Timeline Description: The early English kings, the Saxons, ruled England before the Norman Conquest of 1066. Over the course of hundreds of years, these men united diverse small kingdoms to form a large and powerful kingdom that would play a key role in European politics through today.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 827 | Egbert(827 to 839) Egbert was the first to establish stable rule over much of England. Egbert was recognized as ruler of the British before his death. |
| 839 | Aethelwulf(839 to 856) Aethelwulf was King of Wessex. A very religious man, Aethelwulf travelled to see the pope during his reign. He also was responsible for protecting England from Danish invasions. |
| 856 | Aethelbald(856 to 860) Aethelbald was the son of Aethelwulf. He forced his father to abdicate the throne in 856 and married his stepmother. |
| 860 | Aethelbert(860 to 866) Aethelbert's reign was marked by multiple Danish invasions, including the 865 invasion of the Great Heathen Army. |
| 866 | Aethelred(866 to 871) Aethelred, the brother of Aethelbert, continued to fight the Danes. By this time, the Vikings had established a kingdom in York, called Yorvik. |
| 871 | Alfred the Great(871 to 899) Alfred the Great started the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles and established a standing army. He maintained peace with the Danes during a portion of his reign. |
| 899 | Edward(899 to 924) Edward successfully regained lands in southeast England from the Danes. He united Wessex and Mercia during his reign. |
| 924 | Aethelstan(924 to 939) Aethelstan defeated an army of Scots, Danes and others to claim the title of King of All Britain. |
| 939 | Edmund(939 to 946) Edmund re-established control of Northern England following Aethelstan's death. He was killed by a robber at only 25 years old. |
| 946 | Eadred(946 to 955) Eadred expelled the Scandinavian rulers of Yorvik during his reign, but died young and without an heir. |
| 955 | Eadwig(955 to 959) Eadwig reigned for only a few years in his late teens. Little is recorded of his reign, save for that he exiled a bishop to France. |
| 959 | Edgar(959 to 975) Edgard, Eadwig's brother, took the crown in 959. Edgard gained the allegiance of the rulers of Wales and Scotland during his reign. |
| 975 | Edward the Martyr(975 to 978) Edward was crowned as a boy, and murdered only a few years later, likely at the urging of his stepmother. |
| 978 | Aethelred II the Unready(978 to 1016) Under Aethelred, the battle between the Anglo-Saxons and Danes came to an end, with the success of the Scandinavian invaders. Sweyen Forkbeard invaded in 1015. |
| 1016 | Edmund II The son of Aethelred reigned only briefly, and during a period of constant battle with the son of Sweyen Forkbeard, Canute the Dane. |
| 1016 | Canute the Dane(1016 to 1035) Canute the Dane was a fine king. He married Aethelred's widow and sent most of the Danish troops back to Denmark. He ruled well, and was well-liked. |
| 1035 | Harold I(1035 to 1040) Harold, the illegitimate son of Canute, claimed the throne after his father's death. |
| 1040 | Harthacanute(1040 to 1042) Harthacanute was the legitimate heir to Canute the Dane. At the time of his father's death, he was defending his kingdom in Denmark. |
| 1042 | Edward the Confessor(1042 to 1066) When Harthacanute died without am heir, Edward the Confessor, a member of the House of Wessex, took the throne. Edward, a deeply religious man, left no heirs. |
| 1066 | Harold II Harold II had no royal blood and was elected King. William the Conqueror in France objected, leading to Harold's death and the Norman invasion. |