Appearance
Battle of Trafalgar
21 October 1805, off Cape Trafalgar, Spain. Royal Navy under Horatio Nelson defeated the combined French and Spanish fleet. The battle ended Napoleon's planned invasion of Britain and established British naval supremacy for more than a century.
Course
Nelson broke the enemy line in two columns. British casualties were about 1,500. Franco-Spanish losses were roughly 14,000, including 7,000-8,000 captured and 17 ships of the line lost.
Aftermath
Nelson was mortally wounded aboard HMS Victory. Pierre-Charles Villeneuve surrendered. For Britain, Trafalgar made sea control durable for decades. For Spain, the defeat hastened imperial decline.