King Alfred was the virtuous ruler of the Anglo-Saxons from 871-899. Benevolently, he reigned over his people for 28 years, but even more amazingly, he was only 21 years old when he was crowned king. The young leader is actually the only English monarch ever to be known as “the Great.” He is remembered for valiantly and tenaciously fighting the Vikings who had invaded England. These bloodthirsty conquerors had caused the English people to flee, but when Alfred became king, he withstood their attacks and drove them out of England. After this, Alfred converted these violent pagan people to Christianity, too ? quite an amazing feat. Not only was he a fearless fighter, but he also wanted his citizens to have a better education. The mighty monarch established schools and monasteries and worked to improve his kingdom for all. Some historians have said that he was “the most perfect character in history” and I agree.