Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson


![Captain Horatio Nelson, painted by John Francis Rigaud in 1781, with Fort San Juan—the scene of his most notable achievement to date—in the background. The painting itself was begun and nearly finished prior to the battle, when Nelson held the rank of lieutenant; when Nelson returned, the artist added the new captain's gold-braided sleeves.[11]](/uploads/202501/18/Young_Nelson0935.jpg)

Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté KB (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy. He was noted for his inspirational leadership, superb grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics, all of which resulted in a number of decisive naval victories, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars (1797–1815). He was significantly wounded several times in combat, losing the sight of his right eye during the campaign in Corsica in 1793 and later the amputation of his right arm in the unsuccessful attempt to conquer Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Atlantic's Canary Islands off northwest Africa in 1797. He was shot and killed during his final pivotal victory at the naval Battle of Trafalgar against the combined Napoleonic French and Royal Spanish fleets off the southwest coast of Spain in 1805.