Aethelred II, also known as Aethelred the Unready, was king of the English from 978-1013 and 1014-1016. His long reign was initially stable, but Viking attacks on England escalated from the 990s onward. Viking incursions eventually grew so serious that England struggled to mount effective resistance, and Aethelred was briefly overthrown by the Danish king Swein Forkbeard in 1013.
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Definition
Timeline
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978 - 1013First reign of the English king Aethelred II, also known as Aethelred the Unready.
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991An army of the English king Aethelred the Unready is defeated by a Viking army at the Battle of Maldon.
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1000The English king Aethelred the Unready raids both the Isle of Man and Strathclyde.
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1002The English king Aethelred the Unready marries Emma, the sister of the Duke of Normandy.
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13 Nov 1002The English king Aethelred the Unready orders the St. Brice’s Day Massacre aimed against Danes.
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1013Following a Viking attack, the English king Aethelred the Unready escapes to Normandy.
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1014 - 1016Second reign of the English king Aethelred II, also known as Aethelred the Unready.
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1014English nobles invite Aethelred the Unready to again become king of England.
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23 Apr 1016The English king Aethelred the Unready dies of an illness in London.
