British Heritage

Science

Stephen Hawking - Cosmologist

***TOO LONG*** Stephen William Hawking CH CBE FRS FRSA was an English theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author who, at the time of his death, was director of research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at the University of Cambridge. Hawking was the first to set out a theory of cosmolo...

Isaac Newton - Classical Mechanics

Isaac Newton and his Contribution to British Heritage.

Francis Bacon - 1600's Father of Science

***TOO LONG*** Sir Francis Bacon was the father of empiricism and the scientific method. An English philosopher and statesman in the reign of Elizabeth 1st, he developing the scientific method through his impressive and prolific body of works. The former child prodigy achieved distinction as an MP, a liberal lawyer, patron of libraries, and after Elizabeth's death in 1603, and under James 1st he eventually served as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England in 1618, before his fall from grace in 1621.

Charles Darwin - Evolutionary Biologist

His Contribution to British Heritage.

Alan Turing - Father of Artificial Intelligence

Father of Artificial Intelligence and British Heritage.

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Music

Music - Singers, Soloists Music Groups Classical and Opera Classical Music Composers

The Beatles 1960-1969 - britishheritage.org

The Beatles 1960-1969

***TOO LONG*** The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. With a line-up comprising John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they are regarded as the most influential band of all time. They were integral to the development of 1960s counter-culture and...

Queen 1970-

***TOO LONG*** Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1970. Their classic line-up was the late and great Freddie Mercury (lead vocals, piano), Brian May (guitar, vocals), Roger Taylor (drums, vocals) and John Deacon (bass). Their earliest works were influenced by progressive rock, hard rock and heavy metal, but the band gradually ventured into more conventional and radio-friendly works by incorporating further styles, such as arena rock and pop rock.

Pink Floyd 1964-2005

***TOO LONG***Pink Floyd were an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic groups, they were distinguished for their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philosophical lyrics and elaborate live shows. They became a leading band of the progressive rock genre, cited by some as the greatest progressive rock band of all time. After a hiatus of 24 years, Waters, Gilmour, Mason and Wright performed together as Pink Floyd at Live 8 in Hyde Park, London on 2 July 2005, their last concert ever.

Elton John 1947-

***TOO LONG*** Sir Elton Hercules John CH CBE (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is an English singer, pianist and composer, with a career spanning six decades. Collaborating with lyricist Bernie Taupin since 1967 on more than 30 albums, John has sold over 300 million records, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1998; in 2019, French President Emmanuel Macron gave him France's highest civilian award, the Legion d'Honneur, for his "melodic genius" and his work on behalf of the LGBT community.

John Lennon 1940-1980

***This prompt may violate our content policy.*** John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as the founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon was characterised by the rebellious nature and acerbic wit in his music, writing and drawings, on film, and in interviews. His songwriting partnership with Paul McCartney remains the most successful in history.

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Musicals

The Phantom of the Opera - britishheritage.org

The Phantom of the Opera

***TOO LONG***The Phantom of the Opera (1986) is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber (who co-wrote the libretto alongside Richard Stilgoe) and lyrics by Charles Hart. It is based on the 1910 eponymous French novel by Gaston Leroux. It is the second longest-running West End musical, after...

Cats

***TOO LONG***Cats is a sung-through musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the 1939 poetry collection Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot. It tells the story of a tribe of cats called the Jellicles and the night they make the "Jellicle choice" by deciding which cat will ascend to the Heaviside layer and come back to a new life. As of 2022, Cats remains the fourth-longest-running Broadway show and the sixth-longest-running West End show.

Evita

***TOO LONG***Evita has music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. It concentrates on the life of Argentine political leader Eva Perón, the second wife of Argentine president Juan Perón. The story follows Evita's early life, rise to power, charity work, and death. Evita began as a 1976 concept for a rock opera album, which led to productions in London's West End in 1978, and on Broadway a year later, winning Best Musical awards in both countries.

Mary Poppins

***This prompt may violate our content policy.*** Mary Poppins is a musical with music and lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman (the Sherman Brothers) , and a script by Julian Fellowes. The action centres around the arrival of the new nanny Mary Poppins to bring order and chaos to a malfunctioning family in Edwardian London, using her considerable charm, muted magic, and a spoonful of sugar. The musical is based on the similarly titled Mary Poppins children's books by P. L. Travers and the classic 1964 Disney film.

My Fair Lady

Contribution of "My Fair Lady" to British Heritage.

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Inventors and Inventions

Philosophers

Francis Bacon - 1600's Father of Science

***TOO LONG*** Sir Francis Bacon was the father of empiricism and the scientific method. An English philosopher and statesman in the reign of Elizabeth 1st, he developing the scientific method through his impressive and prolific body of works. The former child prodigy achieved distinction as an M...

John Locke - The "Father of Liberalism" c.1700

A Pillar of British Intellectual Heritage and the Progenitor of Liberal Thought.

David Hume - Scottish Enlightenment Empiricist 1740s

Scottish Enlightenment Empiricist and his Contribution to British Heritage.

John Stuart Mill - Classic Liberalist of the Nineteenth Century

***TOO LONG*** John Stuart Mill (1806–1873) was an English philosopher, political economist, Member of Parliament (MP) and civil servant. One of the most influential thinkers in the history of classical liberalism, he contributed widely to social theory, political theory, and political economy. Dubbed "the most influential English-speaking philosopher of the nineteenth century", he conceived of liberty as justifying the freedom of the individual in opposition to unlimited state and social control. He was the second MP to call for women's suffrage after Henry Hunt in 1832.

Karl Marx - Critic of the System, 1800s

Critic of the System and His Contribution to British Heritage.

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Economists

Adam Smith - The Father of Economics, 1700s

***TOO LONG*** Adam Smith was an 18th-century economist, philosopher, and author who is considered the father of modern economics. Smith is most famous for his 1776 book, The Wealth of Nations. He is also known for creating the concept of gross domestic product (GDP), for his theory of compensati...

John Stuart Mill - Classic Liberalist of the Nineteenth Century

***TOO LONG*** John Stuart Mill (1806–1873) was an English philosopher, political economist, Member of Parliament (MP) and civil servant. One of the most influential thinkers in the history of classical liberalism, he contributed widely to social theory, political theory, and political economy. Dubbed "the most influential English-speaking philosopher of the nineteenth century", he conceived of liberty as justifying the freedom of the individual in opposition to unlimited state and social control. He was the second MP to call for women's suffrage after Henry Hunt in 1832.

John Hicks - Value and Capital, 1939

The Imprint of Sir John Hicks on British Heritage.

Karl Marx - Critic of the System, 1800s

Critic of the System and His Contribution to British Heritage.

Thomas Mun "Export more than you Import" 1620

Contribution of Thomas Mun to British Heritage.

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Film, TV, Theatre - Actors and Originators

Actors Directors Producers Theatre Writers

Sean Connery - The Best Bond Ever - britishheritage.org

Sean Connery - The Best Bond Ever

***TOO LONG*** Sir Sean Connery (1930–2020) was a Scottish actor who played the leading man in blockbuster films for 40 years. He was the first actor to portray British secret agent James Bond, starring in seven Bond films between 1962 and 1983. He is regarded by many die-hard fans as "The Best B...

Sir John Gielgud - "the best Hamlet of our time"

A Theatrical Titan of British Heritage.

Alfred Hitchcock - The Master of Suspense

***TOO LONG***Sir Alfred Hitchcock (1899–1980) was an English filmmaker and one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 feature films, many of which are still widely watched and studied today. Known as the "Master of Suspense", he became as well known as any of his actors thanks to his many interviews, his cameo roles, and his hosting the television anthology Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955–65). His films garnered 46 Academy Award nominations, including six wins, although he never won the award for Best Director despite five nominations.

Stephen Fry - The Oscar Wilde Of Our Time

***TOO LONG***Stephen Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director and writer. He first came to prominence in the 1980s as one half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring in A Bit of Fry & Laurie (1989–1995) and Jeeves and Wooster (1990–1993). He also starred in the sketch series Alfresco (1983–1984) again alongside Lawrie, and in Blackadder (1986–1989) alongside Rowan Atkinson. His acting roles include playing his idol Oscar Wilde in the film Wilde (1997). One would hope the casting director received no fees for assigning Fry to the lead role: there is no one since Wilde who could have played him so well.

Laurence Olivier - The Leading King Lear

***TOO LONG***Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM (1907–1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the mid-20th century. He also worked in cinema, making more than fifty films, and late in his career had considerable success in television roles. His honours included a knighthood (1947), a life peerage (1970) and the Order of Merit (1981). For his on-screen work he received four Oscars, two BAFTAs, five Emmys , and three Golden Globes. Macbeth, Antony, Hamlet, Henry V, Richard III, King Lear: he was simply Shakespearean Royalty.

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Literature

George Orwell - In 1949 he wrote "1984" - britishheritage.org

George Orwell - In 1949 he wrote "1984"

***TOO LONG*** Under his pen name "George Orwell", Eric Arthur Blair (1903 –1950), was an English novelist, essayist, journalist and critic. Best known known for the allegorical Animal Farm (1945) and the dystopian Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949), his work remains influential in popular and politic...

Charles Dickens - The Novelist of the People

***TOO LONG*** Charles Dickens (1812–1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created many of the world's best-known fictional characters and was the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime and, by the 20th century, critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius. Dickens built strong plots and populated them with real characters, but woven into his story-telling were powerful messages about the poverty, disparity and cruelty of Victorian society. His story-telling came from the heart: at age 12 he'd been forced into menial labour when his father was slung into debtor's prison. His brutal childhood experiences coloured the narratives of the rest of his life, and found support in the highest places. Karl Marx asserted that Dickens "issued to the world more political and social truths than have been uttered by all the professional politicians, publicists and moralists put together". George Bernard Shaw remarked that Great Expectations was more seditious than Marx's Das Kapital.

Agatha Christie - Best-Selling Writer of All Time

***This prompt may violate our content policy.***Dame Agatha Christie (1890 –`1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End since 1952, as well as six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.

John le Carré - The Greatest Spy Novelist, by Profession

Contribution to British Heritage.

JK Rowling - the World's Highest-Paid Author

***TOO LONG*** JK Rowling (born 31 July 1965), is a British author, philanthropist, film producer, and screenwriter. She wrote the Harry Potter books, the best-selling children's series in history, which have won multiple awards, sold more than 500 million copies, and are the basis of a popular film series. At the University of Exeter she was an average student, described by biographers as prioritising her social life over academics, and lacking in ambition and enthusiasm. Rowling herself recalls doing little work there, preferring to read Dickens and Tolkien. Twelve publishers rejected the first Harry Potter manuscript, until eventually the Head of Bloomsbury Publishing decided to go ahead with it after his eight-year-old daughter finished one chapter and wanted to keep reading. In 2004, Forbes stated she was "the first billion-dollar author", but in 2012 accepted she might no longer be a billionaire due to her charitable donations and high UK taxes. She is still, however, the world's highest-ranked paid author.

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Charities

The Royal Foundation - britishheritage.org

The Royal Foundation

Preserving British Heritage Through Philanthropy and Civic Leadership.

The Prince's Trust

Contribution of The Prince's Trust to British Heritage.

Oxfam

Oxfam is a British founded confederation of 21 independent charitable organizations focusing on the alleviation of global poverty, founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International.

Centrepoint

A Pillar of British Heritage and Champion for Youth Empowerment.

British Academy of Film and Television Arts

Contribution of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to British Heritage.

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Sport

Football Rugby Cricket Athletics Rowing Cycling Tennis Boxing Motor Racing Tennis Golf Speciality Sports

Playwrights

William Shakespeare - The World's Greatest Dramatist - britishheritage.org

William Shakespeare - The World's Greatest Dramatist

***TOO LONG***William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor, the greatest writer in the English language, and the world's greatest dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". His extant works, including collaborations, consist of some ...

George Bernard Shaw - Man and Superman

***TOO LONG***George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950), was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 1880s to his death and beyond. He wrote more than sixty plays, including major works such as Man and Superman (1902), Pygmalion (1912) and Saint Joan (1923). With a range incorporating both contemporary satire and historical allegory, Shaw became the leading dramatist of his generation, and is regarded as the second greatest playwright of all time, after Shakespear (sic). He was awarded in 1925 the Nobel Prize in Literature and then uniquely in 1939 an Oscar for Best Written Screenplay for the film version of Pygmalion, an honour which he characteristically described as "an insult, coming from such a source".

Agatha Christie - Best-Selling Writer of All Time

***This prompt may violate our content policy.***Dame Agatha Christie (1890 –`1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End since 1952, as well as six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.

Oscar Wilde - The Importance Of Being Witty

***TOO LONG***Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) was a brilliant and flamboyant Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is best celebrated for his epigrams and plays, including The Importance of Being Earnest, and his sole novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. He is best remembered for the lurid circumstances of his criminal conviction in 1895 for gross indecency in consensual homosexual acts in "one of the first celebrity trials", his subsequent imprisonment, of which he wrote the "Ballad of Reading Gaol", and three years later his tragically early death from meningitis at age 46.

John Osborne - From Angry Young Man to Almost A Gentleman

John Osborne - From Angry Young Man to Almost A Gentleman.

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Brands

Virgin - A Multinational Conglomerate

A Keystone in Britain's Commercial Heritage.

HSBC - The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Company

***TOO LONG***HSBC is a British multinational investment bank and financial services holding company. It is the second largest bank in Europe behind BNP Paribas, with total equity of US$205 billion and assets of US$3 trillion as of December 2020. HSBC traces its origin to trading houses (hongs) in British Hong Kong and Shanghai in 1865, and its present form as a new HSBC group holding company in London in 1991. HSBC has offices in 64 countries and territories across Africa, Asia, Oceania, Europe, North America, and South America, serving around 40 million customers. As of 2020, it was the world's sixth largest bank by total assets and market capitalization.

The Economist - The Weekly Newspaper since 1843

Contribution of The Economist to British Heritage.

Johnnie Walker - The World's Best-Selling Scotch Whisky

A Celebrated Legacy in British Heritage.

Shell - Oil & Gas Supermajor

***TOO LONG***Shell plc is a British publicly traded multinational oil and gas company headquartered at Shell Centre in London, United Kingdom. Shell is a public limited company with a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). It is one of the oil and gas "supermajors" and by revenue and profits is one of the largest companies in the world, ranking within the top 10 of the Fortune global 500 since 2000.

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Comedy

Comedians and Comedy Groups Comedy Shows

Laurel and Hardy - The Hollywood Comedy Duo in the Silent Era

***This prompt may violate our content policy.*** Laurel and Hardy were a comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957). Starting their career as a duo in the silent film era, they...

Rowan Atkinson - The 21st Century Chaplin?

Contribution to British Heritage.

Sacha Baron Cohen - Get Real!

Contributions to British Heritage.

Ricky Gervais - Not Someone You'd Want In The Office

A Comedic Icon and British Heritage Contributor.

Tommy Cooper - Just Like That!

The Laughter Magician and his Impact on British Heritage.

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Royalty

Elizabeth II - Our Peerless Queen, for 70 years - britishheritage.org

Elizabeth II - Our Peerless Queen, for 70 years

***TOO LONG*** Elizabeth II (born 21 April 1926) is Queen of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms. She acceded to the Throne on Feb 6, 1952, currently the world's second-longest reigning monarch. Her life has been extraordinary, her dedication legendary, her influence unmatched, an...

Queen Victoria - Queen of Empire

Victoria (1819–1901) was Queen of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837-1901. Known as the Victorian era, her reign of 63 years and seven months was longer than any previous British monarch. It was for the UK a period of rapid industrial, political, scientific, and military change, marked by a great expansion of the British Empire. In 1876, Parliament granted her the additional title of Empress of India. In 1840, she married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg in what became a remarkable partnership - Queen and Consort, husband and wife. He died of typhoid in 1861, leaving her a widow at 42, and she never recovered from the loss of her "dear Albert". But for 40 more years she remained firmly in charge of "The Greatest Empire The World Has Ever Seen".

George III - Won India and Canada, Lost America

His Contribution to British Heritage.

Richard the Lionheart (Richard I) - The Crusader

***TOO LONG***Richard I (1157–1199) was King of England from 1189-1199. He also ruled over parts of Northern and Western France, including Brittanyrmandy, Aquitaine and Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, and Count of Poitiers, Anjou, Maine, and Nantes, and was overlord of Brittany. He is known Richard the Lionheart because of his reputation as a great military leader and warrior. He was the Christian commander during the Third Crusade and achieved victories against his Muslim counterpart, Saladin. Most of his life as king was spent on Crusade, in captivity, or in South-West France, where he was also Duke of Aquitaine.

Henry VIII - The King with a Large Appetite

***TOO LONG*** Henry VIII (1491–1547) was King of England from 1509-1547. He is best known for his six marriages, and trying to get his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disagreement with Pope Clement VII over this led Henry to initiate the English Reformation, separating the Church of England from Rome. Of course, he then appointed himself Supreme Head of the Church of England and dissolved all the monasteries, for which he was excommunicated. Henry is also known as "the Father of the Royal Navy," increasing its size to more than 50 ships.His courtiers thought him an attractive, educated, and accomplished king. In later life he was seen as a lustful, egotistical, paranoid and tyrannical monarch. Whichever - and probably both - he was a king of great passion and large appetite.

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Architects

Norman Foster

A Modernist Maestro and a Testament to British Architectural Heritage.

Zaha Hadid

***TOO LONG*** Dame Zaha Mohammad Hadid DBE RA (Arabic: زها حديد Zahā Ḥadīd; 31 October 1950 – 31 March 2016) was an Iraqi-British architect, artist and designer, recognised as a major figure in architecture of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Born in Baghdad, Iraq, Hadid studied mathematics as an undergraduate and then enrolled at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in 1972. In search of an alternative system to traditional architectural drawing, and influenced by Suprematism and the Russian avant-garde, Hadid adopted painting as a design tool and abstraction as an investigative principle to "reinvestigate the aborted and untested experiments of Modernism [...] to unveil new fields of building."

Charles Barry

Architect of British Heritage.

Christopher Wren

*** TOO LONG*** Sir Christopher Wren PRS FRS (/rɛn/; 30 October 1632 [O.S. 20 October] – 8 March 1723 [O.S. 25 February]) was one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history, as well as an anatomist, astronomer, geometer, and mathematician-physicist. He was accorded responsibility for rebuilding 52 churches in the City of London after the Great Fire in 1666, including what is regarded as his masterpiece, St Paul's Cathedral, on Ludgate Hill, completed in 1710.

John Nash

A Pioneer of British Architecture and Urban Planning.

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Chefs

Restaurant Critics

Gordon Ramsay - The Chef From Hell's Kitchen - britishheritage.org

Gordon Ramsay - The Chef From Hell's Kitchen

***TOO LONG***Gordon Ramsay OBE (born 8 November 1966) is a British chef, restaurateur, television personality, one of the best-known and most influential chefs in the UK. His global restaurant group, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, was founded in 1997 and has been awarded 16 Michelin stars overall; ...

Richard Corrigan - Irish Cuisine in London

Championing Irish Culinary Heritage in the Heart of London.

Ruth Rogers

A Transatlantic Steward of Italian Culinary Tradition in British Gastronomy.

Simon Rogan - L'Enclume

Indelible Marks on the British Gastronomical Heritage.

Vivek Singh

An Iconic Indian-British Celebrity Chef.

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Motors

Fashion

Fashion Brands Fashion Models Designers

Vivienne Westwood - New Wave Fashion

The New Wave Fashion Icon and British Heritage.

Amanda Wakeley - "Clean-Glam" Fashion

The Pinnacle of British 'Clean-Glam' Fashion.

Stella McCartney - Welfare Fashion

Pioneering Sustainable and Ethical Fashion in British Heritage.

Alexander McQueen - L'Enfant Terrible

***TOO LONG***Alexander McQueen (1969 –2010) was an English fashion designer and couturier. He founded his own Alexander McQueen label in 1992, and was chief designer at Givenchy from 1996 to 2001. His achievements in fashion earned him four British Designer of the Year awards (1996, 1997, 2001 and 2003), as well as the CFDA's International Designer of the Year award in 2003. Known for his creative and irreverent designs, McQueen was the 'enfant terrible of British fashion'. Hugely successful both at home and abroad, after his untimely death in 2010 the helm of the company has been taken over by Sarah Burton, who went on to design a "very special dress".

John Galliano - Designer of the Years

An Unforgettable Contribution to British Heritage and Fashion.

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Landmarks

Stonehenge

***TOO LONG***Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, two miles (3 km) west of Amesbury. It consists of an outer ring of vertical sarsen standing stones, each around 13 feet (4.0 m) high, seven feet (2.1 m) wide, and weighing around 25 tons, topped by connec...

London Eye

A Salient Symbol of British Heritage.

Tower Bridge

A Timeless Icon of British Heritage.

Tower of London

***TOO LONG***The Tower of London, officially Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separated from the eastern edge of the square mile of the City of London by the open space known as Tower Hill. It was founded towards the end of 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest. The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078 and was a resented symbol of oppression, inflicted upon London by the new ruling elite. The castle was also used as a prison from 1100 (Ranulf Flambard) until 1952 (Kray twins), although that was not its primary purpose. A grand palace early in its history, it served as a royal residence. As a whole, the Tower is a complex of several buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive walls and a moat. There were several phases of expansion, mainly under kings Richard I, Henry III, and Edward I in the 12th and 13th centuries. The general layout established by the late 13th century remains despite later activity on the site.

10 Downing Street

***TOO LONG***10 Downing Street (pronunciation (help·info)) in London, also known colloquially in the United Kingdom as Number 10, is the official residence and executive office of the First Lord of the Treasury, usually also the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Along with the adjoining Cabinet Office at 70 Whitehall, it is the headquarters of the Government of the United Kingdom.

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Explorers

James Cook - Captain Cook, Discoverer of Australia - britishheritage.org

James Cook - Captain Cook, Discoverer of Australia

***TOO LONG***James Cook (1728–1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy, famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean and to Australia. On these voyages he made the first recorded European contact with the eastern coas...

Francis Drake - Pirate or Paragon?

***TOO LONG***Sir Francis Drake (1540–1596) was an English explorer, sea captain, privateer, slave trader, naval officer, and politician. Drake is best known for his circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition, from 1577 to 1580, including his incursion into the Pacific Ocean, and claiming for England what is now the state of California. His expedition inaugurated an era of conflict with the Spanish on the western coast of the Americas. In 1581 Elizabeth I awarded Drake a knighthood which he received on the Golden Hind in Deptford. He was vice admiral of the English fleet in the victorious battle against the Spanish Armada in 1588. Drake's exploits made him a hero to the English, but his privateering led the Spanish to brand him a pirate, known to them as El Draque. King Philip II of Spain allegedly offered a reward of 20,000 ducats for his capture or death, equivalent to around £6 million (US$8 million) in 2015.

David Livingstone - Colonial Champion, Anti-Slavery Crusader

***TOO LONG***David Livingstone (1813 –1873) was a Scottish physician, Congregationalist, and pioneer Christian missionary with the London Missionary Society, an explorer in Africa, and one of the most popular British heroes of the late 19th-century Victorian era. He had a mythic status that operated on a number of interconnected levels: Protestant missionary martyr, working-class "rags-to-riches" inspirational story, scientific investigator and explorer, imperial reformer, anti-slavery crusader, and advocate of British commercial and colonial expansion.

Henry Morton Stanley - Anti-Slavery Explorer of the Congo

***TOO LONG***Sir Henry Morton Stanley (1841–1904) was a Welsh-American explorer, journalist, soldier, colonial administrator, author and politician. He was famous for his exploration of Central Africa and his search for David Livingstone, claiming to have greeted him with the line: "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?". Besides his discovery of Livingstone, he is known for his search for the sources of the Nile and Congo rivers, for opening up the Congo Basin as an agent of King Leopold II of the Belgians, and his command of the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition. A century after his death, Stanley's legacy remains controversial. Although he had high regard for the Africans on his expeditions, accounts of punishments and brutality in his books fostered his reputation as a hard-driving, cruel leader, in contrast to the more humanitarian Livingstone. His reputation was also damaged by his role in establishing the Congo Free State for Leopold II, though Stanley was never implicated in the atrocities against the native people. Nevertheless, he is recognised for his important contributions to Western knowledge of Central Africa and for his resolute opposition to the slave trade in East Africa. He was a Member of Parliament for Lambeth North from 1895 to 1900, and was knighted in 1897.

Walter Raleigh - Headman to Headless Man

Contribution to British Heritage.

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Advertising

Ad Agencies Advertising People Ads

Ogilvy - The Gentleman's Ad Agency - britishheritage.org

Ogilvy - The Gentleman's Ad Agency

Ogilvy is a New York City-based British advertising, marketing, and public relations agency. It was founded in 1850 by Edmund Mather as a London-based agency. In 1964, the firm became known as Ogilvy & Mather after merging with a New York City agency that was founded in 1948 by Englishman David O...

Saatchi & Saatchi - The Acquistion Agency

The Acquisition Agency Enriching British Heritage.

BBH - Bartle Bogle Hegarty

A Conduit of British Influence in Global Advertising.

adam&eveDDB

An Architect of British Cultural Dialogue Through Advertising.

Mother

A Pioneering Influence on British Advertising and Cultural Heritage.

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Poetry

Robert Browning - Dramatic Victorian Poet, 1800s - britishheritage.org

Robert Browning - Dramatic Victorian Poet, 1800s

A Legacy in British Heritage.

Thomas Wyatt - A Miscellany of Sonnets, 1530s

The British Heritage of Sir Thomas Wyatt: Poetic Innovations and Contributions.

John Clare - The Farm Labourer Poet, 1830s

John Clare (1793–1864) was the poet-son of a farm labourer, known for his celebrations of the English countryside and sorrows at its disruption. His work underwent major re-evaluation in the late 20th century, and is now seen as a major 19th-century poet. His biographer Jonathan Bate called Clare "the greatest labouring-class poet that England has ever produced. No one has ever written more powerfully of nature, of a rural childhood, and of the alienated and unstable self." He was committed to a lunatic asylum in 1841 and spent the last 23 years of his life incarcerated.

Seamus Heaney - The Greatest Poet Of Our Age 2013

Contribution to British Heritage.

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Military History

Battles Leaders Heroes

Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson - britishheritage.org

Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson

***TOO LONG***Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805), also known simply as Admiral Nelson, was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics brought abou...

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington

***TOO LONG***Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as prime minister of the United Kingdom. He is one of the commanders who won and ended the Napoleonic Wars when the coalition defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

William Slim, 1st Viscount Slim

***TOO LONG*** Field Marshal William Joseph Slim, 1st Viscount Slim, KG, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE, DSO, MC, KStJ (6 August 1891 – 14 December 1970), usually known as Bill Slim, was a British military commander and the 13th Governor-General of Australia.

Viscount Montgomery of Alamein

Viscount Montgomery of Alamein.

Sir Arthur Harris, 1st Baronet

Contribution of Sir Arthur Harris, 1st Baronet, to British Heritage.

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Politicians

Winston Churchill - The Greatest Ever Englishman - britishheritage.org

Winston Churchill - The Greatest Ever Englishman

***TOO LONG***Sir Winston Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945, during the Second World War, and again from 1951 to 1955. Best known for his wartime leadership as Prime Minister, Churchill was a...

Margaret Thatcher

A Transformative Legacy in British Heritage.

John Stuart Mill - Classic Liberalist of the Nineteenth Century

***TOO LONG*** John Stuart Mill (1806–1873) was an English philosopher, political economist, Member of Parliament (MP) and civil servant. One of the most influential thinkers in the history of classical liberalism, he contributed widely to social theory, political theory, and political economy. Dubbed "the most influential English-speaking philosopher of the nineteenth century", he conceived of liberty as justifying the freedom of the individual in opposition to unlimited state and social control. He was the second MP to call for women's suffrage after Henry Hunt in 1832.

Harold Macmillan

A Legacy of Pragmatic Leadership and British Heritage.

Tony Blair

A Legacy of Leadership and Controversy in British Heritage.

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Activists

William Wilberforce - Abolish the slave trade - britishheritage.org

William Wilberforce - Abolish the slave trade

*** TOO LONG*** William Wilberforce (24 August 1759 – 29 July 1833) was a British politician, philanthropist, and a leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780, eventually becoming an independent Member of Pa...