220 years ago today, on October 21, 1805 (August 29, 1805 in the lunar calendar), British naval general Horatio Nelson passed away. Horatio Nelson (1758.9.29-1805.10.21) 1st Viscount Nelson, KB (Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st ViscountNelson, September 29, 1758-October 21, 1805), a famous British naval general and strategist in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, led the Royal Navy to win in major battles such as the Battle of the Nile in 1798 and the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801. He defeated the combined French and Spanish fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, but himself was shot and killed during the battle. Nelson was born in a well-to-do family in Norfolk. He joined the Navy in 1771 through his uncle's connections. He was quickly recognized in the military and was promoted many times. In 1779, he became captain of a warship for the first time. However, after the end of the American War of Independence, he once got into official trouble in the West Indies. After returning to China, he was idle at home. It was not until the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789 that Britain and France became increasingly hostile that he was re-employed in 1793 and sent to serve in the Mediterranean. Nelson participated in several small battles near Toulon and helped the British capture of Corsica, but lost his right eye during this period. Later, in the Battle of St. Vincent in 1797, he led his troops to board two enemy warships to launch a fierce battle, making him famous. Shortly after the Battle of St. Vincent, Nelson lost his right arm during another military operation in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canary Islands and was forced to return to England to recuperate. He returned the following year in 1798 and led the British army to defeat the French Navy at the Battle of the Nile. After that, he continued to stay in the Mediterranean to assist Naples in resisting the French invasion, but was recalled to the country in 1800. In 1801, Nelson was re-employed, traveled to the Baltic Sea and defeated the Danish Navy at the Battle of Copenhagen. After that, he was sent to the Mediterranean Sea to prevent Toulon's French fleet from leaving the Mediterranean Sea, but it was unsuccessful. The two sides launched a pursuit in the Atlantic and Caribbean Sea, and finally the French fleet successfully escaped. After returning to his country to rest for a while, Nelson attacked again in September 1805 to intercept the Franco-Spanish Joint Fleet in Cadiz, and the Battle of Trafalgar broke out on October 21. Nelson achieved one of the most important victories in British naval history in the war. However, he himself was shot and killed, and his body was transported back to England and buried in St. Paul's Cathedral. Although Nelson's romantic life with Sir Hamilton's Lady Emma attracted a lot of gossip during his lifetime and became the focus of public opinion. However, since his death, Nelson has been widely regarded by the Chinese people as a great military figure. His heroic character began to be promoted in the mid-19th century, making him one of the symbols of the British Empire and its maritime hegemony before World War I. Even in modern times, Nelson still enjoys a high status in the eyes of many British people. Today, Trafalgar Square in Westminster, London was built in 1843 in memory of Nelson. Comments: The British Admiral is known as the "Soul of the Royal Navy".