Battle of Hastings
October 14, 1066
On a ridge above Hastings, William of Normandy's mounted knights and archers shattered the Anglo-Saxon shield wall and killed King Harold, possibly with an arrow to the eye. The Norman conquest reshaped England's language, law, and aristocracy for centuries. Within days William was marching on London. The battle lasted from morning until dusk, one of the longest pitched engagements of the entire medieval period.
In context
Also in 1066 (8 other events on record)
- William the Conqueror crowned at Westminster · Europe · Politics
- Death of Edward the Confessor · Europe · Politics
- Harold Godwinson crowned King of England · Europe · Politics
- Battle of Stamford Bridge · Europe · War
- William of Normandy lands at Pevensey · Europe · War
- Halley's Comet appears over Europe · Europe · Science
Before and after in Europe
Before and after in War
Era
High Middle Ages (1000–1300), one of 1,306 events from that era on Saeculum.