Great English dates: 1066

It's the most famous date in English history – the year of a bloody struggle for the crown that ended in William the Conqueror's victory at the Battle of Hastings

The year 1066 is the most celebrated in English history. To every schoolboy it was war between a Saxon hero, Harold, and a French villain, William of Normandy. In reality, both were of Viking descent and neither had a strong claim to the English throne. On hearing of Edward the Confessor's death and Harold's coronation, a furious...