Timeline of Anglo Saxon England

Welcome to our timeline of Anglo-Saxon England:

5th century AD:

• 410 AD: The Roman Empire withdraws from Britain, leaving the island vulnerable to invasion
• 441 AD: Vortigern, king of the Britons, invites Saxon mercenaries to help defend against the Picts and Scots, but the Saxons eventually turn against the Britons and begin to conquer territory for themselves
• 449 AD: Hengist and Horsa, two Saxon leaders, arrive in Kent and establish the first Saxon kingdom in England
• 455 AD: The Saxons capture the city of Augusta (modern-day Canterbury) and slaughter many of its inhabitants
• 457 AD: The Battle of Crayford: The Saxons, led by King Aelle of Sussex, defeat the Britons under King Natanleod of the Gewisse
• 465 AD: The Saxons capture the city of Colchester and massacre its inhabitants
• 473 AD: The Battle of Bedford: The Saxons, led by King Aelle and his son Cissa, defeat the Britons and capture the town of Bedford
• 477 AD: The Saxons establish the kingdom of Wessex, which becomes one of the most powerful Saxon kingdoms in England
• 488 AD: The Battle of Mount Badon: The Britons, led by King Arthur, defeat the Saxons and temporarily halt their advance
• 495 AD: Cerdic, the founder of the kingdom of Wessex, lands at the port of Cerdicesora (modern-day Southampton) and establishes his kingdom
• 496 AD: The Saxons capture the city of Londinium (modern-day London) and make it their capital
• 499 AD: The Saxons capture the city of Lindinis (modern-day Ilchester) and massacre its inhabitants

6th century AD:

• 527 AD: Cynric becomes king of Wessex, succeeding his father Cerdic
• 534 AD: The Battle of Vindicta (or Vindon) Hill: The Saxons, led by Cerdic and his son Cynric, defeat the Britons and capture the town of Bath
• 547 AD: The Battle of Iglea: The Saxons, led by Cynric and his son Ceawlin, defeat the Britons and capture the town of Old Sarum
• 547: Ida the Flame-bearer establishes the kingdom of Bernicia in Northumbria
• 560 AD: The Battle of Beandun (or Bennington): The Saxons, led by Ceawlin and his allies, defeat the Britons and capture the town of Calleva (modern-day Silchester)
• 560: Aethelberht becomes king of Kent and establishes a law code based on Roman law
• 568 AD: The Battle of Wibbandun (or Wibbandune): The Saxons, led by Ceawlin and his allies, defeat the Britons and capture the town of Wanborough
• 571 AD: The Battle of Bedcanford (or Bedford): The Saxons, led by Ceawlin and his allies, defeat the Britons and capture the town of Bedford
• 577 AD: The Battle of Dyrham: The Saxons, led by Ceawlin and his allies, defeat the Britons and capture the town of Gloucester, marking the beginning of the West Saxon conquest of England
• 584 AD: Ceawlin is defeated and deposed by his own kin, Cuthwine and Ceol, who become joint kings of Wessex
• 590 AD: Aethelbert, king of Kent, issues a code of laws known as the “Laws of Aethelbert“, which is the first written legal code in English history
• 597 AD: St. Augustine arrives in Kent and begins the Christianization of the Anglo-Saxons

7th century AD:

• 604 AD: Aethelfrith, king of Bernicia, defeats the combined armies of Deira and East Anglia at the Battle of Chester, establishing the kingdom of Northumbria
• 616 AD: Aethelberht of Kent dies and is succeeded by his son Eadbald, who temporarily abandons Christianity
• 625 AD: The Battle of Dyrham: The West Saxons, led by Cynegils and his son Cwichelm, defeat the Britons and capture the town of Bath
• 633 AD: The Battle of Hatfield Chase: The Northumbrians, led by Edwin the Great, are defeated by the Mercians under the pagan, King Penda.
• 633: The Battle of Heavenfield: King Oswald of Northumbria defeats the forces of King Cadwallon of Gwynedd and establishes his kingdom as the dominant power in northern England
• 635 AD: Birinus arrives in Wessex and begins the Christianization of the West Saxons
• 640 AD: Oswald becomes king of Northumbria and promotes the spread of Christianity in his kingdom
• 655 AD: The Battle of Winwaed: The Northumbrians, led by Oswiu, defeat the Mercians and establish their supremacy in central England
• 664: The Synod of Whitby: King Oswiu of Northumbria decides to follow the Roman method of calculating the date of Easter, rather than the Celtic method, which is still used in parts of Ireland and Scotland
• 673 AD: The Synod of Hertford: The bishops of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms meet to standardize church practices and procedures across England
• 674 AD: Caedwalla becomes king of Wessex and begins a campaign of expansion, conquering the kingdoms of Sussex and Kent
• 680 AD: The Battle of Oka: The Mercians, led by Aethelred, defeat the Northumbrians and establish their supremacy in central England
• 685 AD: The Battle of Nechtansmere: The Picts, led by King Bridei, defeat the Northumbrians, effectively ending Northumbrian attempts to expand northward
• 690 AD: Ine becomes king of Wessex and codifies the laws of his kingdom in the “Laws of Ine”
• 695 AD: The Battle of Wihtgarasburgh: The West Saxons, led by Wihtgar, defeat the Jutes of Kent and establish their supremacy over the southern coast of England
• 697 AD: The Battle of Testbourne: The West Saxons, led by Ine and his allies, defeat the Mercians and establish their supremacy in the Thames Valley

8th century AD:

• 700 AD: The Venerable Bede completes his “Ecclesiastical History of the English People”, a seminal work of English historical writing that chronicles the early Christianization of the Anglo-Saxons
• 710 AD: Aethelheard becomes king of Wessex and begins a campaign of expansion, conquering the kingdom of Sussex
• 716 AD: The Battle of Woden’s Burg: The Mercians, led by Ceolred, defeat the West Saxons and establish their supremacy in the Midlands
• 731 AD: The Venerable Bede dies, leaving behind a legacy of historical writing and scholarship
• 733 AD: The Battle of Hatfield Chase: The Mercians, led by Aethelbald, defeat the Northumbrians and establish their supremacy in northern England
• 735 AD: The death of the Northumbrian king Ceolwulf, the last of the dynasty founded by Ida the Flame-bearer, leads to a period of instability in Northumbria
• 737 AD: Ecgbert becomes king of Wessex and begins a campaign of expansion, conquering the kingdom of Kent
• 754 AD: Boniface, an English missionary, is martyred in Germany while spreading Christianity among the Germanic peoples
• 757 AD: Offa becomes king of Mercia and begins a period of consolidation and expansion, building a dyke along the Welsh border and establishing Mercian supremacy over the other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms
• 789 AD: The first recorded Viking raid on England takes place when a group of Norsemen land on the coast of Wessex
• 793 AD: The Vikings sack the monastery at Lindisfarne, marking the beginning of a period of Viking raids and invasions that would last for several centuries
• 796 AD: Offa dies and is succeeded by his son Ecgfrith, who is unable to maintain Mercian supremacy over the other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms

9th century AD:

• 802 AD: Coenwulf dies and is succeeded by his brother Ceolwulf, who rules Mercia until 823 AD
• 825 AD: Egbert of Wessex defeats the Mercians at the Battle of Ellendun, establishing Wessex as the dominant Anglo-Saxon kingdom
• 829 AD: Egbert of Wessex is recognized as the first king of all the English, marking the beginning of the unification of England under one ruler
• 836 AD: The Viking raid on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent marks the beginning of a new phase of Viking attacks on England
• 839 AD: Vikings invade Wessex, but are defeated by King Aethelwulf at the Battle of Aclea
• 851 AD: Vikings attack London and Canterbury, but are defeated by Aethelwulf’s son, Aethelstan
• 853 AD: Aethelwulf dies and is succeeded by his son Aethelbald as king of Wessex
• 855 AD: Aethelbald is assassinated by his own nobles and is succeeded by his brother, Aethelbert
• 860 AD: Aethelbert dies and is succeeded by his brother Aethelred
• 866 AD: The Great Heathen Army of Vikings led by Ivar the Boneless and Halfdan Ragnarsson invade England and capture York, establishing a Viking kingdom known as the Danelaw
• 871 AD: Aethelred dies and is succeeded by his brother Alfred the Great, who begins a campaign to drive the Vikings out of England
• 878 AD: Alfred the Great defeats the Vikings at the Battle of Edington, forcing them to retreat and negotiate a peace treaty known as the Treaty of Wedmore
• 886 AD: Alfred the Great captures London from the Vikings, marking the beginning of the reconquest of England
• 899 AD: Alfred the Great dies and is succeeded by his son, Edward the Elder

10th century AD:

• 901 AD: Edward the Elder dies and is succeeded by his son, Aethelstan
• 909 AD: Aethelred II, the Unready, becomes king of England
• 910 AD: Aethelred marries a Mercian noblewoman named Aelfgifu, solidifying his power in Mercia
• 910 AD: Anglo-Saxon forces from Mercia and Wessex defeat Danelaw Vikings at Battle of Tettenhall, resulting in heavy Dane casualties and the death of three Dane Kings: Eowils, Halfdan and Ingwaer. No further incursions from Danes from the Northern areas of Danelaw for a generation. 
• 911 AD: The Vikings under Rollo, a Norse chieftain, are granted land in Normandy by the French king, Charles the Simple, in exchange for their loyalty and defense against other Viking attacks
• 917 AD: The Viking king, Sihtric, dies and is succeeded by his wife’s brother, Ragnald, who converts to Christianity and becomes a loyal ally of Aethelred
• 918 AD: Aethelflaed, daughter of Alfred the Great and ruler of Mercia, dies and is succeeded by her husband, Aethelred’s son Edward the Elder
• 927 AD: Edward the Elder dies and is succeeded by his son, Aethelstan, who becomes the first king of all England
• 937 AD: Aethelstan defeats the combined forces of Vikings, Scots, and Irish at the Battle of Brunanburh, cementing his authority over all of Britain
• 955 AD: Aethelstan dies and is succeeded by his half-brother, Edmund I
• 957 AD: Edmund I marries Aelfgifu, a daughter of the ealdorman of East Anglia, to strengthen his position in that region
• 959 AD: Edgar the Peaceful becomes king of England after Edmund I is murdered by an exiled thief named Leofa
• 973 AD: Edgar is crowned at Bath, during which he is rowed down the River Avon by eight vassal kings, demonstrating his authority over all of England
• 975 AD: Edgar dies and is succeeded by his son Edward the Martyr, but Edward is murdered after only three years by his stepmother, Aelfthryth, who then puts her own son, Aethelred, on the throne
• 991 AD: The Vikings under Olaf Tryggvason raid the coast of England, leading to the Battle of Maldon in which the English suffer a costly defeat

11th century AD:

• 1002 AD: Aethelred II orders the St. Brice’s Day Massacre, in which many Danes living in England are killed, leading to renewed Viking attacks on England
• 1013 AD: Sweyn Forkbeard, king of Denmark, invades England and forces Aethelred II into exile; Sweyn is proclaimed king of England
• 1014 AD: Sweyn dies and his son, Cnut, returns to Denmark to claim the throne, leaving England in the hands of Aethelred II, who is briefly reinstated as king
• 1016 AD: Cnut returns to England with a large army and defeats Aethelred II, who dies shortly thereafter; Cnut becomes king of England
• 1035 AD: Cnut dies and is succeeded by his son, Harold Harefoot, who faces opposition from Cnut’s other sons and rival claimants to the throne
• 1040 AD: Harold Harefoot dies and is succeeded by his half-brother, Harthacnut, who had been ruling in Denmark; Harthacnut faces challenges to his rule and his reign is marked by unrest and conflict
• 1042 AD: Harthacnut dies without an heir and is succeeded by Edward the Confessor, the son of Aethelred II and Emma of Normandy, who had been living in exile in Normandy; Edward’s accession is supported by his powerful advisor, Earl Godwin of Wessex
• 1051 AD: Earl Godwin is exiled for defying Edward’s orders to punish the town of Dover, which had sheltered a fugitive from justice; Godwin returns with a large army and forces Edward to restore him to power
• 1066 AD, 5th January: King Edward the Confessor dies, leaving no clear heir to the English throne.
• 1066 AD, January 6: Harold Godwinson is crowned King of England, following the death of Edward the Confessor.
• 1066 AD, September 20: William, Duke of Normandy, lands in England at Pevensey with a Norman army.
• 1066 AD, September 25: The Battle of Stamford Bridge takes place between the English army, led by Harold Godwinson, and the Norwegian army, led by King Harald Hardrada and Tostig Godwinson. The English are victorious, but suffer heavy losses – Hardrada and Tostig both killed.
• 1066 AD, September 28: After hearing of the Norman invasion, Harold marches his army south to confront them.
• 1066 AD, October 14: The Battle of Hastings takes place between the English army, led by Harold Godwinson, and the Norman army, led by William the Conqueror. After a day-long battle, the Normans emerge victorious, killing Harold and cementing William’s claim to the English throne.
• 1066 AD, December 25: William the Conqueror is crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day.
• 1067 AD: Hereward the Wake leads English rebels in resistance against the Normans from his base on the Isle of Ely in East Anglia.
• 1067 AD: William I (also known as William the Conqueror) begins his reign as king of England, establishing a feudal system and introducing Norman customs and practices.
• 1068 AD: The Northumbrian Rebellion erupts in response to William I’s heavy-handed rule, leading to a brutal suppression of the uprising and widespread destruction in the north of England.
• 1070 AD: William I establishes the Norman cathedral of Durham, which becomes an important center of religious and cultural activity in England.
• 1071 AD: Possible capture of Hereward the Wake.
• 1072 AD: William I invades Scotland and captures Edinburgh, but is forced to withdraw due to the harsh winter conditions.
• 1075 AD: The Investiture Controversy erupts in England, with William I challenging the authority of the pope to appoint bishops and abbots.
• 1076 AD: The Domesday Book is commissioned by William I to assess the wealth and resources of England, providing a comprehensive survey of the country’s landholdings and resources.
• 1085 AD: William I orders the compilation of the Domesday Book, which is completed the following year.
• 1086 AD: The Domesday Book is presented to William I, providing a detailed account of England’s resources, population, and landholdings.
• 1087 AD: William I dies, and is succeeded by his son, William II (also known as William Rufus).
• 1091 AD: William II invades Normandy, but is forced to withdraw due to lack of support from his allies.
• 1093 AD: Malcolm III of Scotland invades England and is killed at the Battle of Alnwick; his successor, his brother Donald III, makes peace with William II.
• 1095 AD: The First Crusade is launched in Europe, leading to increased religious and cultural exchange between England and other European countries.
• 1099 AD: The construction of the Tower of London begins, marking the start of a long period of expansion and development for the city of London.