Twenty of the most crucial moments in Britain's history. BBC History Magazine asked a selection of leading historians to choose and describe the twenty most important turning points in British history from AD 1000 to 2000. Collected together, their choices present a new way of looking at our nation's story. From the Danish invasion of Britain in 1016, to the Suez crisis in 1956, the key moments include victories (or defeats) both at home and abroad, plague, reform and even revolutions that have reshaped the British way of life. Each contribution brings the past to life, offering new perspectives and food for debate: did the Battle of Agincourt change England's role in Europe? What was the impact of American independence on Britain? Was 1916 more important than 1939? Thought-provoking and inspiring accounts.
1016: The Danish Conquest of England
1066: William and the Normans arrive
1141: Stephen and Matilda fight a civil war
1171: Henry II invades Ireland
1215: Magna Carta is forced on John
1295: Edward I goes on the warpath
1348: The Black Death hits Britain
1415: Henry V takes the field at Agincourt
1483: Richard III snatches the crown
1534: Henry VIII tries to take control of Britain
1638: Scots revolt against Charles I
1662: Charles II pays a heavy price for his Restoration
1776: America declares independence from the motherland
1832: The Reform Bill is passed
1851: The Great Exhibition transforms Britain
1916: The Somme, and Lloyd George founds his coalition
1956: Suez signals the dying days of empire
AFTERWORD: Evolution of the nation