The Battle of Hastings

In 1066 William, Duke of Normandy, invaded England with an army to claim the crown he believed was rightfully his. The English king, Harold Godwinson, had defeated the Vikings in the north, near York, when he heard of the invasion, and together with his army moved south towards the Normans by an astonishing distance of about 200 miles (320 km). When he arrived, it was clear that the Norman army, with its many archers and cavalry, was a serious threat. Although they remained strong, the English were eventually defeated, and England was forever altered; the aristocracy became French-speaking, and the language was influenced significantly.