British history at a glance

c. 8000 BC

Britain becomes an island

The Channel permanently separates Britain from the continent, about 10,000 years ago. Read more

c. 4000 BC

First farmers arrive Key date

Farmers, probably from south-east Europe, arrive about 6,000 years ago and build monuments such as Stonehenge. Read more

c. 2000 BC

Bronze Age begins Key date

People learn to make bronze, about 4,000 years ago. Read more

55 BC

Julius Caesar invades Key date

An unsuccessful Roman invasion led by Julius Caesar. Read more

AD 43

Roman conquest under Claudius Key date

The Emperor Claudius leads a successful invasion; the Romans occupy almost all of Britain. Read more

AD 410

The Romans leave

The Roman army leaves Britain after about 400 years and never returns. Read more

c. AD 600

Anglo-Saxon kingdoms established

Kingdoms of the Jutes, Angles and Saxons are established, mainly in what is now England. Read more

AD 789

First Viking raids

Vikings from Denmark and Norway first raid Britain. Read more

1066

Battle of Hastings Key date

William, Duke of Normandy, defeats Harold and becomes William the Conqueror — the last successful foreign invasion of England. Read more

c. 1200

English rule the Pale

By 1200 the English control an area around Dublin known as the Pale. Read more

1215

Magna Carta Key date

King John is forced to accept the Great Charter: even the king is subject to the law. Read more

1284

Statute of Rhuddlan Key date

Edward I annexes Wales to the Crown of England. Read more

1314

Battle of Bannockburn Key date

Robert the Bruce's Scots defeat the English; Scotland stays unconquered. Read more

1348

The Black Death Key date

Plague reaches Britain and kills about a third of England's population. Read more

c. 1400

English used in official documents

Official documents in England are written in English; Chaucer writes The Canterbury Tales around this time. Read more

1415

Battle of Agincourt Key date

Henry V's outnumbered army defeats the French in the Hundred Years War. Read more

1455

Wars of the Roses begin

Civil war between the Houses of Lancaster (red rose) and York (white rose). Read more

1485

Battle of Bosworth Field Key date

Richard III is killed; Henry Tudor becomes Henry VII, the first Tudor king. Read more

1560

Reformation in Scotland

The Scottish Parliament abolishes the Pope's authority; a Protestant Church of Scotland is set up. Read more

1564

Shakespeare born

William Shakespeare is born in Stratford-upon-Avon (died 1616). Read more

1588

Defeat of the Spanish Armada Key date

England defeats the Spanish fleet sent to conquer it and restore Catholicism. Read more

1603

James VI of Scotland becomes James I of England Key date

Elizabeth I dies childless; the crowns are shared but Scotland remains separate. Read more

1606

First Union Flag

The first Union Flag is created from the flags of England and Scotland. Read more

1642

English Civil War begins Key date

War between Charles I's Cavaliers and Parliament's Roundheads. Read more

1649

Charles I executed Key date

England becomes a republic, the Commonwealth. Read more

1656

Jews settle in London

The first Jews to come to Britain since the Middle Ages settle in London. Read more

1658

Death of Oliver Cromwell

The Lord Protector dies; his son Richard cannot control the army or government. Read more

1660

The Restoration Key date

Charles II returns from exile in the Netherlands and is crowned king. Read more

1665

Great Plague of London

A major outbreak of plague kills thousands, especially in poorer areas. Read more

1666

Great Fire of London Key date

Fire destroys much of London, including St Paul's Cathedral, later rebuilt by Wren. Read more

1679

Habeas Corpus Act Key date

No one can be held prisoner unlawfully; every prisoner has a right to a court hearing. Read more

1688

The Glorious Revolution Key date

William of Orange takes the throne without fighting in England; William and Mary rule jointly. Read more

1689

Bill of Rights Key date

Confirms the rights of Parliament and limits the monarch's power; the monarch must be Protestant. Read more

1690

Battle of the Boyne

William III defeats James II in Ireland. Read more

1695

Newspapers freed from licensing

Newspapers may operate without a government licence. Read more

1707

Act of Union with Scotland Key date

The Kingdom of Great Britain is created. Read more

1714

George I becomes king

Parliament chooses Anne's nearest Protestant relative, a German. Read more

1721

First Prime Minister Key date

Sir Robert Walpole becomes the first Prime Minister (until 1742). Read more

1745

Bonnie Prince Charlie's rising

Charles Edward Stuart lands in Scotland and raises an army of Highland clansmen. Read more

1746

Battle of Culloden Key date

Bonnie Prince Charlie is defeated by George II's army. Read more

1776

American Declaration of Independence

13 American colonies declare independence; Britain recognises it in 1783. Read more

1801

Union with Ireland Key date

After the Act of Union of 1800, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland is created. Read more

1805

Battle of Trafalgar Key date

Nelson defeats the French and Spanish fleets but is killed. Read more

1807

Slave trade abolished Key date

Trading slaves on British ships or from British ports becomes illegal. Read more

1810

First curry house

Sake Dean Mahomet opens the Hindoostane Coffee House in London. Read more

1815

Battle of Waterloo Key date

Wellington defeats Napoleon, ending the French Wars. Read more

1832

Reform Act Key date

More men can vote; pocket and rotten boroughs are abolished. Read more

1833

Emancipation Act Key date

Slavery is abolished throughout the British Empire. Read more

1837

Victoria becomes queen Key date

Victoria, aged 18, begins a reign of almost 64 years (to 1901). Read more

1846

Repeal of the Corn Laws

Cheap grain can be imported — an example of free trade. Read more

1851

The Great Exhibition

Held in the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park. Read more

1853

Crimean War begins

Britain, Turkey and France fight Russia (1853–56); the Victoria Cross is introduced. Read more

1860

Nightingale Training School

Florence Nightingale founds the school for nurses at St Thomas' Hospital, London. Read more

1867

Second Reform Act

More urban seats; less property needed to vote. Read more

1895

National Trust founded

Three volunteers found the National Trust to preserve important buildings, coastline and countryside. Read more

1896

First public film shows in the UK

Films are shown publicly in the UK for the first time and quickly become popular. Read more

1899

Boer War begins

War in South Africa (1899–1902) raises questions about the Empire's future. Read more

1903

WSPU founded

Emmeline Pankhurst helps found the Women's Social and Political Union — the suffragettes. Read more

1908

London hosts the Olympic Games Key date

The first of the three Olympic Games the UK has hosted. Read more

1914

First World War begins Key date

Triggered by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on 28 June 1914. Read more

1916

Battle of the Somme

About 60,000 British casualties on the first day alone. Read more

1916

Easter Rising

Irish Nationalists rise against the British in Dublin. Read more

1918

Women over 30 get the vote Key date

Women over 30 can vote and stand for Parliament. Read more

1918

First World War ends Key date

Fighting ends at 11 am on 11 November 1918. Read more

1921

Irish peace treaty

A peace treaty is signed; the following year Ireland becomes two countries. Read more

1922

Ireland becomes two countries Key date

Six northern counties stay in the UK as Northern Ireland; the rest becomes the Irish Free State. Read more

1922

BBC radio begins

The BBC starts radio broadcasts. Read more

1922

Northern Ireland Parliament set up

A Parliament for Northern Ireland was created when Ireland was divided. It was abolished in 1972, soon after the Troubles began. Read more

1928

Equal voting age Key date

Women can vote at 21, the same as men. Read more

1928

Penicillin discovered

Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin. Read more

1928

Equal voting rights for men and women Key date

Women won the vote at 21, the same age as men. The handbook dates the UK's fully democratic voting system from this year. Read more

1929

Great Depression

The world enters a depression; parts of the UK suffer mass unemployment. Read more

1936

First regular TV service

The BBC begins the world's first regular television service. Read more

1939

Second World War begins Key date

Britain and France declare war after Germany invades Poland. Read more

1940

Churchill, Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain Key date

Churchill becomes PM in May; over 300,000 troops are rescued from Dunkirk; the RAF wins the Battle of Britain. Read more

1941

USA enters the war

Japan bombs Pearl Harbour in December 1941. Read more

1942

Beveridge Report

Sets out the five Giant Evils and the basis of the welfare state. Read more

1944

D-Day Key date

Allied forces land in Normandy on 6 June 1944. Read more

1944

Education Act (Butler Act)

Free secondary education in England and Wales. Read more

1945

Second World War ends Key date

Germany is defeated in May; Japan surrenders in August after the atomic bombs. Read more

1945

Labour government under Attlee

Labour wins the election and begins building the welfare state. Read more

1947

Independence for India and Pakistan

Nine countries, including India, Pakistan and Ceylon, become independent. Read more

1948

NHS founded Key date

Aneurin Bevan leads the creation of the National Health Service. Read more

1948

Workers invited from the West Indies

People from the West Indies are invited to help rebuild Britain. Read more

1948

London hosts the Olympic Games again Key date

The second of the UK's three Olympic Games. Read more

1949

Ireland becomes a republic

The Irish Free State becomes a republic. Read more

1950

UK signs the European Convention on Human Rights

The UK was one of the first countries to sign the Convention, which British lawyers and diplomats helped to draft. Read more

1952

Elizabeth II becomes queen Key date

Elizabeth II came to the throne on the death of her father. She reigned until her death in September 2022. Read more

1953

Structure of DNA discovered

Work in London and Cambridge reveals the structure of DNA. Read more

1957

EEC founded

Six countries form the European Economic Community. Read more

1957

Treaty of Rome signed Key date

On 25 March 1957 six countries — Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands — founded the European Economic Community. Read more

1958

Life peers introduced

The Prime Minister gained the power to nominate peers whose titles last only for their lifetime. Read more

1966

England win the football World Cup

Captained by Bobby Moore, England win the World Cup, hosted in the UK. The handbook calls it England's only international tournament victory (true of the men's team; the women's team later won the 2022 and 2025 European Championships). Read more

1967

First cash machine

The first ATM goes into use in Enfield, north London. Read more

1968

First Booker Prize for Fiction

The Booker Prize for the best fiction novel (called the Man Booker Prize from 2002 to 2019) is awarded for the first time. Read more

1969

Concorde first flies

The British–French supersonic airliner makes its first flight. Read more

1969

Voting age lowered to 18 Key date

The voting age for men and women was reduced from 21 to 18. Read more

1972

Direct rule in Northern Ireland

The Northern Ireland Parliament is suspended. Read more

1973

UK joins the EEC Key date

The UK becomes a member of the European Economic Community. Read more

1973

UK joins the European Economic Community Key date

Having first stayed out, the UK became a member in 1973. It left the European Union on 31 January 2020. Read more

1978

First test-tube baby

The world's first IVF baby is born in Oldham. Read more

1979

Margaret Thatcher becomes PM Key date

Britain's first woman Prime Minister (until 1990). Read more

1982

Falklands War Key date

Argentina invades the Falkland Islands; a UK taskforce recovers them. Read more

1984

Turner Prize established Key date

A prize for contemporary art, named after the painter Joseph Turner, is set up. Read more

1990

World Wide Web

Information is first transferred via Tim Berners-Lee's web on 25 December 1990. Read more

1996

Dolly the sheep

The first mammal is cloned. Read more

1997

Labour government under Tony Blair Key date

Leads to a Scottish Parliament and a Welsh Assembly. Read more

1997

Devolution begins Key date

Powers started to be devolved from central government to give Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland more control over their own affairs. Read more

1998

Good Friday Agreement Key date

Peace agreement for Northern Ireland. Read more

1998

Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and Human Rights Act

The Agreement led to the power-sharing Northern Ireland Assembly. The same year, the Human Rights Act brought the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law. Read more

1999

Northern Ireland Assembly elected

Suspended in 2002 and reinstated in 2007. Read more

1999

Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly open Key date

The Scottish Parliament (Holyrood, Edinburgh) and the National Assembly for Wales (Cardiff) began work. Read more

2009

Combat troops leave Iraq

British combat troops leave Iraq. Read more

2010

Coalition government Key date

No party wins a majority; Conservatives and Liberal Democrats form a coalition. Read more

2012

London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games Key date

The UK hosts the Olympics for the third time, with the main site in Stratford, East London. Team GB finishes third in the medal table, and London also hosts the Paralympics. Read more

2012

First Police and Crime Commissioners elected Key date

In November 2012 voters in England and Wales elected PCCs for the first time. In 2025 the UK government announced plans to abolish PCCs in England in 2028. Read more