If events had gone slightly differently in the 16th century war between Britain and France, we might all well be speaking Spanish right now. The bulk of Spain’s military might —  an “Invincible Armada” consisting 20,000 soldiers and 10,000 more support personnel, arrayed over 130 ships with 2,500 cannons set sail to conquer, or at least punish Protestant England from Catholic Spain. Such a large movement was hard to keep secret, and the British knew about the advance long before they entered the Channel.

On this day, July 21, in 1588, the first salvos were fired by longer-range British cannons at the approaching Spanish Armada. Later, as the Spanish fleet was docked in Calais, France, the British sent small “hell-burner” boats set on fire to ram the Spanish ships, which were loaded with highly explosive ammunition.

The hell-burner night attack created mass confusion in the Spanish lines, which gave Britain all the advantage they needed. As the Spanish haphazardly sailed out of the harbor, they were picked off by  coordinated British cannon fire. Seeing further attacks on the English coast impossible, Spain had no choice but to turn back. Pursuing British fire and storms along the way further thinned out their ranks, and only half of the ships that left Spain in May ever returned.