The Viking Timeline

Date: 787 AD On the coast of Dorset, three boatloads of Vikings landed. A Saxon tax officer orders them to face the Saxon king. The Vikings killed him.

Date: 793 Bad signs were in the air as whirlwinds, comets and fiery dragons were bringing bad luck over Northern England.The first Viking attack in Lindisfarne Priory, a small island on the north east coast of Britain. Monks were taken as slaves or thrown into the sea.

Date: 795 First recorded Viking raids on Ireland (See school project from Ireland on Viking raids on Lambay Monastery).

Date: 851 Vikings stay in Engiand for the first time.

Date: 865 Vikings make their first demand for Danegeld. (An order for money, or the Vikings would kill the person.)

Date: 860 Vikings discover Iceland

Date: 870 Vikings settled on Iceland

Date: 871 Alfred claims the throne of Wessex. He beats the Vikings at war in Eddington. He ruled the south and lets the Viking Danes rule the north of England.

Date: 878 Alfred defeats the Danish king Guthrum, they make peace.
Here is a link to the text of the treaty between Alfred and Guthrum.

Date:886 England is divided into two parts by the Treaty of Chippenham. Danelaw in the north and England in the south.see map

Date: 899 Alfred dies.

Date: 954 Battle of Stainmore the last Viking king of York dies, Eric Bloodaxe.

Date:985 Greenland is discovered by Eric the Red.

Date: 986 America is spotted by Viking Bjarni, but he doesn't land. Eric the Red moves to Greenland with his family.

Date: 1000 Leif Erikson lands on America.

Date: 1013 Svein Forkbeard threatens to attack England. The English king, Aethelred bribes him Forkbeard to leave the towns and people in peace.

Date: 1017 Svein made an even bigger army with the money that Etheired gave him. Svein dies, Viking Canute becomes king of all England.

Date: 1024 After centuries of worshipping gods like Thor and Frey etc. Christianity becomes the religion of most of Norway.
(See biography of Olav Haraldsson.) and read more about how the Vikings adopted Christianity.

Date: 1048 Derby and Worcester are hit by the worst earthquake ever recorded.

Date: 1066 Viking Haraid the Ruthless attacks York. The English King Harold Godwinsson defeats him at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. William the Conqueror landed on the south coast of England. William defeats Harold at the Battle of Hastings and the Normans rule.