Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson

Horatio Nelson was born in 1731 as the sixth child of Edmund Nelson and Catherine. The Nelson family had connections with Lord Walpole and Captain Maurice Suckling, which played a significant role in Nelson's future.

Horatio Nelson was born on September 29, 1738. He was a British naval officer known for his leadership during the Napoleonic Wars.

After the death of his mother, Horatio Nelson's uncle, Captain Maurice Suckling, took him to sea. This event marked the beginning of Nelson's illustrious naval career.

Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, was born on September 29, 1758. He is regarded as the greatest naval hero in English history.

At the age of twelve, he enrolled in the Royal Navy and began his naval career on the third-rate HMS Raisonnable as an ordinary seaman and coxswain under the command of his maternal uncle, Captain Maurice Suckling.

In 1783, after the American Revolution, Horatio Nelson returned to England via France. He was appointed to command a frigate bound for the West Indies, where he faced challenges enforcing the Navigation Act against American ships still trading with British privileges.

During the Battle of Genoa, Nelson joined the British ships in attacking the French ships Ça Ira and Censeur, forcing them to surrender and preventing the French from invading Corsica.

On February 14, 1797, Nelson played a significant role in the British victory at the Battle of Cape St Vincent. As a result of this victory, he was knighted as a member of the Order of the Bath.

Nelson led an amphibious assault off Cadiz, where he engaged in a hand-to-hand struggle with the Spanish commander. His life was saved twice by a seaman named John Sykes during the action.

In 1797, during the attack on Santa Cruz, Tenerife, Admiral Nelson's boats faced strong currents and fierce attacks from the shore, resulting in significant losses. Nelson was shot in his right arm above the elbow, leading to amputation after his stepson applied a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. The mission ultimately ended in failure.

Nelson's decisive victory over the French fleet at the Battle of the Nile was a major blow to Napoleon's ambitions in the east. The French fleet was destroyed, significantly impacting the course of the Napoleonic Wars.

After the battle, Nelson is granted the title of Baron Nelson of the Nile.

On January 1st, Nelson is promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral.

On January 13th, Nelson is assigned to HMS San Josef, the ship he captured at the Battle of the Nile.

On January 30th, Nelson and Emma's daughter, Horatia, is born.

On March 12th, Nelson is given command of HMS St George.

On 13 August 1799, King Ferdinand IV granted Nelson the title Duke of Bronte for his support of the monarchy. This title was made Nelson's perpetual property along with an estate in Sicily.

In 1801, Admiral Nelson led the British Royal Navy to victory by destroying the Danish Navy at the Battle of Copenhagen. Despite receiving a signal to retreat from Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, Nelson famously disregarded it, claiming he was blind to the order due to having only one eye.

In May 1801, Nelson became commander-in-chief in the Baltic Sea after Admiral Sir Hyde Parker's recall, following the successful Battle of Copenhagen.

The British emerge victorious in the closely fought Battle of Copenhagen. Admiral Horatio Nelson, despite being blind in one eye, leads the British forces and describes it as the bloodiest battle he has ever been in. After the battle, Nelson plays a crucial role in diplomatic negotiations with the Crown Prince of Denmark.

On May 19, 1801, Nelson was created Viscount Nelson of the Nile and of Burnham Thorpe in the County of Norfolk, as a reward for his victory in the Baltic.

On July 27th, 1801, much to Horatio Nelson's annoyance, the Admiralty promptly sends him to sea again, this time to command the anti-invasion operations in the channel.

On August 4, 1801, Nelson was created Baron Nelson of the Nile and of Hilborough in the County of Norfolk, with a special remainder to his father and sisters, as an additional recognition of his achievements.

On May 18, 1803, Admiral Horatio Nelson was appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean. He boarded HMS Victory, a pivotal moment in his naval career.

Starting on July 6, 1803, Admiral Nelson initiated a blockade of the French forces at Toulon. This strategic move aimed to restrict French naval activities in the region.

On April 23, 1804, while still at sea, Admiral Nelson was promoted to the rank of vice admiral of the white, which was the sixth-highest rank in the British Navy at that time.

Lord Nelson's funeral in London was a significant event with the streets filled with weeping people. The funeral procession was so long that the Scots Greys reached St. Paul's Cathedral before all mourners had left the Admiralty. He was laid to rest in the crypt of St. Paul's Cathedral.

On April 18th, 1805, Admiral Nelson returned to Merton on leave after chasing French Admiral Villeneuve to the West Indies and back to Europe, protecting British trade.

On September 13, 1805, Admiral Nelson was called upon to oppose the French and Spanish fleets, which had joined forces and sought refuge in the harbor of Cádiz, Spain.

On September 14th, 1805, Admiral Nelson boarded HMS Victory for the last time before the upcoming battle, as mentioned in his private diary.

In September 28th, Horatio Nelson sails to Cadiz to join Admiral Collingwood's blockade of the Combined Fleet there.

In October 1805, the Battle of Trafalgar occurred off the southern coast of Spain, where the French and Spanish fleets faced the British Royal Navy. This battle became famous as Admiral Nelson's final and most renowned victory.

On October 21, 1805, Admiral Nelson engaged in his final battle, the Battle of Trafalgar, where he led the British Royal Navy to a decisive victory against the combined fleets of France and Spain.

On October 22, 1805, an armistice was signed between the British and the French, leading to Horatio Nelson retiring to England due to poor health.

Following the Battle of Trafalgar, a storm hit the fleet causing immense destruction. 14 ships were lost during the storm, surpassing the number of ships lost in the battle itself.

On 8 January 1806, Admiral Nelson's coffin was taken into the Admiralty for the night, attended by his chaplain, Alexander Scott, before his grand funeral procession the next day.

After lying in state at Greenwich Hospital, Admiral Nelson's coffin was taken to the Admiralty on 8 January 1806. The following day, a grand funeral procession consisting of 32 admirals, over a hundred captains, and 10,000 soldiers escorted the coffin from the Admiralty to St Paul's Cathedral, where he was interred in a crypt.

Trafalgar Square in London was created in 1835 as a memorial to Horatio Nelson. The centrepiece of the square is Nelson's Column, which was finished in 1843.

Nelson's Column, erected in 1840 in Trafalgar Square, is a memorial to Lord Nelson, the inspiring leader of the British Navy. The column stands 170ft high and is topped with a statue of Nelson.

The Trafalgar Square and Nelson's Column were completed by 1843, with the final addition of Sir Edwin Landseer's lions coming several years later.

In 2002, Nelson was voted the 9th greatest Briton of all time in the BBC's 100 Greatest Britons programme, highlighting his enduring legacy and impact on British history.