Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Nowell Codex is a single surviving manuscript from around the year 1000 that holds the only complete text of Beowulf. This epic poem tells the story of a Geatish hero who travels to Denmark to defeat a monster named Grendel and later a dragon.
Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales in Middle English at a time when French and Latin dominated courts and polite society. The language used in these tales represents the London-based Chancery Standard that became widespread after 1470.
The King James Bible translation project began in 1604 and was completed four years later in 1611. This massive undertaking represents one of history's most significant translation projects up to that time.
Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice appeared in 1813 highlighting women's dependence on marriage for social standing. This work remains a key example of early Victorian literature focusing on domestic life and class.
Charles Dickens emerged on the literary scene in the late 1830s becoming probably the most famous novelist in history. Oliver Twist satirized workhouses while Bleak House criticized failures within the legal system.