The formal date of England¡¯s creation as a country is contested. Some say we turned 1,100 in 2025, marking the year when the Anglo-Saxon Athelstan was crowned ¡°Rex Anglorum¡± ¡ª king of the English ¡ª in Kingston-upon-Thames in what¡¯s now known as Surrey. Others suggest the anniversary falls two years later, commemorating 927, when Athelstan defeated Guthfrith of Ivar, the Irish-Norse claimant to York. That battle unified pretty much all of what we now consider England under his rule.
Either way, what isn¡¯t in doubt is that England is among Europe¡¯s oldest nations and the English are commemorating a landmark birthday around about now. Except hardly any English people seem to either know or care.
Celebrations for the two foundational events of England¡¯s birth have been low key, and not much more party planning is expected. A train was named ¡°Athelstan¡± in a ceremony attended by historian Tom Holland and a couple of dozen schoolkids in Kingston a few months back.
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