Greatest Britons
The BBC recently did a poll to find the 'Greatest Britons'. There were TV program about the candidates and over a million people voted. There were the top ten.
10.Oliver Cromwell
-A successful but brutal military leader. Cromwell led the British parliament and army against King Charles I and executed the king in 1649. Britain was a republic until 1659.
9.Horatio Nelson
-Defeated Napoleon in the battle of Trafalgar and died in the battle. A famous statue of Nelson stands in Trafalgar Square in London.
8.John Lennon
-Talented songwriter, peace campaigner and member of The Beatles. His music and ideas inspired millions of people. A violent fan, Mark Chapman, shot him in New York
7.Elizabeth 1
-Queen of England for forty-five years. She was extremely intelligent, determined and brave but she was also cruel(she executed her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots). In a famous speech she said: I may have the body of a weak and feeble woman but I have the heart and mind of a king. Elizabeth never married.
6.Sir Isaac Newton
One of the greatest scientists and mathenaticians in history. People the law of gravity when an apple fell on his head.
5.William Shakespeare
The greatest writer in the English language. He wrote about thirty-eight plays, including Hamlet and Macbeth, and hundreds of poems. But some people say Shakespeare didn't write the plays himself.
4.Charles Darwin
Naturalist. He developed the theory of Evolution, and in 1859 he wrote his famous work, On the Origin of Species. In his lifetime, many people were unhappy about his ideas and even now, some people do not believe them.
3.Diana Princess of Wales
Glamorous mother of Princes William and Harry. Diana was very popular in her lifetime because she was friendly and sympathetic to ordinary people, especially the sick and the poor. She died in a car crash aged just thirty-six
2.Isambard kingdom Brunel
A brilliant engineer. He designed and built many important railways, ship and brides. He was a surprising Number 2 ,as he was not very famous before the BBC program