One thousand sixty-six — Norman Conquest

On October 14, 1066, William the Conqueror defeated English King Harold II at Hastings. The Norman Conquest forever changed the English language, culture and legal system. English still bears the traces of this event.

On October 14, 1066, William the Conqueror defeated the Anglo-Saxon King Harold II at the Battle of Hastings. The Norman Conquest radically changed the English language, culture, and feudal system. It is the most famous date in English history.

The Bayeux Tapestry (11th century) — a 70-meter embroidery depicting the events of 1066. One of the most unique historical documents of the Middle Ages, preserving details of the Norman invasion.

The Bayeux Tapestry (circa 1070) is an embroidery 70 meters long depicting the events leading to the 1066 conquest. It is a unique historical document and a masterpiece of medieval art.

'1066 and All That' (1930) by Sellar and Yeatman — a parody of British history textbooks that became a comedy classic. The book mocks rote memorization of dates and describes history as 'what you remember, not what happened'.

In 1066, shortly before the Battle of Hastings, Halley's Comet passed over England. The Normans took it as a good omen; the Anglo-Saxons as a dire portent. The comet is depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry.