960 years ago today
Battle of Hastings — The Norman Conquest of England
On October 14, 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, defeated the English King Harold II at the Battle of Hastings in one of the most consequential battles in British history. Harold was killed — tradition holds by an arrow through the eye, though the exact manner of his death is disputed — and his forces routed. William marched on London and was crowned King of England on Christmas Day. The Norman Conquest transformed England utterly: French became the language of the court and law, Norman nobles replaced the Anglo-Saxon aristocracy, and the feudal system was imposed with a thoroughness that shaped English society for centuries. Modern English is the direct result of the Norman-Anglo-Saxon cultural collision that Hastings made inevitable.
On the record: William the Conqueror
This day, across time
- 1066FeaturedBattle of Hastings — The Norman Conquest of England
- 1066EventHarold II Killed at Hastings — Last Anglo-Saxon King
- 1774EventFirst Continental Congress Adjourns
- 1890BornDwight D. Eisenhower
- 1894Borne. e. cummings
- 1927BornRoger Moore
- 1944DiedErwin Rommel
- 1947EventChuck Yeager Breaks the Sound Barrier
- 1962EventU-2 Spy Plane Photographs Soviet Missiles in Cuba
- 1964EventMartin Luther King Jr Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
- 1978BornUsher
- 1994EventYasser Arafat, Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres Awarded Nobel Peace Prize
Alive in 1066
OverlapSame years; not influence
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Al-GhazaliDates approximate
On This Day in History
6 EventsHarold II Killed at Hastings — Last Anglo-Saxon King
Harold Godwinson, King of England, was killed at the Battle of Hastings — the last Anglo-Saxon king to rule England. His death within hours of the battle's opening left England leaderless and opened the way for William of Normandy's coronation.
First Continental Congress Adjourns
The First Continental Congress adjourned after seven weeks of deliberation, having agreed to boycott British goods and petition the Crown for redress of grievances. It was the first concerted act of colonial unity and set the stage for the Second Continental Congress — and eventually independence.
Chuck Yeager Breaks the Sound Barrier
US Air Force test pilot Captain Charles "Chuck" Yeager became the first human being to fly faster than the speed of sound, piloting the experimental Bell X-1 to Mach 1.06 over the Mojave Desert at 45,000 feet. He had broken two ribs falling from a horse two days before and told almost no one.
U-2 Spy Plane Photographs Soviet Missiles in Cuba
A CIA U-2 reconnaissance aircraft photographed Soviet nuclear missile installations under construction in Cuba, delivering the intelligence that triggered the Cuban Missile Crisis. President Kennedy was briefed on the photographs on October 16, beginning thirteen days of the most dangerous standoff of the Cold War.
Martin Luther King Jr Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
At 35 years old, Martin Luther King Jr became the youngest person ever to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, awarded for his non-violent leadership of the American civil rights movement. He donated the entire prize money — $54,000 — to the movement.
Yasser Arafat, Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres Awarded Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize was jointly awarded to PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat and Israeli leaders Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres for their roles in the Oslo Accords — the first framework agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, signed the previous year.
Born on This Day
Dwight D. Eisenhower
American General & 34th President
As Supreme Commander of Allied forces in Europe, Eisenhower planned and executed the D-Day landings and drove the campaign that defeated Nazi Germany. As President from 1953 to 1961, he oversaw a period of sustained prosperity, ended the Korean War, and warned in his farewell address of the growing "military-industrial complex."
e. e. cummings
American Poet
One of the most innovative American poets of the 20th century, cummings — who styled his name in lower case — used radical typography, unconventional punctuation, and playful syntax to create work that was simultaneously avant-garde and deeply lyrical. His love poems remain among the most accessible in modernist literature.
Roger Moore
English Actor
Moore played James Bond seven times between 1973 and 1985 — the most appearances by any actor in the role — bringing an urbane wit and raised eyebrow to a character Ian Fleming had conceived as rather more ruthless. In later life he became a devoted UNICEF ambassador, a cause he pursued with as much energy as any film role.
Usher
American Singer & Entertainer
One of the best-selling music artists of all time, Usher's 2004 album "Confessions" sold over 20 million copies worldwide and produced four number-one singles — among the most successful R&B records ever made. His precision dancing and vocal range made him the defining male R&B performer of his generation.
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Harold II
King of England
The last Anglo-Saxon King of England, Harold reigned for less than a year — defeating a Norwegian invasion at Stamford Bridge before rushing south to face William at Hastings, where he was killed. With his death ended a 600-year Anglo-Saxon tradition of English kingship, and a fundamentally different England was born.
Erwin Rommel
German Field Marshal
The "Desert Fox" was the most celebrated German commander of World War II, his North Africa campaign against the Allies studied in military academies worldwide. Implicated in the July 20 plot to assassinate Hitler, Rommel was given the choice of a show trial or suicide by poison. He chose suicide to protect his family from reprisal.
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