A timeline for England

roman conquest

arrival of christianity

vikings

normans

magna carta

the edwards  and the henrys attempts at gaining and retaining land outside england

tudors and formation of church of england

cromwell ,civil war , and restoration

rise and fall of empire

world wars 1 and 2

I would have thought that the formation of the NHS would feature in any top 10 list.

I only started listening from around the 4th century (maybe 2 years worth). He produces one a week but I listen at 30% increased speed. Episodes are 20-30 minutes roughly but I also listen to another 20 or so on differing subjects as varied as history, poker, astronomy, brewing and programming. I've time to spare so I'd rather fill my head with information rather than a load of junk. I don't watch much TV TBH, only boxsets at bedtime.

Good luck to the guy, he has a brilliant business model. While I don't pay for the shows he has a list of subscribers for $5 a month. I'm sure many appreciate the work he puts in. As to the content, he started with the Roman Empire, not even prehistoric. That's only 8 or so centuries he's got through in 220 odd episodes.

It's well worth a listen, very detailed but it is hardcore. Each episode only covers a short period in time but like the OP asked these small events really shape the country. I found it interesting that a viking raid was shipwrecked due to bad weather that would have changed the land completely. If the raid had have landed then we would have no story of Alfred as he would most certainly have been defeated.

Hank check this site:

http://www.eupedia.com/england/english_history.shtml#Prehistory

Bet nobody knows who this is

Victor Meldrew's grandfather?

A few other key events in the shaping of Modern Britain, which I have learned from watching BBC documentaries :

1. The arrival of The Windrush ship from the colonies in 1948, which for the very first time introduced Vibrancy into 'stale, pale, backward, raaaaaay-cist hate-filled Little Britain' and single-handedly saving the NHS and struggling public services which were on their knees because of the Savage Tory Cuts.

2. The emergence of Bowie (early 1970s) and later Boy George, who between them educated Britain into being a Tolerant Nation where every schoolboy actually identifies as female, and needs the appropriate surgery and a generous clothing/make-up allowance on the NHS, despite the Savage Tory Cuts.  (Until then, Britain was a gay-hating, transphobic, fascist, racist country full of backward uneducated white men).

3. Lenny H winning 'New Faces'  in the mid-70s which at a stroke smashed the hated, fascist, racist 'Black and White Minstrels' to smithereens. (We won't mention the fact that he, erm, once worked with the Minstrels but later regretted doing so).

.
http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2015/08/31/revealed-sir-lenny-henry-as-youve-never-seen-him-before/


I didn't see these next ones the BBC, but to bring us up to date historically,

4. Chit Chat's very own IAN Mohammed taking in a houseful of (non-existent) Syrian Refugees in 2015, in the process making Britain a safe haven for anyone calling themselves a Vulnerable Child Refugee, and thus overnight transforming a country that had once been a backward land of Hate-Peddling Little Englanders and other 'Daily Mail' reading Fascist Demagogues, into a Beacon of Hope to those from the starving, war-torn land of Calais. 

5. An actress I've never heard of leaving 100 free copies of a Maya Angelou book on the Tube earlier this month, to try and educate the hitherto completely ignorant white racist misogynistic British public about a black feminist American author that no-one's ever heard of.  This selfless act needless to say utterly smashed Brexit Britain Hate Nation to smithereens and sent out a loud and clear warning to any incoming Fascist Demagogues to the White House that they couldn't win the 2016 US Presidential Election. 

.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/nov/03/emma-watson-free-copies-maya-angelou-books-on-tube-harry-potter


I think that covers just about everything. If by chance there's something I missed, you'll doubtless find other key events highlighted by the 2012 London Olympics Opening/Closing Ceremony.

The linesman was not from Russia


He was from Azerbaijan

eh, what's wrong with correcting his nationality