of Culloden 1939; World War II 1170; Death of Thomas Beckett 1588; Spanish Armada 1348; The Black Death 1066; Battle of Hastings 1476; Caxton’s Printing Press 1215; Magna Carta 1666; Fire of London 1851; Great Exhibition 1951; Festival of Britain

3. Battle of Hastings The Battle of Hastings occurred on 14 October 1066 during the Norman conquest of England, between the Norman-French army of Duke William II of Normandy and the English army under King Harold II. It took place at Senlac Hill, approximately 10 km (61⁄4 miles) northwest of Hastings, close to the present-day town of Battle, East Sussex, and was a decisive Norman victory. The Death of Thomas Becket “Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest." The king's outrage inspired four knights to sail to England to rid the realm of Becket. They arrived at Canterbury during the afternoon of December 29 and immediately searched for the Archbishop. Becket fled to the Cathedral where a service was in progress. The knights found him at the altar, drew their swords and murdered him.

4. Magna Carta The Magna Carta was signed in June 1215 between the barons of Medieval England and King John. "Magna Carta" is Latin and means "Great Charter". The Magna Carta was one of the most important documents of Medieval England. It was signed between the barons and John at Runnymede near Windsor Castle. The document was a series of written promises between the king and his subjects that he, the king, would govern England and deal with its people according to the customs of feudal law. Magna Carta was an attempt by the barons to stop a king - in this case John - abusing his power with the people of England suffering. Black Death The Black Death was an epidemic which spread across almost all of Europe in the years 1348 – 53; the plague killed over a third of the entire population. It has been described as the worst natural disaster in European history.

5. Caxton’s Printing Press In 1476 Caxton returned to London and established a press at Westminster, the first printing press in England. Amongst the books he printed were Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales', Gower's 'Confession Amantis' and Malory's 'Le Morted'Arthur'. He printed more than 100 books in his lifetime, books which were known for their craftsmanship and careful editing. He was also the translator of many of the books he published, using his knowledge of French, Latin and Dutch. He died in 1492. Spanish Armada The Spanish Armada sailed from Spain in July 1588. The Spanish Armada's task was to overthrow protestant England lead by Queen Elizabeth I. The Spanish Armada proved to be an expensive disaster for the Spanish but for the English it was a celebrated victory.

6. Fire of London The Great Fire of London of September 1666 was one of the most famous incidents in Stuart England. The fire started in Pudding Lane The fire started in a baker’s shop owned by Thomas Farriner – who was the king’s baker His maid failed to put out the ovens at the end of the night. The heat created by the ovens caused sparks to ignite the wooden home of Farriner. In her panic, the maid tried to climb out of the building but failed. She was one of the few victims of the fire. Once it started, the fire spread quickly. The city was basically made out of wood and with September following on from the summer, the city was very dry. Strong winds fanned the flames. Battle of Culloden The Battle of Culloden took place on the 16th of April in 1746. It was fought on a moor and, at that point in time, it was called Drummossie Moor. The two armies that fought against each other were the Jacobites and the Government Army. The battle lasted for just over an hour. For every 1 dead in the Government army about 24 were dead in the Jacobite army.

7. Great Exhibition In 1851 Great Britain was arguably the leader of the industrial revolution and feeling very secure in that ideal. The Great Exhibition of 1851 in London was conceived to symbolize this industrial, military and economic superiority of Great Britain. The Great Exhibition was held in Hyde Park in London in the specially constructed Crystal Palace. World War II World War II, or the Second World War was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, with more than 100 million military personnel mobilised. In a state of "total war," the major participants placed their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities at the service of the war effort, erasing the distinction between civilian and military resources. Marked by significant events involving the mass death of civilians, including the Holocaust and the only use of nuclear weapons in warfare, it was the deadliest conflict in human history, resulting in 50 million to over 70 million fatalities.

8. Festival of Britain The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition which opened in London and around Britain in May 1951. At that time, shortly after the end of World War II, much of London was still in ruins and redevelopment was badly needed. The Festival was an attempt to give Britons a feeling of recovery and progress and to promote better-quality design in the rebuilding of British towns and cities following the war. The Festival also celebrated the centenary of the 1851 Great Exhibition