MAIN EVENTS IN THE HISTORY OF THE H.M.S. Victory
1759 - 23rd july laid down, chatham dockyard
1765 - 7th may, launched
1765 - 1778 - in ordinary, chatham
1778 - portsmouth, flag of admiral keppel, channel action with d'orvilliers off ushant
1779 - flag of vice-admiral sir charles hardy
1780 - flag of admiral sir francis geary, flag of rear-admiral francis drake. coppered for the first time in portsmouth
1781 - flag of vice-admiral sir hyde-parker, flag of rear-admiral kempenfelt, capture of french convoy of ushant
1782 - flag of lord howe, present at the sinking of the royal george, the boats of h.m.s. victory saving the majority of the survivors, relief of gilbraltar.
1783 - paid off in portsmouth
1790 - flag of lord howe, flag of lord hood
1791 - paid off, in ordinary
1791 - 1793 - flag of lord hood, mediterranean, reduction of toulon
1794 - corsica, capture of bastia and calvi
1795 - flag of rear-admiral man, action off hyeres, flag of vice admiral linzec, flag of admiral sir john jervis
1797 - battle of st. vincent, driven from her anchors during a storm in lagos bay and nearly lost, blockade of cadiz, boat actions, paid off at chatham: name struck off navy list
1798 - 1799 - HOSPITAL SHIP FOR PRISONERS OF WAR
1800 - 1802 - LARGE REFIT, STERN GALLERIES REMOVED AND HER STERN MADE FLAT
1803 - 1805 - FLAG OF LORD NELSON, MEDITERRANEAN, BLOCKADE OF TOULON, CHASE OF VILLENEUVE TO WEST INDIES AND BACK, BLOCKADE OF CADIZ, BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR
1806 - PAID OFF AT CHATHAM, LARGE REFIT IN THE DOCK IN WHICH SHE WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT
1808 - FLAG OF ADMIRAL SIR JAMES SAUMAREZ, OPERATIONS IN THE BALTIC
1809 - SPAIN, BROUGHT HOME PART OF SIR JOHN MOORE'S ARMY FROM CORUNNA, RETURNED TO BALTIC, BLOCKADE OF CRONSTADT
1811 - FLAG OF REAR-ADMIRAL SIR JOSEPH YORKE, TOOK REINFORCEMENTS TO LISBON FOR SIR ARTHUR WELLESLEY, RETURNED TO BALTIC, FLAG OF SIR JAMES SAUMAREZ, BOAT ACTIONS
1812 - 18TH DECEMBER, PAID OFF AT PORTSMOUTH
1813 - 1816 - REBUILT, DURING THIS PERIOD THE BRASS TABLET 'HERE NELSON FELL' WAS FIRST LET into the quarterdeck
1816 - 1824 - in ordinary
1824 - 1869 - flag of port admiral, portsmouth
1869 - 1888 - tender to h.m.s. duke of wellington
1888 - refit
1889 to present day - flag of commander in chief
1903 - rammed by h.m.s. neptune, neptune's ram bow pierced the ships side at the spot where nelson died, the ship was docked to prevent sinking, after repairs it was moored at usual buoys
1905 - saluting ship, sunset gun custom was carried out by victory, up to 1906 "in company" with st. vincent as training ship for boys
1922 - berthed in no.2 dock. "save the victory" fund launched for her restoration to (and her preservation in) her trafalgar condition
1928 - restoration completed. inspected by his majesty king george v
1940 - ship damaged by german bomb
1945 - victory floodlit for v.j. day
1946 - personal standard of h.r.h. princess elizabeth broken at the main. commander-in-chief and senior officers of the portsmouth command
1971 - major repairs to the stern commenced
1973 - royal standard worn on the occasion of h.m. the queen's visit to the ship. her majesty lunched in the great cabin.