Egbert won a battle; Alfred took control after a brother was killed in fighting; Aethelstan (kneeling, above) consolidated power when five kings were slaughtered in another battle.

Read this full story and more with a Premium Subscription. Subscribe now.

Language buff? Try to read this piece in Hawaiian.

Animal teachers? Yes, these creatures guide others, too.

Thanks for reading our newsletter! It was edited and curated by Mallory Benedict, Hannah Farrow, and David Beard. We’d love to hear from you: david.beard@natgeo.com. Keep shining!

Clicking on the Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and National Geographic Channel links will take you away from our National Geographic Partners site where different terms of use and privacy policy apply.

This email was sent to: peter.hovis@gmail.com. Please do not reply to this email as this address is not monitored.

This email contains an advertisement from:
National Geographic | 1145 17th Street, N.W. | Washington, D.C. 20036

Stop all types of future commercial email from National Geographic regarding its products, services, or experiences.

Manage all email preferences with the Walt Disney Family of Companies.

© 2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC, All rights reserved.