ONE of the most famous naval battles in history took place off the southwest coast of Spain, just west of Cape Trafalgar, on Oct. 21, 1805. A fleet of 27 English ships, under the command of Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, destroyed a combined French-Spanish fleet of 33 ships.

It was a pivotal moment in the Napoleonic wars that helped seal Napoleon's eventual downfall and put an end to his ambitious plan to invade Britain and conquer his main adversary.

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