when did the vikings first sail and reach britain
6 January 793 786–802
title: Historical immigration to Great Britain text: the Irish Sea between the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. This tide has varied over the centuries in response to politics, economics and social conditions of both places, but has predominantly flowed from Ireland to Britain. Today, millions of residents of Great Britain are either from the island of Ireland or have Irish ancestry. The earliest date given for a Viking raid of Britain is 789 when, according to the "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle", Portland was attacked. A more exact report dates from 8 June 793, when the cloister at Lindisfarne was pillaged by foreign seafarers. These raiders, whose expeditions extended title: Viking raid warfare and tactics text: In Northern Europe at the start of the 8th century, Vikings began raiding coasts of the British Isles across the sea from Scandinavia, particularly monasteries, which carried a great deal of valuable treasures. The first known raid was on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne off the English coast in 793. This raid was also the first one that made a lasting impact on the British Isles and made the Anglo-Saxons aware of the Viking threat. A primary source from the raid on Lindisfarne states that there "were immense flashes of lightning, and fiery dragons were seen flying in the air". title: Scapa Flow text: number of navies. Vikings anchored their longships in Scapa Flow more than a thousand years ago, but it is best known as the site of the United Kingdom's chief naval base during World War I and World War II. The facility was closed in 1956. The Viking expeditions to Orkney are recorded in detail in the 11th century "Orkneyinga sagas" and later texts such as the "Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar". According to the latter, King Haakon IV of Norway anchored his fleet, including the flagship "Kroussden" that could carry nearly 300 men, on 5 August 1263 at St Margaret's Hope, where title: History of England text: Britain was in 793 at Lindisfarne monastery as given by the "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle". However, by then the Vikings were almost certainly well-established in Orkney and Shetland, and many other non-recorded raids probably occurred before this. Records do show the first Viking attack on Iona taking place in 794. The arrival of the Vikings (in particular the Danish Great Heathen Army) upset the political and social geography of Britain and Ireland. In 867 Northumbria fell to the Danes; East Anglia fell in 869. Though Wessex managed to contain the Vikings by defeating them at Ashdown in 871, a second invading army title: Norse activity in the British Isles text: The Norwegian invasion was repelled but before the English Army had fully recovered, the Normans—under the leadership of Duke William II of Normandy (William the Conqueror)—invaded Anglo-Saxon England. William defeated Harold II of England's army at the Battle of Hastings. Archaeologists James Graham-Campbell and Colleen E. Batey noted that there was a lack of historical sources discussing the earliest Viking encounters with the British Isles, which would have most probably been amongst the northern island groups, those closest to Scandinavia. The "Irish Annals" provide us with accounts of much Norse activity during the 9th and 10th centuries. The Viking raids