Short answers, pulled from the story.
King Henry III of England signed the Treaty of Paris in 1259. This treaty officially surrendered his claim to the Duchy of Normandy while retaining control of the islands that became the Channel Islands.
The earliest evidence of human occupation in the Channel Islands dates back 250,000 years. During this time, the islands were still attached to the landmass of continental Europe before rising sea levels severed the land bridge.
The German occupation of the Channel Islands ended after VE-Day on the 8th of May 1945. Jersey and Guernsey were liberated on the 9th of May, and the German garrison in Alderney left until the 16th of May.
Four main dialects or languages of Norman remain in the Channel Islands. These include Dgèrnésiais in Guernsey, Jèrriais in Jersey, and Sercquiais in Sark, while Auregnais is now extinct in the late twentieth century.
Jersey and Guernsey have become major offshore financial centres since the 1960s. This development followed the liberation of 1945 and the subsequent transformation of the islands' economies.
In the Channel Islands, the Bailiff is the civil head and presiding officer of the States. The Bailiff also serves as the head of the judiciary, making them the most important citizen in the bailiwick.