Louis XIV Freed Henry Winstanley

In 1697, English engineer Henry Winstanley was captured by a French privateer while he was constructing the first Eddystone Lighthouse off the coast of England. When the news reached King Louis XIV of France, he ordered Winstanley released, declaring, "France is at war with England, not with humanity." Winstanley returned to finish building the offshore lighthouse. Later, when the Great Storm of 1703 destroyed the lighthouse, he died inside the structure.

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