Trafalgar Day
October 21 · Level 8 · #461 of 2238
Trafalgar Day commemorates the British fleet's victory over the combined French and Spanish fleets in 1805. Closely associated with Royal Navy traditions, it also remembers Admiral Horatio Nelson, who died during the battle he helped win.
How it is celebrated: naval communities hold commemorative ceremonies and formal Trafalgar dinners. Wreaths are laid at memorials, while maritime museums explore the battle and the experiences of sailors aboard the great sailing warships.
Nelson's flagship, HMS Victory, survives in Portsmouth. Visitors can encounter the actual vessel from which he commanded the fleet during his final battle, rather than a modern reconstruction.