England

Early inhabitants [3000]. Britain was connected by land to mainland Europe. Britain's first inhabitants died or left during the Last Ice Age [12,000/8,000 BCE] when glaciers covered much of the land. People returned again to Britain when the Ice Age ended [8000]. Britain became an island when flowing water cut away the last land connecting Britain and the mainland [6500].
• Stonehenge. A monument used for sun and moon worship was built in several stages. The first consisted wooden posts inside circular walls of dirt [2950]. Added later were a ring of stone blocks [2550] and then the large stone blocks illustrated here [1500]. The large stone blocks weigh up to 50 tons. Some of the upright blocks support horizontal blocks [lintels].
Celts arrive [800]. Celtic speakers [Gaels] arrived and introduced iron [800]. Celtic priests [Druids] led religious practices.
Later Celts [400]. New Celtic immigrants [400, Brythons] brought more advanced iron-making techniques [La Tene culture].
Rome attacks [55 BCE]. Roman troops [under Julius Caesar] conducted two brief campaigns in Britain [55 and 54 BCE]. The Romans called the land, Britannia, and the people, Britons.
Romans build London [43 CE]. The Romans built settlements including London [43]. Latin became the language of government and commerce. When a native king died, the Romans decided to take his land. The king's wife led a rebellion and burned London [63, Boudicca].
• Roman Baths. The Romans built temples and bathing pools near hot springs at the present-day city of Bath [78]. The baths were destroyed [1088] and 'lost' for 800 years [1791].
Romans push north [78]. The Roman armies pushed north, but met resistance from a people living in 'Scotland' [78]. The Romans called them 'Picts' because of the tattooed pictures on their bodies. The Romans built a wall across the island [123, Hadrian's Wall] and a second wall further north [142, Firth-Clyde Wall].
Romans attack 'Scotland'[208]. Roman armies advanced northward [208], but withdrew to Hadrian's Wall. This wall remained the northern boundary of Roman Britain.
Picts attack [367]. The Picts and others who lived north of Hadrian?s Wall crossed the wall and destroyed large areas south of the wall [367].
Roman army leaves [410]. North Germanic raids greatly weakened 'France'. Rome withdrew its troops from Britain [410] so that they could help on the mainland of Europe.
Jutes take southeast [449]. After the Romans left, West Germanic groups [Angles, Saxons, Jutes, and others] brought their families to Britain. A British chief [449, Vortigen] hired Jute soldiers to protect his lands from Pict raids. The Jutes seized southeastern Britain and formed the Kingdom of Kent.
Saxons take south [477]. Saxons formed Sussex [477] and Wessex [495] along Britain?s southern coast.
Angles take east [547]. The Angles took lands north of the Humber River [547, Northumbria] in eastern Britain.
Kent strong [560]. The Jute king of Kent married the daughter of a Frank king [597]. His bride helped Roman Christianity spread throughout the kingdom. Christian missionaries built a monastery at Canterbury which developed into the center of Roman Christianity in England [604]. Construction began on the current cathedral at Canterbury 500 years later [1070].
Scots enter 'Scotland' [637]. The Scots, natives of Ireland, lost a battle against another clan [637, Ui Neill], and moved to 'Scotland'. The Scots settled southwest of the Picts.
Seven kingdoms [650]. Seven kingdoms [heptarchy] developed: Jute Kent, Saxon Sussex, Wessex, and Essex, and Angle Northumbria, Mercia, and East Anglia. The 'Anglo-Saxon' language of the North Germanic groups replaced Latin [Old English]. Some Anglo-Saxon plurals [children, teeth, mice] and verbs [sing, sang, sung] remain in present-day English.
Scotland separate [685]. Angle Northumbria pushed northward into Scotland, but was defeated by the Picts [685, Nechtansmere]. The Pict victory contributed to the political separation of Scotland and England.
Wall separates Welsh [716]. Angle Mercia gained control over several of the other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms [716/796] and built a 185 mile long barrier along its border with the Welsh [757, Offa?s Wall].
Viking attacks [789]. Norse Vikings raided a town [789, Dorchester] and monastery [793, Lindisfarne], the first of many attacks on Britain.
Wessex powerful [825]. Saxon Wessex defeated Angle Mercia [825, Ellendun] and gained the submission of the remaining Anglo-Saxon kingdoms [829, under Egbert]. The Scots and Picts united in the north [843, Kingdom of Alba].
Dane settlers [865]. The Danes formed settlements along Britain's east coast [865, Great Army] and established a capital at York [866].
Wessex resists Danes [871]. Saxon Wessex [under Alfred, 871/899] resisted Dane expansion. A border separating English and Dane lands [Danelaw] was defined [878, Peace of Wedmore].
• Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle [891] documented the history of England beginning with the arrival of Caesar [55 BCE]. The Chronicle continued to be kept up to date for 250 years [until 1154].
York taken from Danes [927]. York, the Dane capital in England, changed hands several times [927, 939, 944, 948] and was recovered by the English [954].
Danegeld [991]. Denmark attacked England [991] and received tribute [Danegeld]. The Danes used this money to pay for weapons and soldiers which they used for another attack on England [1013].
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