World Book Blog

What Can One Person Do?!

service@worldbook.com — Tue, 18 Jul 2017 13:31:00 -0500

Does your child wonder what one person can do to help save our planet? Here are seven simple Earth-friendly strategies

Count like an Egyptian

service@worldbook.com — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 13:40:00 -0500

Ancient Egyptians used symbols (or hieroglyphics) to represent numbers in the ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, and hundred thousands. Use this guide to write like an Egyptian – no papyrus leaf required!

Just because you're going back to school doesn't mean you have to get sick!

service@worldbook.com — Fri, 26 Aug 2016 11:17:00 -0500

Here are some quick tips to stay happy and healthy

Get ready for the NCAA! Learn about the land down under before California faces Hawaii at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, Australia.

service@worldbook.com — Thu, 25 Aug 2016 11:18:00 -0500

Learn about the land down under before California faces Hawaii at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, Australia.

Whirlwind Quiz

service@worldbook.com — Wed, 24 Aug 2016 11:34:00 -0500

Do you know the difference between a tropical storm and tropical disturbance? What’s the difference between a hurricane and tropical depression?

The Olympics in Rio is over, but the tradition will continue! Test your knowledge of modern and ancient Olympics history with this short quiz!

service@worldbook.com — Tue, 23 Aug 2016 10:01:00 -0500

Test your knowledge of modern and ancient Olympics history with this short quiz!

Strategies to encourage your little one's curiosity

service@worldbook.com — Fri, 19 Aug 2016 10:25:00 -0500

When you introduce young readers to reading, think about using these strategies to encourage curiosity...

Do you have what it takes to become a scientist?

service@worldbook.com — Wed, 10 Aug 2016 12:36:00 -0500

Next week is Australia’s National Science Week. Do you have what it takes to become a scientist?

Hurricane safety

service@worldbook.com — Wed, 10 Aug 2016 12:27:00 -0500

Hurricane season is about to start in the Atlantic and the Northeast Pacific – are you ready? Use these World Book tips to stay safe!

Six reasons to get outside and visit the nearest forest!

service@worldbook.com — Mon, 18 Jul 2016 10:37:00 -0500

During Parks and Recreation month, there are so many reasons to love forests!

Five Little-Known Facts about the History of Flight

service@worldbook.com — Mon, 18 Jul 2016 10:25:00 -0500

The history of flight is rich with experiments, trial and error, and new discoveries along the way – each step took us just a bit closer to the dependable aircrafts we use today!

Combat Summer Brain Drain!

service@worldbook.com — Wed, 13 Jul 2016 12:04:00 -0500

According to a study by Dr. Harris Cooper, professor of psychology at the University of Missouri-Columbia, kids lose one to three months of learning over the summer.

A quick guide to the deadly conflict between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr:

service@worldbook.com — Wed, 13 Jul 2016 11:50:00 -0500

Are tickets to see the play Hamilton too hard to find this summer? Why weren’t Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr better friends?

Little Known Tree Facts

service@worldbook.com — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 10:22:00 -0500

In celebration of Parks and Recreation month, here are some facts about trees in the United States that we bet you didn’t know!

1. Long-leaf pines can survive forest fires, which used to occur naturally in the southeastern United States.

2. Did you know that the world’s largest tree is a giant sequoia in California named the General Sherman Tree? It stands 274 feet tall, and its trunk is 103 feet around!

3. In the western United States, some bristlecone pine trees are known to be more than 4,600 years old!

Learn more from the National Parks and Recreation Association at http://www.nrpa.org

LIVING GREEN

Learn all about environmental issues and green living practices in this comprehensive set. Titles in the Living Green books set examine the environmental impact of every aspect of modern life, from the water bottles we purchase, to the cars we drive, to the food we buy. The volumes also reveal how governments and individuals can work together to reduce our collective carbon footprint and live green.

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Five things you didn’t know about George Washington

service@worldbook.com — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 15:07:00 -0500

We all know about the political accomplishments of the Founding Fathers of the United States, but their life outside of politics is not as widely known. Here are five interesting facts about our first president that you probably didn’t know:

1. As a kid, Washington mastered the subject of math, which led to his first job as a land surveyor.

2. Growing up, Washington kept numerous copybooks with entries such as “Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation.”

3. Washington once wrote a verse called “True Happiness” stating happiness comes from, among other things, “Round a warm fire, a pleasant joke…”

4. Washington was reportedly 6 feet 3.5 inches tall and weighed close to 200 pounds by age 20, and he was known to move gracefully.

5. Washington made a salary of $25,000 a year as President. That’s approximately $650,000 in today’s dollars!

Learn more about George Washington in America's Presidents! two–volume set examines the United States presidency and its historical importance in rich detail. Get answers to presidential questions as you take a fascinating look at the highest elected office in the government of the United States.

The first volume in this book about U.S. presidents - The President’s World - showcases the duties, privileges, and broad power of the president. It goes in-depth into the typical, daily life of a United States president.

The second volume in the presidents book set - Portraits of the Presidents - examines the people who have led the country through times of poverty and prosperity, peace, and war. It includes full biographical information about every U.S. president as well as information and photos of every first lady.

Learn More | Buy Now

This Week in History: Delegates from 50 nations signed the United Nations Charter in San Francisco on this date in 1945.

service@worldbook.com — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 12:03:00 -0500

On June 26, 1945, delegates from 50 nations, meeting in San Francisco, signed the Charter of the United Nations (UN). This document serves as the constitution of the UN. It set out a plan for an organization to help keep world peace, an organization that had, in effect, been decades in the making. The forerunner to the United Nations was the League of Nations. The League was created in 1918 at the end of World War I. One of the treaties that officially ended the war, the Treaty of Versailles (June 28, 1919), provided for the creation of the League of Nations.

World leaders had hoped that the Treaty of Versailles and the creation of the League of Nations would lead to a lasting peace in Europe. By the 1930’s, however, Germany, Italy, and Japan—the nations that would form the Axis Powers—were all building weapons, increasing their armies, and taking over territories that belonged to other nations. After Germany invaded Poland in September of 1939, the United Kingdom and France—two nations that would form the Allies—declared war, and World War II (1939-1945) began. By 1940, France and the other nations of Europe had fallen to the Axis nations. The United Kingdom stood alone.

The United States entered World War II in December 1941, following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. But the United States had been helping the United Kingdom before it officially entered the war. In August 1941, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and American President Franklin D. Roosevelt met aboard the U.S.S. Augusta in the waters off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. The two leaders forged an agreement known as the Atlantic Charter. The charter solidified the British-American alliance and outlined the goals following an Allied victory.

Some of the principles of the Atlantic Charter included:

That neither the United Kingdom nor the United States sought to gain additional territory.
That both nations respected the right of all peoples to choose the form of government under which they would live.
That all nations would have access, on equal terms, to the trade and to the raw materials of the world which they needed for their economic prosperity.

In January 1942, 26 nations signed the Declaration of United Nations, in which they agreed to abide by the principles of the Atlantic Charter. This was the first official use of the words United Nations. The UN was officially created after World War II ended in Europe with the signing of the organization’s charter by representatives of 50 nations at the United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco on June 26, 1945. No one from Poland was able to attend the signing in San Francisco. Poland signed the document a few months later.

Today, nearly all nations in the world have signed the UN Charter and are members of the United Nations.

Get Ready for Rio and test your Olympic knowledge!

service@worldbook.com — Tue, 31 May 2016 16:49:00 -0500

Test your knowledge of the history behind the Olympic Games:

In the opening ceremonies, the team of what country has the honor of marching first into the Olympic stadium? Why do they get this honor?
The first recorded Olympic contest took place in what year?
The first modern Olympic Games were held in what year?
The first 13 Olympic Games only had one sport. What was it?
The Romans banned the original Olympic Games in what year?

Learn more about the Olympic games, as well as star athletes, the sports played, and the countries that have hosted the games, in World Book Online! With databases appropriate for every age level and interest, there is something for everyone.

Answers: 1.) Greece. To honor Greece as the birthplace of the Olympics. 2.) 776 B.C. 3.) 1896 4.) Running. 5.) A.D. 393

WORLD BOOK ONLINE

When you need fast, reliable information for homework, reports, or just a lingering question, World Book Online is the place to go.

A colorful, approachable look and feel, designed for kids, and articles written at your student's level
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Five complete databases for multiple research levels
Illustrations, maps, audio files, videos, eBooks, primary source documents, and more

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Camping this summer? Learn about the stars above!

service@worldbook.com — Fri, 20 May 2016 14:36:00 -0500

A lot of families like to go camping over the summer, and summer camps are a highlight for many children. But how much do you know about the sky you’re sleeping under?

Here are 5 things you may not know about the universe:

The largest galaxies may be more than 6 million light-years across
Galaxies contain both visible and invisible matter.
Our galaxy contains at least 100 billion stars
Most galaxies continue to move away from each other.
If we squeezed all of the events in the 14-billion-year history of the universe into 1 year, human history would account for only 21 seconds.

Are you looking for more cosmic knowledge? Further travel our sun, planets, and other objects in the solar system in Explore Our Solar System!

EXPLORE THE UNIVERSE

This highly illustrated, 10-volume series explores the origin of the universe and tours stars, galaxies, and other fascinating celestial objects beyond the solar system. Volumes in Explore the Universe discuss the structure and composition of the universe; physical characteristics of black holes and other celestial objects; theories about the origin of the universe; and tools and techniques for studying celestial objects.

This Week in History: Margot Fonteyn, the Great British Ballerina, was born in 1919.

service@worldbook.com — Mon, 16 May 2016 11:57:00 -0500

Photo: © Zoe Dominic, Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images

Margot Fonteyn, the greatest British ballerina of the 1900’s, was born on May 18, 1919. For more than two decades, she was probably the most famous and successful ballerina in the world, celebrated for her technique, her poise, and the radiance of her character portrayals.

Fonteyn starred in the great classical repertoire, triumphing in such ballets as Giselle, Swan Lake, and The Sleeping Beauty. Perhaps her signature role was Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty. Fonteyn also danced in major ballets by such modern choreographers as Roland Pettit, Ninette De Valois, and especially Frederick Ashton. She and Ashton established a refined form of dancing that became known as the British style. In 1962, Fonteyn joined Russian dancer Rudolph Nureyev to form a celebrated partnership that extended her fame beyond the world of ballet.

Fonteyn was born in Reigate, England, as Margaret Evelyn Hookam. She began taking dancing lessons at the age of 4. Early in her career she changed her name, adapting Margaret to Margot and her grandfather’s last name of Fontes into Fonteyn. In 1928, she moved with her family to China and continued her dance training in Shanghai. Fonteyn returned to England in 1933 and joined the Sadler’s Wells School in London in 1934. The school eventually became the Vic-Wells Ballet, the Sadler’s Wells Ballet, and eventually, the Royal Ballet. Fonteyn was a guest artist with ballet companies throughout the world, but the Royal Ballet remained her artistic home until her death.

Fonteyn made her performing debut in 1934 as a snowflake in the ballet The Nutcracker. By the age of 16, she was dancing featured roles. While she was well known in the English dance world, Fonteyn did not gain international stardom until 1949, when she made a triumphant American debut in The Sleeping Beauty at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. She was extremely popular in the United States for the rest of her career. During the 1940’s and 1950’s, Fonteyn was frequently partnered with Robert Helpmann, a dancer with a powerful personality who perfectly complemented her grace and lyricism.

Fonteyn was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire (D.B.E.) in 1956. She was president of the Royal Academy of Dancing from 1954 until her death. Her memoir, Margot Fonteyn: Autobiography, was published in 1977. In 1979, Queen Elizabeth II awarded Fonteyn the title of Prima ballerina assoluta, an honor reserved for only the most exceptional prima ballerinas. Fonteyn died on Feb. 21, 1991.

History of Holidays Around the World

service@worldbook.com — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 14:40:00 -0600

Check out our infographic on some winter holidays and traditions dating from 165 B.C. to now.

If I make a wish on a falling star will it come true?

service@worldbook.com — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 17:16:00 -0600

Science Editor Brian Johnson explains what a falling star is and why it shoots through the sky.

Can a self-driving car be made?

service@worldbook.com — Sat, 05 Dec 2015 17:11:00 -0600

In this video, Andy Sarkisian, Safety Planning and Strategy Manager at Ford Motor Company, discusses how modern car systems can help people drive safely.

Why did the U.S. begin military action in Vietnam

service@worldbook.com — Tue, 01 Dec 2015 17:04:00 -0600

Harry Middleton, the former director of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library, discusses how lessons learned from World War II (1939-1945) led to U.S. military involvement in Vietnam.

Did you know? | 10 Little-known facts about Thanksgiving

service@worldbook.com — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 15:05:00 -0600

Thanksgiving Day is right around the corner, and this day of giving thanks and remembering the blessings of life is steeped in history and traditions.

American Indians and English pilgrims held the very first Thanksgiving at Plymouth Colony in 1621; today people celebrate this day with family, feasting, and prayer.

Here are some facts you may not know:

The journey – The people we now call Pilgrims were Separatists—that is, Puritans who had separated from the Church of England. The group left England in the Speedwell and a larger ship, the The Speedwell proved unseaworthy, and the fleet returned to England twice. The Mayflower set sail, and finally, in December 1620, the Plymouth Colony was founded by English Pilgrims at the site of a deserted Wampanoag Indian village called Patuxet.
The first meal– The very first English settlers who came to America had a hard time during their first year and many of them died during the winter. But in the spring of 1621, a Patuxet Indian named Tisquantum—called Squanto by the English—showed them how to plant traditional Native American crops of corn and pumpkin in addition to their European peas, wheat, and barley.
Three-day festival – In early autumn of 1621, the governor of Plymouth, William Bradford, organized a festival to give thanks to God for the survival of the colony and for their first harvest. Tradition holds that the colonists invited Massasoit, the Wampanoag chief, although some versions of the story claim he came to negotiate a new land treaty. He arrived with about 90 of his people and contributed five deer to the feast. Foods served probably included duck and turkey; a corn porridge called nasaump;and a pumpkin dish called
Thanksgiving dates – During the American Revolution, the Americans observed eight special days of thanks for victories and for being saved from dangers. In 1789, President George Washington issued a general proclamation naming November 26 a national day of Thanksgiving.
State by state – For many years the United States had no regular national Thanksgiving Day. But some states had a yearly Thanksgiving holiday. By 1830, New York had an official state Thanksgiving Day, and other Northern states soon followed its example. In 1855, Virginia became the nation’s first Southern state to adopt the custom.
Thanksgiving Thursdays – Sarah Hale, the editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book, worked many years to promote the idea of a national Thanksgiving Day. Then President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November 1863, as a “day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father.” Each year afterward, the president formally proclaimed that Thanksgiving Day should be celebrated on the last Thursday of November.
A federal holiday – In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt set Thanksgiving one week earlier to help businesses by lengthening the shopping period before Christmas. After this incident, in 1941, Congress ruled that the fourth Thursday of November would be observed as Thanksgiving Day and would be a legal federal holiday.
Gobble! – Most traditional Thanksgiving dinners include turkey. Male turkeys are called toms, female turkeys are known as hens, and baby turkeys are called poults. American Indians raised turkeys for food as early as A.D. 1000!
Around the world – Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving Day on the second Monday in October. Europeans have also held autumn harvest festivals and feasts for centuries.
Festivals like Thanksgiving – For thousands of years, people in many parts of the world have held harvest festivals. The Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival is a celebration of the end of the rice harvest; this usually occurs in August or September.

These fun facts—and much more—can be found in World Book Online, your answer for fast, reliable information.

What's it like working for a U.S. president?

service@worldbook.com — Mon, 09 Nov 2015 17:48:00 -0600

Harry Middleton, a former aide to President Lyndon Johnson and a former director of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library & Museum, discusses what it was like working for the president.

Are animals happy living at the zoo?

service@worldbook.com — Mon, 09 Nov 2015 14:06:00 -0600

Jason Watters, Behavioral Research Manager at Chicago Zoological Society, discusses whether animals are happy living in zoos.

This Week in History: Harvard University was founded in 1636

service@worldbook.com — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 20:30:00 -0600

Harvard College (now Harvard University) founded, 1636 (Oct. 28)

Harvard University was founded at Newtowne (now Cambridge), Massachusetts, on Oct. 28, 1636, just 16 years after the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth. It is the oldest institution of higher education in the United States, one of the richest private schools in America, and one of the world’s most prestigious universities.

The Massachusetts legislative assembly initially founded Harvard as New College, a school for educating clergymen. The school’s name was changed to Harvard College in 1639, when it was named after the school’s first benefactor, John Harvard. Harvard was a Puritan minister. He left half of his estate, including his library of over 400 books, to the college when he died in 1638. Harvard College opened that same year. The school graduated its first class of nine students in 1642.

In 1764, Harvard Hall burned down. Some 5,000 books—including all but one of John Harvard’s books and the only known portrait of him—were destroyed. Today, a statue of John Harvard stands in Harvard Yard in front of University Hall. It has become the university’s most famous landmark. More than 250 years after the fire, Harvard now houses the world’s largest university library system.

In 1775, General George Washington and his Continental Army soldiers briefly moved into Harvard’s buildings at the start of the American Revolution (1775-1783). The next year, when the Declaration of Independence was signed, the signers included eight Harvard alumni.

Harvard College was officially renamed Harvard University in 1782 after the founding of its medical school. In 1910, crimson officially became the school color. The color tradition initially started in the mid-1800’s, when the school’s rowing team donned crimson scarves during a competition so they would be more easily recognized.

Several U.S. presidents have graduated from Harvard, including John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Rutherford B. Hayes, Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. Other notable graduates include American revolutionary leader John Hancock, philanthropist and Microsoft creator Bill Gates, and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

Harvard, which was founded just three days before Halloween, has its share of ghost stories. Over the years, students, faculty, and employees have reported encounters with spirits roaming the halls of some dorms and school buildings. These include Wadsworth House, which General George Washington used as his first headquarters, and Lowell Hall, named after former Harvard President Abbott Lawrence Lowell. People claim to have seen apparitions dressed in colonial uniforms walking down the halls or going through doors at Wadsworth House. Ghosts of Lowell’s sister, the poet Amy Lowell, or former House Master Elliott Perkins have reportedly been spotted silently moving around Lowell House. Amy Lowell was known to smoke cigars and, supposedly, if you stand near her portrait in Lowell House, you can sometimes smell cigar smoke.

This week in history: Baseball great Mickey Mantle was born in 1931

service@worldbook.com — Tue, 27 Oct 2015 14:20:00 -0500

Mickey Mantle, one of the greatest players in baseball history, was born on Oct. 20, 1931. As a batter, he was known both for hitting for a high average and for his power. Mantle became especially famous for his towering home runs. Many of them traveled so far they were called “tape measure” home runs, a term that has since become part of baseball’s vocabulary.

Mantle played his entire major league baseball career, from 1951 to 1968, with the New York Yankees of the American League. During that time, Mantle was the league Most Valuable Player in 1956, 1957, and 1962. He won the batting Triple Crown in 1956 by leading the league in hitting with a .353 average while hitting 52 home runs and batting in 130 runs. He also led the league in home runs in 1955, 1958, and 1960.

Mantle has been called the greatest switch hitter in baseball history. Most players bat from either the left or right side of the plate. A switch hitter has the ability to bat both left-handed and right-handed. Mantle was also one of the fastest players of his time, both in running the bases and as a defensive player. In addition, Mantle was known for his defensive ability. He was an outfielder for most of his career, primarily as a center fielder. He won the 1962 Gold Glove award as the best center fielder in the American League.

During his career with the Yankees, Mantle played in 12 World Series, helping New York win 7 world championships. He set career World Series records for most home runs, runs batted in, extra base hits, runs, walks, and total bases.

Mickey Charles Mantle was born in Spavinaw, Oklahoma, and grew up in nearby Commerce, Oklahoma. During Mantle’s playing days, he was labeled the “Commerce Comet” in recognition of his speed. His father wanted the boy to play professional baseball and named him after Mickey Cochrane, a famous major league catcher.

Mantle began his baseball career in 1948 with a semi-professional team in Kansas. In 1949, after he graduated from high school, Mantle was signed by the New York Yankees and played in the minor leagues from 1949 until he joined the Yankees early in the 1951 season at the age of 19. Mantle played in the outfield for New York full-time until his final two seasons, when he was moved to first base. He ended his career with a batting average of .298 and 536 home runs, at that time third on the all-time list of home run hitters.

Mantle suffered from leg injuries during his career, leading many baseball followers to speculate how much more impressive his statistics would have been had he played on healthy legs. Mantle also suffered from alcoholism throughout his adult life, which contributed to the liver cancer that led to his death on Aug. 13, 1995.

Mantle was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974. In 1999, he was named to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.

This Week in History: Jenny Lind, Swedish singer, was born in 1820.

service@worldbook.com — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 19:41:00 -0500

P.T. Barnum was a great showman who toured the United States with a fabulous circus. His stock in trade was a menagerie of animals including huge elephants, along with unusual-looking people. But Barnum also did a great service to people across America by bringing to them the remarkable talent of Jenny Lind, an operatic soprano known as the Swedish Nightingale.

Johanna Maria Lind was born in Stockholm on Oct. 6, 1820. Her talent was evident early on. According to one story, she was overheard through a window, singing with an exquisite voice to her cat. Lind was enrolled at the Royal Opera School in Stockholm at age 9. She studied dancing, drama, and singing. She first appeared on stage at age 10 and developed her vocal abilities quickly. Lind made her formal operatic debut a few months before her 18th birthday, as Agathe in Carl Maria von Weber’s Der Freischutz. Lind sang a number of other operatic roles at the Royal Opera in Stockholm with great success for the next several years.

Jenny Lind was known for having a voice with a fabulous upper register (range), and she triumphed in coloratura arias, which require great agility and the ability to produce beautiful sounds on the highest notes. But the somewhat lower tones—her middle register—were showing signs of fatigue by the early 1840’s. She traveled to Paris to study with a new teacher. Returning with an improved technique to Stockholm, she resumed her career and soon began touring in Europe, appearing at various places in Germany, as well as in Vienna, Austria, and London, England. She sang such difficult roles as the title character in Vincenzo Bellini’s opera Norma, and also in operas by Giacomo Meyerbeer and Gaetano Donizetti, as well as oratorios such as Joseph Haydn’s The Creation. After 1849, Lind gave up her career as an opera singer.

Though Lind was considered a great star in Europe, even singing before Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of the United Kingdom, she was little known in the United States where she had never performed. P.T. Barnum, aware of her overseas popularity, sensed a terrific promotional opportunity. He signed Lind to a lucrative contract for a concert tour of America. Barnum’s advance publicity resulted in a throng of perhaps 30,000 people waiting on the New York dock for her arrival on Sept. 1, 1850. Barnum emphasized Lind’s virtuous character and charitable activities in promoting her, at a time when women in theatrical careers were often considered less than proper ladies.

Lind sang about 30 performances in New York and then toured throughout the United States, as well as in Cuba, to great acclaim. While performing in Washington, D.C., Lind visited with President Millard Fillmore and his wife, Abigail, at the White House at the invitation of the first lady, who had heard her sing.

Romance blossomed on Jenny Lind’s tour of the United States, as she married the pianist who accompanied her. Jenny Lind and Otto Goldschmidt were married in Boston in 1852, then returned to Europe where they raised three children in Germany and England. Jenny Lind-Goldschmidt performed in oratorios and concerts in Europe until her retirement in 1883. In that year, she was appointed the first singing teacher at the Royal College of Music in London. The Swedish Nightingale died in England on Nov. 2, 1887, where she is honored with a marble bust in the Poets’ Corner at Westminster Abbey.

This Week in History: The Normans invaded England in 1066

service@worldbook.com — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 14:34:00 -0500

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

1066 is a famous year, particularly in England. 1066, or MLXVI, was a great turning point in English history. It was the end of the rule of the Germanic Anglo-Saxons (who gave us England), and the beginning of the rule of the more complicated lineage of the Normans (who gave us Normandy). How did all this happen in just one year, 1066? First, on January 5, England’s King Edward the Confessor died without an heir. This left the English throne up for grabs between his cousin, William of Normandy, and his brother-in-law, the Saxon Earl of Wessex, Harold Godwineson. Second, in September, after Harold became king, an angry William crossed the English Channel to express his displeasure. The Normans landed in England on September 28. They defeated Harold at the Battle of Hastings about two weeks later.

The Saxon-Norman rivalry began well before Harold and William met at Hastings.

Edward (he became “the Confessor” long after his death) was the son of England’s King Ethelred II and Emma, the daughter of the Duke of Normandy. After Ethelred’s death in 1016, the Danes took control of England, and Edward’s family was forced into exile in Normandy. Edward lived in Normandy until 1041, when he returned to England. After he took the throne in 1042, Edward relied on his trusted Norman advisers. Godwine, the powerful Earl of Wessex, did not appreciate the Norman influence, and tried to dominate Edward’s reign. Edward married Godwine’s daughter Edith in 1045, but it didn’t stop the bad blood. Edward and Godwine feuded up until Godwine’s death in 1053. However, Harold, Godwine’s son and Edward’s brother-in-law, did much for King Edward. In particular, he dealt with the troublesome Welsh and Northumbrians, securing England’s western and northern borders. After Edward’s death in January 1066, Harold—claiming to be Edward??s named successor—became king of England.

Across the English Channel, however, William, Duke of Normandy, was stewing. He claimed that Edward, his cousin, had already promised him the English throne. As William enlisted knights from Normandy and northern France, Harold prepared to defend England’s southern coast against an attack. But, to complicate things for Harold, the king of Norway suddenly invaded northern England. Harold shifted his troops north, where they defeated the invading Norwegians near York.

During Harold’s absence from the southern coast of England, William landed his army without opposition on September 28. Harold hastened south with his weary forces and gathered such militiamen as he could along the way. He met William’s invading troops at the hill of Senlac, near the town of Hastings, on October 14. The details of the daylong battle are unclear. But historians think Harold’s men held the top of the hill. Then the Normans pretended to retreat in disorder, causing the English militia on the flanks to rush down the hill in pursuit. The Norman knights split the English formation, cutting the separate elements of the enemy army to pieces. Harold was killed, probably by a Norman arrow.

On Christmas Day, 1066, William was crowned king of England. Not everyone in England thought William so kingly, however. It took him five more years to complete his conquest of England. After that, William—now “the Conqueror”—ruled England, somewhat peacefully, until his death on Sept. 9, 1087.