Danelaw
Danish raiders first begin to settle in England, led by brothers Halfdan and Ivar the Boneless, they winter in East Anglia, where they demand and receive tribute in exchange for a temporary peace
Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03
Halfdan White Shirt Biography and Timeline
Follow Halfdan White Shirt through 18 dated historical records for Denmark.
Halfdan White Shirt, historical timeline
A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.
18Distinct records
1 of 1Page
865–876Years on this page
865
Great Army
Lands in England as a leader of the "Great Army"
Invasion of England
Danish raiders first begin to settle in England, led by brothers Halfdan and Ivar the Boneless, they winter in East Anglia, where they demand and receive tribute in exchange for a temporary peace
Invasion of England
Lands in England as a leader of the "Great Army"
Invasion of England
The Danes move north and attack Northumbria, which is in the midst of a civil war between the deposed king Osberht and a usurper Ulla
Siege of York
The Danes use the civil turmoil in Northumbria as an opportunity to capture York, which they sack and burn
Winter in East Anglia
Halfdan wintered with the invading army in East Anglia before the campaign moved north.
866
Capture of York
Halfdan participated in the capture of York from the divided Northumbrian kingdom.
870
Invasion of Wessex
Halfdan led part of the Great Army into Wessex and established a base at Reading.
871
Peace with Wessex
Halfdan concluded a peace with Alfred after a year of costly campaigning in Wessex.
872
Winter in London
Halfdan wintered in London while the army pressured Mercia and Wessex.
873
Winter at Torksey
Halfdan moved the army to Torksey and obtained peace from the Mercians.
874
Winter at Repton
Halfdan established a fortified winter camp at Repton during the conquest of Mercia.
875
Campaign in Northumbria
Halfdan moved north to consolidate Scandinavian authority in Northumbria.
876
Capture of Mercia
Takes control of the eastern half of Mercia
Capture of Northumbria
Settles Danes in Northumbria
Capture of York
York becomes a Viking town
Settlement of Northumbria
Halfdan divided Northumbrian land among his followers, encouraging permanent Scandinavian settlement.
Records, sources and methodology
These dates and descriptions come from the historical_events database. Exact duplicate records have been collapsed. Names are grouped by the country, Name 2 and Name 1 fields; records with missing Name 2 cannot be reliably assigned to an individual biography. Check the underlying sources before formal citation.