The city of York is situated about halfway between London and Edinburgh, at the confluence of the Rivers Foss and Ous. In 71 AD, the Romans built a fort and a wall, and thus began the settlement of Eboracum, which was to become the city of York. Eboracum served as the northern headquarters for the Roman military until the beginning of the collapse of the Roman Empire, when they returned to Rome in order to defend their homeland, which was under siege by the Vandals. Over the next decade. The Roman troops were withdrawn to Rome.

In the power vacuum which appeared. Britain was invaded by various Germanic tribes. In desperation, Britain begged the Roman Emperor Honorius to help them. Rome was sacked for the first time in 800 years, so he was preoccupied when he wrote back to them. He encouraged Britain to “look to your own defences.” This marked the end of Roman Britain, as the Jutes. Angles, and the Saxons took control of York, and all of Britain.

The Vikings raided the area frequently, and they settled in the area as well as throughout much of England. The former Anglo-Saxon kingdoms were divided into four kingdoms, namely East Anglia, Mercia, Northumbria, and Wessex.

In 927, the king of the Anglo-Saxons, King Aethelstan became the first Anglo-Saxon king of England, having conquered the country one piece at a time, conquered York, the last remaining Viking kingdom. He increased control the granted charters and centralised the government in his realm.

During the Norman Conquest of 1066, York along with Durham, slaughtered the troops of William the Conquer, also known as King William I and assassinated the earls he appointed. During the winter of 1069-1070, York was one of the targets of William’s so-called Harrying of the North, which involved systematic military attacks designed to overpower northern England. The attacks were massive, with the March 1069 sacking of York, which included the looting of the Minster and other churches. William destroyed all of the farmland in York and Durham with both battles and fire.

York and the rest of northern England succumbed to the harrying, and the completion of the campaign was marked by the construction of Norman castles in York and the other settlements, the castles becoming strongholds of Normal authority and control in the last region of England.

Much happened between the time of William the Conqueror’s time, too much, in fact, to be able to go into here, but fast-forwarding to the 20th century, York got electricity in 1900; North Eastern Railway opened headquarters offices; the city’s first permanent cinema opened in the former Wesleyan Methodist New Street Hall, and York’s first purpose-built cinema opened in 1911. In 1935, York Corporation Tramways was replaced by motor buses. The Baedeker Blitz killed 79 people and razed the church of St. Martin Coney Street and York Guildhall in April 28 and 29. 1942. BBC Radio York began permanent broadcasting, and in 1992, Minster FM began broadcasting.

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