Which battle in 1066 ended with William the Conqueror defeating Harold Godwinson?

The Battle of Hastings was the 1066 battle in which William the Conqueror defeated Harold Godwinson.

The battle took place on 14 October 1066 near Hastings in southern England. William, duke of Normandy, claimed the English throne after the death of Edward the Confessor. Harold had been crowned king, but he faced competing claims from William and Harald Hardrada of Norway.

Harold defeated Hardrada at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in September, then marched south to meet William’s invading army. At Hastings, Norman cavalry and infantry fought Harold’s English army, which formed a shield wall on high ground. After a long engagement, Harold was killed, traditionally said to have been struck in the eye by an arrow, though the exact details remain uncertain.

William was crowned king of England at Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1066. The Norman Conquest transformed England’s ruling elite, landholding patterns, castle building, administration, and vocabulary. The Bayeux Tapestry provides a famous visual account of the events.