Chaucer's book, 'The Canterbury Tales,' marks the beginning of a distinct English literary tradition and is often considered the start of English literature.
An extensive English history cannot be pinpointed to a singular event; however, the first writings of Chaucer can be seen as the start of a distinct English literary tradition. Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, written in the late 14th century, is often considered the beginning of English literature as we know it.
By contrast, the King James Bible, while highly significant in the spread of Protestantism and English language development, was published later in 1611. Geoffrey Chaucer's work predates the King James Bible and is more directly associated with the foundational works of English literature, especially considering that it was written in Middle English, making it among the first works to be accessible to a wider English-speaking audience.
Moreover, the historical events such as the collapse of the Roman Empire and the writings of the ancient Greeks set the stage for European medieval history, while Chaucer's writings mark the flourishing of English vernacular literature in the medieval period.