"England expects that every man will do his duty" was a signal sent by
Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson from his ship HMS Victory
as the Battle of Trafalgar (1805) was about to commence. Trafalgar was
the decisive naval engagement of the Napoleonic Wars. It gave the
United Kingdom control of the seas, removing all possibility of a
French invasion and conquest of Britain. The phrase has become
extremely well-known in Britain as a result of Lord Nelson's fame and
the importance of the Battle of Trafalgar in British history. The
phrase is known so widely in Britain that it has entered the British
popular consciousness. Today "England expects…", as an abbreviated
version of the phrase, is often adapted for use in the media,
especially in relation to the expectations for the victory of English
sporting teams.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England_expects_that_every_man_will_do_his_duty
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1805:
Napoleonic Wars: Lord Nelson led the British fleet to victory in the
Battle of Trafalgar, defeating Pierre-Charles Villeneuve and his
combined French and Spanish navy.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Trafalgar)
1824:
English stonemason, bricklayer and inventor Joseph Aspdin patented
Portland cement.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Aspdin)
1854:
Florence Nightingale and a staff of 38 nurses were sent to the
Crimean War.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Nightingale)
1944:
World War II: HMAS Australia was hit in the first kamikaze attack; 30
crewmen were killed, including the commanding officer.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamikaze)
1945:
Argentine military officer and politician Juan Domingo Peron married
popular actress Eva Duarte, better known as Evita.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eva_Per%C3%B3n)
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Wikiquote of the day:
"Genius is one per cent inspiration, ninety-nine per cent
perspiration." -- Thomas Alva Edison"
(
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Thomas_Alva_Edison)