1066 - On 14 October 1066 the armies of William, the Duke of Normandy, and the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson clashed near Hastings, in one of the most famous battles in history and one that would decide the fate of the English throne.
Unusually Hastings lasted all day, in a long attritional conflict which was only ended by groups of Anglo-Saxon warriors breaking discipline and charging from out of their shield wall. They were surrounded and cut off, before finally being cut down. The Normans were victorious.