United Kingdom: timeline and key events
-
War
Roman Invasion of Britain
Emperor Claudius ordered the invasion of Britain ; Roman legions gradually conquered the island and founded the province of Britannia.
-
War
Battle of Hastings (William the Conqueror)
On 14 October 1066, William the Conqueror defeated King Harold II at Hastings and conquered England, introducing Norman language and culture.
-
Politics
Magna Carta signed by King John
On 15 June 1215, King John signed Magna Carta, the first document limiting royal powers and laying the foundations of the rule of law.
-
Other
Black Death
The Black Death reached England in 1348 and killed between a third and half the population, transforming English feudal society.
-
Politics
Henry VIII breaks with Rome - Church of England
King Henry VIII enacted the Act of Supremacy, proclaiming himself head of the Church of England and breaking definitively with papal authority.
-
War
Defeat of the Spanish Armada
The English fleet of Queen Elizabeth I, aided by storms, repelled and scattered Philip II of Spain's Armada, securing British naval supremacy.
-
Politics
English Civil War (Oliver Cromwell)
The conflict between King Charles I and Parliament led to civil war, the king's execution in 1649, and the establishment of a Commonwealth under Cromwell.
-
Politics
Glorious Revolution
William of Orange replaced James II without bloodshed and accepted the Bill of Rights, establishing a constitutional monarchy in England.
-
Politics
Acts of Union (Great Britain)
The Acts of Union merged the kingdoms of England and Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, with a single Parliament at Westminster.
-
War
Battle of Trafalgar
Admiral Nelson crushed the Franco-Spanish fleet at Cape Trafalgar, securing British maritime supremacy for a century, though he was killed in the battle.
-
War
Battle of Waterloo
The Duke of Wellington, supported by Blücher, inflicted Napoleon's final defeat at Waterloo, ending the Napoleonic Wars.
-
Culture
Great Exhibition (Crystal Palace)
The first World's Fair was held in the Crystal Palace in London, showcasing the British Industrial Revolution and the power of the Empire.
-
War
Entry into World War I
Germany's violation of Belgian neutrality prompted Britain to declare war on 4 August 1914, drawing the British Empire into the Great War.
-
War
Battle of Britain
The Royal Air Force repelled the German Luftwaffe's aerial offensive during the summer of 1940, saving the UK from invasion and galvanising Allied resistance.
-
Politics
Allied Victory and creation of the NHS
Following the Allied victory, the British elected Clement Attlee, who created the National Health Service in 1948, founding the modern welfare state in the UK.
-
Politics
Accession to the European Community
The United Kingdom joined the European Economic Community on 1 January 1973, after two French vetoes under de Gaulle, marking a turning point in British European policy.
-
Politics
Brexit Referendum
On 23 June 2016, the British voted 51.9% to leave the European Union, triggering a negotiation process that led to the effective Brexit in January 2020.