Where does turn a blind eye come from?

The phrase "turn a blind eye" is believed to have originated from a story involving British naval officer Admiral Horatio Nelson. During a battle in 1801, he supposedly raised his telescope to his blind eye to avoid seeing a signal from his superior to disengage, thus choosing to continue fighting. The expression has since evolved to describe the act of ignoring or overlooking something, particularly wrongdoing or an unpleasant situation.