Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, was a British admiral and naval hero who died at age 49 on 13 October 1805. He was born Horatio Nelson in the village of Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk, England on 30 August 1758, the son of Charles Nelson and Elizabeth Foley. He entered the Royal Navy on his sixteenth birthday and served first on HMS Ganges and then HMS Victory. During the American War of Independence he took part in several notable battles and became famous as one of Britain's greatest naval heroes
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At the Battle of Cape St Vincent in 1797, he saved his flag by guiding his flagship through a Spanish fleet which had been surprised by a powerful French force. In 1798, Nelson captured the French ship-of-the-line Ça Ira as it was bombarding Genoa. Nelson went on to capture many more French ships before returning home to become First Lord of the Admiralty.
Angered by news that France had resumed hostilities against Britain, he sailed out to sea with a powerful fleet, intent upon intercepting his old foe. This action earned him a promotion to Admiral of the Blue and a second victory at Copenhagen in 1801. The following year, however, his fleet was annihilated by superior French forces at Trafalgar in one of history's most decisive battles.
In 1805 Nelson was mortally wounded during an engagement with French forces off Cape Trafalgar and died shortly afterwards during treatment aboard HMS Victory at Merton Abbey or Merton College Hall, Oxfordshire or Merton Priory, Surrey.