Medieval Timeline

  • Jan 1, 1066

    William the Conqueror invades England

    William the Conqueror invades England
    The Norman conquest of England was the invasion and conquest of England by an army of Normans and French led by Duke William II of Normandy. William, who defeated King Harold II of England on 14 October 1066 at the Battle of Hastings, was crowned as king on Christmas Day 1066
  • Jan 1, 1150

    Paper is first mass-produced in Spain

    Paper is first mass-produced in Spain
    medieval paper was made of diluted cotton and linen fiber.
  • Feb 1, 1215

    Magna Carta

    The 1215 charter required King John of England to proclaim certain liberties and accept that his will was not arbitrary, for example by explicitly accepting that no "freeman" (in the sense of non-serf) could be punished except through the law of the land, a right which is still in existence today.
  • Jan 1, 1270

    End of Crusades

    End of Crusades
    The crusading movement came to an end by the close of the thirteenth century. The emperor Frederick II for a short time recovered Jerusalem by a treaty, but in 1244 A.D. the Holy City became again a possession of the Moslems. There was the inability of eastern and western Europe to cooperate in supporting the holy wars.
  • Jan 1, 1348

    The Plague

    The Plague
    Killed 30–60 percent of Europe's population[3] and reduced the world population from an estimated 450 million to between 350 and 375 million. The aftermath of the plague created a series of religious, social and economic upheavals
  • Feb 1, 1378

    First appearance of Robin Hood in literature

    First appearance of Robin Hood in literature
    He is a yeoman, later portrayed as aristocrat, and made into an outlaw. Popular folk figure in medieval time period.
  • Mar 1, 1387

    Chaucer writes The Canterbury Tales

    Chaucer writes The Canterbury Tales
    The tales are presented as part of a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims as they travel together on a journey from Southwark to Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral.
  • Jan 1, 1455

    The War of Roses

    The War of Roses
    A series of dynastic wars fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York for the throne of England.
  • Feb 1, 1485

    First Tudor King, Henry VII is crowned

    First Tudor King, Henry VII is crowned
    In August 1485 Henry landed in Pembrokeshire and marched north. He defeated the Yorkist army at the battle of Bosworth where Richard III was killed.
  • Apr 1, 1485

    First printing of Le Morte d' Arthur

    First printing of Le Morte d' Arthur
    First published in 1485 by William Caxton, Le Morte d'Arthur is perhaps the best-known work of English-language Arthurian literature today.