Guernsey has a wonderfully rich heritage and unique history which begins at around 8000BC when Guernsey was separated from mainland Europe by rising sea levels. There is evidence of hunting and fishing fifteen hundred years later, and traces of settlements have been found dating back to 4500BC.
Guernsey became associated with England when William II of Normandy defeated King Harold in 1066, and the Duchy of Normandy and England became one. The Channel Islands had been part of the Duchy since the mid tenth century
Guernsey has a strong association with the sea with a history of fishing, shipbuilding, privateering, as well as it being an important location for merchants and of strategic importance in war. WWII had a huge impact on the Islands when the islands became part of Hitler's Atlantic Wall. Every year on 9 May, the Island celebrates its freedom on Liberation Day.
