9. Admiral Nelson
1758 – 1805
Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife was a bitter event for then Rear-Admiral Horatio Nelson. Not only had he lost the battle, but an arm as well. He was wounded and his right arm had to be amputated. Next year, during the famous Battle of the Nile, he lost an eye when a French musket ball hit him. This time however, Nelson won the battle and ended Napoleon’s Egypt adventure. The lack of an arm and an eye didn’t stop him from battling the navies of France and her allies for the next 7 years, until that faithful morning of October 21st, 1805 and Battle of Trafalgar. A French sharpshooter ended the life of Britain’s most successful admiral. Before he died, he was told the news of his victory, the one that allowed Britain to rule the waves for the next 140 years.
