A TIMELINE OF WELSH HISTORY
By Tim Lambert
Ancient Wales
c. 4,000 BC Farming is introduced into Wales
c. 2,000 BC Bronze is introduced into Wales
c. 600 BC The Celts migrated to Wales bringing iron tools and weapons
c. C 50 AD The Romans begin the conquest of Wales
55 The Romans build a fort on the site of Cardiff
75 The Romans build a fort at Caerleon
c. C 78 AD The Romans capture Anglesey
407 AD The last Roman soldiers leave Britain
577 The Welsh are cut off from the Celts in Southwest England
Medieval Wales
855 Rhodri the Great becomes king of Powys
856 Rhodri defeats the Vikings
1255 Llewellyn becomes king of Gwynedd
1267 Henry III recognises Llewellyn as Prince of Wales
1276 Edward I invades Wales
1283 The English conquer Wales
1294-95 The Welsh rebel but are defeated
1301 Edward makes his son, who was also called Edward, Prince of Wales
1400 Owain Gyn Dwr leads a rebellion
1404 Owain captures the castles at Aberystwyth and Harlech
1408 The English recapture Aberystwyth Castle
1409 The English recapture Harlech Castle
1413 Owains rebellion ends
1485 Henry VII lands with an army at Milford Haven
Renaissance and Civil War Wales
1534 Henry VIII makes himself head of the Church in England and Wales
1536The Act of Union united Wales with England. The Welsh were given equal citizenship and were allowed to send MPs to parliament
1542 A Protestant called Thomas Capper was burned in Cardiff
1553-1558 During the Reign of Queen Mary 3 more Protestants were burned in Wales
1588 The Bible was translated into Welsh
1642 Civil War began between king and parliament. Wales was loyal to the king.
1645 The parliamentary army captures South Wales
1647 On 7 March Harlech, the last Royalist stronghold in Wales is captures by parliament.
1648 A Royalist rebellion in Wales is defeated
1735 The Welsh Methodists are created
C. 1780 The Industrial Revolution begins to transform Wales
Modern Wales
1801 The population of Wales and Monmouthshire is 587,245
1832 Cholera strikes Welsh towns
1842-1844 The Rebecca riots. Men dressed as women and called themselves daughters of Rebecca.
1848 Cholera strikes again
1851 The population of Wales is about 1.2 million
1872 The University College of Wales is founded in Aberystwyth
1901 The population of Wales reaches about 2 million
1907 A Welsh National Museum is founded
1913 Almost 250,000 men work in the South Wales coal field
1919 The Church of England is disestablished in Wales
1924 A Welsh Nationalist Party is founded
1927 Unemployment in Wales reaches 27%
1966 A coal tip slides onto a school and houses at Aberfan killing 144 people including 116 children
1976 The Welsh Development Agency is formed
1999 The Welsh Assembly opened
2002 Newport is made a city
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