The Norman Conquest
William of Normandy defeats King Harold at Hastings, and one October afternoon replaces England's entire ruling class.
In 1066 England faced two invasions in three weeks. King Harold Godwinson destroyed the Norwegian king Harald Hardrada at Stamford Bridge in September, then marched south and was killed at Hastings on 14 October by William, Duke of Normandy. The conquest is depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry, and William's Domesday Book of 1086 surveyed his new kingdom estate by estate.
Perspective
Hastings is the great argument for contingency in history — the battle lasted one day and could plausibly have gone the other way. Because it didn't, England got a French-speaking aristocracy, a legal and landholding revolution documented in the Domesday Book, and an English language permanently flooded with French vocabulary. Few single afternoons have rewired a country so completely.
Open in interactive timeline →Frequently Asked Questions
What was The Norman Conquest?
In 1066 England faced two invasions in three weeks. King Harold Godwinson destroyed the Norwegian king Harald Hardrada at Stamford Bridge in September, then marched south and was killed at Hastings on 14 October by William, Duke of Normandy. The conquest is depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry, and William's Domesday Book of 1086 surveyed his new kingdom estate by estate.
When did The Norman Conquest happen?
The Norman Conquest: 1066 CE.
Why does The Norman Conquest matter?
Hastings is the great argument for contingency in history — the battle lasted one day and could plausibly have gone the other way. Because it didn't, England got a French-speaking aristocracy, a legal and landholding revolution documented in the Domesday Book, and an English language permanently flooded with French vocabulary. Few single afternoons have rewired a country so completely.