Nelson Admiral Horatio

Horatio Nelson (1758-1805) is Britain's greatest naval hero — the admiral who decisively defeated the combined French and Spanish fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar (October 21, 1805), ensuring British naval supremacy for the next century but dying of a musket shot through his spine at the moment of victory. His career was marked by remarkable personal bravery, tactical genius, and inspiring leadership. Nelson lost the sight in his right eye at the Siege of Calvi (1794) and his right arm at the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (1797), continuing his naval career despite these disabilities. He is famous for 'turning a blind eye' (literally — at the Battle of Copenhagen, he held his telescope to his blind eye to claim he could not see the order to disengage and continued the attack). His signal at Trafalgar ('England expects that every man will do his duty') is one of the most famous messages in military history. He is buried in St Paul's Cathedral.