Famous people in the UK and the USA
United Kingdom
William the Conqueror
William I, also known as William the Conqueror was son of the unmarried Robert I, Duke of Normandy, born around 1028. His illegitimate status and his youth caused some difficulties for him after he succeeded his deceased father in 1035. In 1060 he managed to establish full authority over the duchy which allowed him to expand his territory.
In the 1050s and early 1060s William became a contender for the throne of England, which was held by the childless Edward the Confessor at the time. However, there were other claimants for the throne, including the powerful English earl Harold Godwinson, who was named the next king by Edward on the deathbed in January 1066. William disputed his right to the throne arguing by earlier Edward's promises and Harold's vow to support William's claim. He built a large fleet and invaded England in September 1066, defeating and killing Harold at the Battle of Hastings in October 1066. After further military operations William was crowned king on Christmas Day 1066, in London. He made arrangements for the administration of England in early 1067 before returning to Normandy. Several unsuccessful rebellions followed, but by 1075 William's control of England was mostly secure, allowing him to spend the majority of the rest of his reign on the continent. In 1086 William ordered the compilation of the Domesday Book, a survey listing all the landholdings in England along with their pre-conquest and current holders. During his reign new castles were built and new Norman nobility settled on the land. He died in September 1087 while leading a campaign in northern France.
Henry VIII
Henry VIII was King of England from 1509 until his death 1547. Henry was the second Tudor monarch, succeeding his father, Henry VII. Henry VIII is best known for his six marriages and his efforts to invalidate his first marriage to Cathrine of Aragon. After the Pope refused to annul the marriage, Henry initiated the English Reformation, which separated the Church of England from papal authority. He appointed himself the Supreme Head of the Church of England and dissolved convents and monasteries. His other wives were Anne Boleyn (marriage was annulled and she was executed for treason), Jane Seymour (which died twelve days after giving birth to Edward VI, most likely due to birth complications), Anne of Cleves (marriage was annulled, she outlived the rest of the wives), Catherine Howard (executed for treason) and Catherine Parr (widowed at death of Henry VIII). During his reign, Henry has made radical changes to the English constitution strengthening his power. Although he was able to convert the money formerly paid to Rome into the royal revenue, he was continually contending with the lack of finances caused by his extravagant life and numerous costly wars he was leading on the continent.
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I was Queen of England and Ireland from 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn and the last monarch of the House of Tudor. During the rule of her stepsister Mary I., Elizabeth was imprisoned for almost a year on suspicion of supporting Protestant rebels. After Mary's death in 1558 Elizabeth became the queen. She depended heavily on a group of advisers led by William Cecil, 1st baron Burghley. One of her first actions as queen was the establishment of an English Protestant church, of which she became the Supreme Governor. In 1587, Elizabeth's advisors ordered the execution of Mary, Queen of the Scots since they considered her a threat for the queen. The strengthening of the Protestant church and the execution of Mary led to deterioration of relationship between Spain and England which eventually resulted in Anglo-Spanish War. In 1588, the Spanish Armada was defeated in the Battle of Gravelines and the Spanish fleet was subsequently decimated by storms. This was later considered one of the greatest military victories in English history. Elizabeth's reign is known as the Elizabethan era which ended by her death in 1603.
Admiral Nelson
Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy. He was noted for a number of decisive British naval victories, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. During the French Revolutionary Wars Nelson led HMS Agamemnon and significantly contributed to the capture of Corsica. In 1797, he distinguished himself while in command of HMS Captain at the Battle of Cape St Vincent when he disobeyed his orders and captured two Spanish ships (including the largest war ship at the time, Santisima Trinidad). Shortly after the battle, Nelson took part in the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where his attack was defeated and he was badly wounded, losing his right arm, and was forced to return to England to recuperate. The following year, he won a decisive victory over the French at the Battle of the Nile and remained in the Mediterranean to support the Kingdom of Naples against a French invasion. In 1801, Nelson was dispatched to the Baltic and successfully negotiated with the Danes after the battle of Copenhagen. For two years, he successfully commanded the blockade of the French and Spanish fleets at Toulon and chased them after their escape. In 1805, when Napoleon threatened to invade the England, Nelson's fleet engaged Franco-spanish fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar. The battle was one of the Britain's greatest naval victories, but during the action, Nelson was fatally wounded by a French sharpshooter.
