Who he was
The son of a Norfolk clergyman, Nelson went to sea at twelve and was a captain by twenty. He was wounded repeatedly, losing the sight of one eye at Calvi and his right arm at Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
The decisions that defined him
Nelson trusted his captains with his intentions rather than rigid orders, and expected them to act on their own judgement once battle began. At the Nile in 1798 his ships attacked a French fleet at anchor from both sides. At Copenhagen in 1801 he famously ignored a signal to break off.
How it ended
At Trafalgar he wore his decorations on deck, making him easy to spot. He was shot by a marksman and died below decks after hearing the battle was won.