On this day in 1066, William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, defeated King Harold Godwinson of England at the infamous Battle of Hastings.
The battle marked the last successful foreign invasion of the British Isles. It secured William's position as the new monarch and brought an end to the rule of the Anglo-Saxons.
On this day in 1521, Henry VIII received the title 'Defender of the Faith' (Fidei Defensor) for supporting Catholic principles. Within a decade, he would lead the Church of England in an unprecedented breakaway from the authority of the pope and the Catholic Church.
On this day in 1452, a figure who would play a pivotal role in England's history was born: King Richard III.
The Wars of the Roses was a decades-long conflict between two royal houses, the House of Lancaster and the House of York--symbolised by a red and white rose, respectively.