1. The Spanish Armada was sent by the king of Spain to invade England in 1588.

2. The Spanish Armada was sent to attack England in 1588.

3. The Spanish Armada sailed to England in 1588.

4. The ships of the Spanish Armada took to sea in 1588.

5. In 1588, the English soundly defeated the Spanish Armada in the Battle of Gravelines.

6. Spanish Armada: Great fleet sent by Philip II of Spain in 1588 to invade England in conjunction with a Spanish army from Flanders.

7. The destruction of the Spanish Armada showed England's superiority as a naval power.

8. As he noted in his autobiography, he was "born a twin of fear" because his mother went into premature labor out of fear that the Spanish Armada was about to attack England.

9. In blackmailing a groom to the chamber of the pope, Walsingham gained access to a letter from King Philip II of Spain detailing the entire battle-plan of the gathering Spanish Armada.

10. Plymouth Hoe is renowned as the site where Drake played bowls before tackling the Spanish Armada.

11. Queen Elizabeth I built a navy strong enough to fight off the Spanish armada in 1588.