The 1588 Spanish Armada was a fleet of 132 ships assembled by King Philip II of Spain (r. 1556-1598) to invade England, his 'Enterprise of England'. The Royal Navy of Elizabeth I of England (r. 1558-1603) met the Armada in the English Channel and, thanks to superior manoeuvrability, better firepower, and bad weather, the Spanish were defeated.
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Definition
Timeline
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1556 - 1598Reign of Philip II of Spain.
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1558 - 1603Reign of Elizabeth I of England.
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Jan 1559Elizabeth I of England rejects the marriage proposal of Philip II of Spain.
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Feb 1570The Pope excommunicates Elizabeth I of England.
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8 Feb 1587Mary, Queen of Scots, guilty of plotting against Elizabeth I of England, is executed.
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Apr 1587Sir Francis Drake attacks Cadiz.
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30 May 1588The Spanish Armada of Philip II of Spain leaves Lisbon.
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Jul 1588 - Aug 1588The Spanish Armada of Philip II of Spain is defeated in its attempt to invade England.
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19 Jul 1588The Spanish Armada of Philip II of Spain is sighted off the coast of Cornwall.
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20 Jul 1588The English fleet sails from its homeport of Plymouth to engage the Spanish Armada of Philip II of Spain.
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27 Jul 1588The Spanish Armada of Philip II of Spain retreats to find anchorage off Calais.
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28 Jul 1588Francis Drake sends fireships into the Spanish Armada of Philip II of Spain.
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29 Jul 1588The English fleet attacks the Spanish Armada of Philip II of Spain at the Battle of Gravelines, forcing the Spanish to retreat homewards via the Scottish coast.
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9 Aug 1588Elizabeth I of England visits her land army at Tilbury which was assembled to repel the invasion of the Spanish Armada of Philip II of Spain.
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25 Oct 1596The fleet of eighty-one ships of the Second Spanish Armada sets sail from Lisbon for Ireland on a mission to support Irish rebels against the English during the Anglo-Spanish War. The fleet was caught in a storm off Cape Finistere, sinking over half the ships, and only forty survived to return to port.
