Alfred the Great

Alfred (also Ælfred from the Old English) (849? – 26 October 899) was king of the southern Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex from 871 to 899. Alfred is known for his readiness to make the kingdom strong against it's foes, mostly the Danish Vikings, becoming the only English King to be known by the highname 'the Great' (although not English, Canute the Great was another King of England given this name by the Danes. Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to name himself 'King of the Anglo-Saxons'. A fuller tale of his life is found in a work by the Welsh man of learning, Asser. A learned man, Alfred fostered learning and knowledge and made better the kingdom's law framework.

In 2002, he was named fourteenth in the 100 Greatest Britons poll.