Year: 1066
Figure: William I, also known as William the Conqueror
Contribution: First King of England
After the death of the previous king, Edward the Confessor, there was a nasty bit of business as three men scrambled to achieve the English throne. William of Normandy became the victor on October 14, 1066 at the Battle of Hastings, when his nemesis, Harold Goodwin, and his two brothers were killed. With no other heir William was crowned on Christmas Day, and is considered to be the first English king of 42, to date.
He faced many uprisings in the coming years, but as he constantly defeated his opponents he eventually claimed all of England for the Normans. To keep track of his new kingdom he created a census called The Doomsday Book and with his Norman influence added a plethora of French words to the English vocabulary.
You could say he's important.
Information Credit: A+E Television Networks, LLC.
