Throughout history, many important figures arose to lead nations to great conquests. This list of notable figures includes William the Conqueror who, from rather humble beginnings, became the conqueror of England. Descendants of Viking raiders, the Normans eventually settled in a region in the northern part of France. Before long, they developed their own culture and grew in power. And so, when William, then Duke of Normandy, conquered England, he became the first Norman king of England. The conquest of England proves to be of great importance, as this event will shape the future for many years to come. And so, William the Conqueror plays a role of great importance in world history as his actions brought the Normans to England. Before he became William the Conqueror, his contemporaries called him William the Bastard, emphasizing his illegitimate birth. At the time of William's birth, his father, Robert I, had not yet become Duke of Normandy; the people recognized him as the Count of Hiesmois. Additionally, people sometimes referred to Robert as Robert the Devil as rumors circulated that Robert had killed his father, Richard II. Supposedly, Robert I was descended from Rolf the Viking who had become the ruler of Neustria around 911 BC (Douglas 16). In the year 1028, Robert I succeeded his brother, Richard III, as Duke of Normandy (Freeman 13). Unfortunately for William, his father, Robert I, never married his mother, Herleva, also known as Herleve or Arlette; therefore, society recognized William as an illegitimate son and harbored prejudices against him. Even though people know little about Herleva, people believe that she was the dau... middle of paper... hired there already. Overall, William the Conqueror, formerly William the Bastard or William the Duke of Normandy, proved to be a prominent figure in world history and helped shape the flow of history to lead humanity to the present era. Works Cited Douglas, David Charles. William the Conqueror: the Norman impact on England. Berkeley: University of California P, 1964. Web. 24 February 2012. Freeman, Edward Augustus. William the Conqueror. London: Macmillan, 1907. Web. 24 February 2012. Halsall, Paul. "Laws of William the Conqueror." Medieval manual. February 1996. Web. February 24, 2012. Stenton, Frank Merry. William the Conqueror and the rule of the Normans. New York: Sons of G. P. Putnam, 1908. Web. February 24, 2012. Tilton, Rafael. Rulers of the Middle Ages. Detroit: Lucent, 2005. Print."William the Conqueror." BBC News. BBC. nd Web. 24 February. 2012.