All important dates for the Life in the UK test
50 historical events
Britain became an island about 10,000 years ago when sea levels rose after the Ice Age
Julius Caesar first invaded Britain in 55 BC
Emperor Claudius successfully invaded Britain in AD 43
Hadrian's Wall was built in AD 122 across the north of England
The Romans left Britain around AD 410
The first major Viking raid in Britain was at Lindisfarne in AD 793
Alfred defeated the Vikings at the Battle of Edington in AD 878
The Battle of Hastings was fought on 14 October 1066
William was crowned King on Christmas Day 1066 at Westminster Abbey
The Domesday Book was completed in 1086, a survey of all land in England
The first English Parliament emerged during the 13th century with the House of Lords and House of Commons
King John signed the Magna Carta at Runnymede on 15 June 1215
The Hundred Years' War (1337–1453): England vs France; Henry V won the Battle of Agincourt in 1415
The Black Death reached England in 1348, killed about one-third of the population, and weakened the feudal system through labour shortages
Wars of the Roses (1455–1485): Lancaster (red rose) vs York (white rose)
Henry Tudor (Henry VII) defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485; Richard III was the last English king to die in battle
Henry VIII ordered the dissolution of the monasteries (1536–1541)
The Spanish Armada was defeated in 1588
James I (James VI of Scotland) united the crowns of England and Scotland in 1603 and authorised the King James Bible (1611)
The Gunpowder Plot (5 November 1605): Guy Fawkes tried to blow up Parliament
The English Civil War lasted from 1642 to 1651: Royalists (Cavaliers) vs Parliamentarians (Roundheads)
Charles I was executed on 30 January 1649 — the only English monarch to be executed
The Restoration (1660): Charles II was invited back as king, restoring the monarchy
The Great Plague of 1665 killed about 100,000 people in London
The Great Fire of London in 1666 destroyed much of the city; Sir Christopher Wren rebuilt St Paul's Cathedral
William of Orange was invited to take the throne in 1688; James II fled to France — the "Glorious Revolution"
The Act of Union 1707 united England and Scotland into Great Britain
Act of Union 1801 united Great Britain and Ireland into the United Kingdom
Slave Trade Act 1807 abolished the slave trade in the British Empire
Reform Acts (1832, 1867, 1884) gradually extended voting rights
Slavery Abolition Act 1833 abolished slavery itself
The Great Exhibition 1851 was held at Crystal Palace, organised by Prince Albert
WWI started after assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in 1914
Battle of the Somme 1916 — one of the bloodiest battles; ~60,000 British casualties on day one
1918 Representation of the People Act: women over 30 with property could vote
War ended 11 November 1918 (Armistice Day); commemorated as Remembrance Day with poppies
1928 Equal Franchise Act: all women over 21 could vote (equal with men)
Germany invaded Poland September 1939; Britain and France declared war
Dunkirk evacuation (May-June 1940) rescued 300,000+ troops
Battle of Britain (summer 1940): RAF defended against the Luftwaffe
The Blitz (Sept 1940 – May 1941): German bombing of British cities
D-Day: 6 June 1944 — Allied invasion of Normandy (Operation Overlord)
VE Day: 8 May 1945 — victory in Europe
The NHS was founded on 5 July 1948
Empire Windrush arrived in 1948 bringing workers from the Caribbean
Britain joined the EEC (now EU) in 1973
The Falklands War with Argentina took place in 1982
Devolution created the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly, and NI Assembly (1997-1999)
Good Friday Agreement 1998 brought peace to Northern Ireland
Brexit: UK left the EU on 31 January 2020