Manchester has been put firmly into the limelight by the likes of George Best, Ryan Giggs and the Gallagher brothers but before these recent acts the city has been an eventful place.

The roots of the city in north-west England can be traced back to 79AD when a Roman general named Agricola built a fort slightly to the north of modern Manchester. The fort started off in wooden form before being rebuilt in stone in 200AD. When the Roman forces left Britain more than two centuries later the fort was left to ruin.

By the 11th century – when England was invaded by the Normans - a village had been established in the area; soon things really started moving for Manchester and the country in general, as a rise in population led to increased trade and commerce. Things looked on the up for the city and, aided greatly by the wool industry, Manchester flourished and became more famous.

Things took a turn for the worse in the early 1600s when the plague hit and it is estimated that around a quarter of the population was lost during this epidemic.

It slowly recovered and where wool had once been its primary trade silk took to the fore as the city looked to rebuild itself fully. By the turn of the 18th century Manchester had established itself as one of the biggest cities in the country and as a centre of industrial activity. In 1761 the Duke of Bridgewater began bringing in cheap coal and simultaneously the area's love for material took another turn as textile factories started popping up to take advantage of the boon in cotton production.

Industries in Manchester began developing more heavily and soon it became a centre for all sorts of production – throughout the ages it specialised in almost everything from biscuit making to biotechnology.

A natural knock on effect of this was that people wanted to move to Manchester or at least visit the city to see what makes it so special. Tourism boomed and motorways, rail links and flights to Manchester were all developed to take advantage of this.

More recently, however, it has been entertainment that has seen people interested in Manchester. Whether it was the 90s music scene led by Oasis or the recent success of Manchester United, the city has shown a clear inclination at trying to create the best possible.

Adam Singleton writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.