History Timeline
Year | Event |
---|---|
1421 | Henry VI born |
1422 | Henry V dies |
1427? | Catherine (Henry V’s widow) secretly marries Owen Tudor |
1430 | Margaret of Anjou born Edmund Tudor born to Catherine and Owen |
1432 | Plantagenet is granted Duke of York |
1442 | Edward (later Edward IV), son to Richard Duke of York, is born |
1443 | Edmund (Rutland), son to Richard Duke of York, is born |
1445 | Henry VI marries Margaret |
1449 | York sails for Ireland to fight rebellion George (Clarence), son to Richard Duke of York, is born |
1450 | York returns from Ireland (September) |
1452 | Richard (Gloucester, later Richard III), son to Richard Duke of York, is born York disbands his army York arrested (March 10), but immediately pardoned |
1453 | King Henry suffers nervous breakdown (August; following Talbot’s defeat at Castillon, ending the Hundred Years War) Queen Margaret gives birth to Prince Edward (October) York demands Somerset’s arrest; Somerset arrested |
1454 | Parliament opened by York (February) York appointed Protector of the Realm (March 27) Henry regains senses (December) |
1455 | York resigns as Protector of the Realm (January) Somerset released from prison Battle of Saint Albans (May 22), the first open conflict of the War of the Roses; Somerset killed Parliament (November 12) names York Protector of Realm (for Henry, after he is declared mad for second time) Henry regains senses again (Christmas) Edmund Tudor (age 24) marries Margaret Beaufort (daughter of John Beaufort; age 12) |
1456 | York resigns again as Protector of Realm; Margaret takes control of government (February) |
1457 | Edmund Tudor dies and 14 year-old Margaret Beaufort gives birth to Henry Tudor (Richmond) |
1458 | York and Warwick agree to pay reparations to families of those killed in Battle of Saint Albans |
1459 | York flees to Ireland when surrounded by Lancastrian forces Parliament declares York, Salisbury and Warwick traitors |
1460 | Warwick raises army in Kent (June) Warwick and Edward (son of York) march into London, welcomed by the people; Lancastrian forces withdraw north; Warwick pursues (July 2) Battle of Northampton–Buckingham is killed; Henry captured by Yorkists and returned to London; Margaret and Prince Edward escape to Scotland (July 10) Parliament passes pro-Yorkist resolutions York returns from Ireland York demands the throne from Parliament; York and Henry agree that Henry will be King until death, at which point York and his heirs will be next in line of succession (October) Margaret raises an army in Scotland York heads north with a small force to meet with Margaret (December) Battle of Wakefield (December 30): Rutland killed (possibly by Clifford), York killed in battle |
1461 | Margaret retakes Henry and prepares to lay siege to London; Richard and George sent to the Netherlands for protection Second Battle of Saint Albans (February 17): Lancastrian victory led by Margaret; Warwick retreats Warwick and Edward join armies and head to London; Margaret retreats north to York; Warwick and Edward re-enter London and are welcomed as liberators Council of nobles declare Edward King at age 21 (March 2) Battle of Towton (March 28): Yorkist victory; Margaret, Henry and Edward flee to Scotland; Clifford killed in battle, his body hacked to pieces by Yorkists; Richard (8) and George (11) return from the Netherlands Coronation of King Edward IV (June 29) Richard sent to Middleham to train as a knight |
1464 | Edward marries Lady Grey in secret (May 1) Battle of Hexham (May 15): Yorkist victory; Somerset killed Warwick goes to France to negotiate Edward’s marriage to Lady Bonne (summer) Lady Grey introduced as Queen Consort (September 29) |
1465 | Richard ends knight training at age 12 |
1467 | Philip the Good Duke of Burgundy dies; Charles the Bold takes over; Charles has feud with France; England must choose a side in the conflict; over Warwick’s advice, Edward chooses Burgundy |
1468 | Edward’s sister Margaret marries Charles the Bold Duke of Burgundy Warwick offers older daughter Isabella to George Duke of Clarence as bride; Edward forbids the marriage |
1469 | Niccolo Machiavelli born George Duke of Clarence (age 20) marries Isabella Warwick (age 18) a Warwick supporter, Conyers, starts a rebellion in the north; Edward sends forces to quell it; Warwick and Clarence announce support for rebels Battle of Edgecote Moor takes place on July Lancastrian victory in which Pembroke is killed, after which Warwick and Clarence retreat to France (July) Edward captured by Archbishop of York; imprisoned until October (summer) |
1470 | Through efforts of Louis XI, Warwick and Margaret of Anjou are reconciled; marriage between Prince Edward (age 17) and Warwick’s younger daughter Anne (age 14) arranged Warwick returns to England; King Edward flees to Holland and Henry VI is reinstated as King of England (October) Elizabeth (Lady Grey) gives birth to Edward (Edward V) while in sanctuary in Westminster Abbey (November 2) Richard given independent military command at age 17 |
1471 | King Edward returns to England with a Burgundy-financed army, lands at Ravenspurgh; besieges Warwick at Coventry; George Duke of Clarence rejoins his brother (March 12) Margaret and her army set sail; a series of storms delay her landing (March 24) Edward takes Henry from his sanctuary at St. Paul’s, imprisons him in the Tower of London; Henry’s second reign is over (April 11) Battle of Barnet (April 14): Yorkist victory; Warwick and Montague (the two Neville brothers) are killed; Margaret lands at Weymouth with her army; first major battle for Richard (age 18) Battle of Tewkesbury (May 4): Yorkist victory; Prince Edward captured and executed by George Duke of Clarence Somerset captured and executed (May 6) Margaret escapes and flees to Coventry Margaret captured (May 11) Henry VI found dead in the Tower of London (May 22) Edward IV’s son Edward named Prince of Wales (June 26) |
1473 | Oxford captured while reinvading England (he was never at Tewkesbury) |