Alfred the Great

Alfred was the youngest son of King Æthelwulf and his first wife Osburh, both of whom died when he was young. Three older brothers reigned in turn before the throne came to him in 871. He spent his early years as king fighting Viking invasions, finally winning decisively at the Battle of Edington in 878. The victory led to an agreement that divided England between Anglo-Saxon territory and the Viking-ruled Danelaw - Scandinavian York, the north-east Midlands, and East Anglia. Alfred oversaw the conversion of the Viking leader Guthrum to Christianity, defended against further attempts at conquest, and by 886 had reoccupied London and begun styling himself "King of the Anglo-Saxons." His reputation rested not only on military success but on administrative and legal reforms, and on a rare commitment to education: he established a court school for nobles and commoners alike, taught in both English and Latin. The epithet "the Great" appeared as early as the 13th century, though it only took hold from the 16th. He died on 26 October 899.