Isle of Man History

The island was inhabited as far back as the Mesolithic Period and came under Celtic influence during the Iron Age. It had a turbulent history and came under the rule of the Norse in 1079 but in 1266, Norway's King Magnus VI ceded the island to Scotland. The Isle of Man came under English control in the fourteenth century.

The head of state of the Isle of Man is the head of state of the United Kingdom, who holds the title of Lord of Mann and is represented on the island by a Lieutenant Governor. The country's government, Tynwald, thought to have been founded in 979, is one of the oldest established governments in Europe.