Trafalgar Day

Trafalgar Day

October 21

This is the anniversary of the famous naval battle fought by the British off Cape Trafalgar, Spain, in 1805. The British navy, under the command of Viscount Horatio Nelson (1758-1805), defeated the combined French and Spanish fleets, thus eliminating the threat of Napoleon's invasion of England. The victory that cost Lord Nelson his life was commemorated by the column erected in his honor in London's Trafalgar Square. Ceremonies on Trafalgar Day, or Nelson Day, include a naval parade from London's Mall to Trafalgar Square, where a brief service is held and wreaths are placed at the foot of Nelson's Column.

CONTACTS:
Official Nelson Commemorations Committee, National Maritime Museum
Park Row
Greenwich
London, SE10 9NF United Kingdom
44-20-8312-6637; fax: 44-20-8312-6722, 44-20-8312-6646
www.nmm.ac.uk
Royal Naval Museum
HM Naval Base (PP66)
Portsmouth, Hampshire PO1 3NH United Kingdom
44-23-9272-7562; fax: 44-23-9272-7575
www.royalnavalmuseum.org

SOURCES:
AnnivHol-2000, p. 175
DictDays-1988, p. 121

Celebration day: Oct 21