When was the initial attack on Britain by the Vikings?

The Viking age, a period of Norse activity that significantly impacted Britain, is generally considered to have begun towards the end of the 8th century. While Vikings had likely been trading and raiding along the coasts of Britain before this, the year AD 789 marks the date of the first recorded Viking raid on English soil. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a primary historical source, documents this event, noting that three Viking ships landed on the coast of Dorset and killed a local reeve, a royal official. This event, though small in scale compared to later Viking invasions, is considered the starting point because it's the first documented instance of Viking aggression. While Vikings certainly raided and settled in Britain in the 9th century, those dates are too late to mark the *initial* attack. Think of 789 as the opening shot in a long and complex relationship between Britain and the Norsemen.