8th Century.
716 AD.
Aethelbald becomes King of Mercia and achieves power over all other Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms.
731 AD.
Bede, a monk at Jarrow, completes his "Ecclesiastical History", of Anglo-Saxon England
757 AD.
Aethelbald murdered by his body-guard at Seckington, near Tamworth. Offa becomes king of Mercia.
760 AD.
This decade sees the creation of the new silver penny coinage. First in Mercia, then in Kent. It will continue into the 21st century, having survived decimilisation. The shilling varies in value from 4, 6 to 12 pennies.
774 AD.
Offa, King of Mercia, described as "King of the English" after subduing Kent and Sussex.
780 AD.
"Book of Kells", (illuminated gospels), begun on Iona.
784 AD.
The Mercian King, Offa, begins 150-mile-long Offa's dyke from Severn Estuary to North Wales.
786 AD.
First Danish (Viking) raids on England, at Portland, Dorset.
787 AD.
Offa's son annointed King - the first consecrated King in England. Offa issues a silver "penny" coin bearing his name and portrait.
792 AD.
King Offa visits Rome to cement relationship with the papacy.
793 AD.
Vikings sack Lindesfarne, Northumbria and in the next two years raid many other places on the English - Scottish coasts and islands, including Orkney, Jarrow, Iona and Skye.
796 AD.
Charlemagne makes trade with Offa, in earliest surviving letter from European to English ruler. Offa dies, who built Offa's Dyke. The Mercian King's chief centre was at Tamworth, not far from the spot where the Staffordshire Hoard was found.
