Vale of White Horse being removed to show the white chalky soil beneath. This figure gives name to the hill, the range and the Vale. It is 114 m (374 ft) long and highly stylised, the neck, body and tail varying little in width. The origin of the figure is unknown. Tradition asserted it to be the monument of a victory over the Danes by King Alfred, who was born at Wantage, but the site of the Battle of Ashdown (871 CE), has been variously located. Moreover, the figure has been dated to the Bronze Age, so it pre-dates the battle by many centuries.
Battle of Khotyn (1673) Battle of Khotyn (1673) The Battle of Khotyn or Battle of Chocim or Hotin War was a battle held on 11 November 1673, where Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth forces under hetman John Sobieski defeated Ottoman Empire forces under Hussain Pasha. It reversed the fortunes of the previous year, when Commonwealth weakness led to the signing of the Treaty of Buchach, and allowed John Sobieski to win the upcoming royal election and become the king of Poland. Polish-Lithuanian forces and Wallachian regiments were 30 thousand strong. The Turks commanded 35 thousand troops and 120 guns. In this battle rockets of Kazimierz Siemienowicz were