October 21st

On this day – 21st October 1805 – The battle of Trafalgar was fought 

The battle of Trafalgar, which was fought 210 year ago today, was a naval engagement between France and Spain on one side against the UK on the other side. The naval engagement was a part of the longer lasting Napoleonic war going on at the time. France/Spain lost 22 vessels in the conflict, while UK lost none, which caused this to be the most decisive naval battle during the whole war. Lord Nelson, the British flag officer died in the battle from a gunshot. His last words were “God and my country” and he became one of UKs most prominent war heroes at the time. His body was preserved in a barrel of brandy on the travels back to UK so that he could receive a hero’s funeral. Trafalgar square in London is today dedicated to Lord Nelson. The UK continued to be the world dominant naval power until the Second World War.