Important people

Hengist & Horsa (5th century)

(the names mean Stallion and Horse: one clue that the history might have incorporated legends) Legendary brothers said to have led the Angles, Saxons and Jutes in their invasion of Britain in the 5th century. According to early, half-legendary accounts, the first Germanic settlers were mercenaries, invited to Britain to help defend it against the Picts. They were led by the two brothers and they were allowed to settle in Kent in return for their military service. Soon they began taking more territory, and within a few decades there were Anglo-Saxon settlements all up the east coast of what had been Roman Britain, and they were spreading inland. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, compiled after 870 (so more than 400 years later) talks about these two brothers.

Dick Whittington (based on Richard Whittington)

15th century English merchant and lord mayor of London who became a well-known figure in legend and traditional pantomime. In the 19th century, the pantomime called - - - and His Cat, very loosely based on the mayor, was popular

Kenneth MacAlpine (810 - 858)

A king of the Picts who, according to national myth, was the first king of Scots. He was thus later known by the posthumous nickname of An Ferbasach, "The Conqueror". The dynasty that ruled Scotland for much of the medieval period claimed descent from him.

Mary, Queen of Scots (1542 - 1587)

Also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I, she reigned over Scotland from 1542 to 1567. She married her first cousin, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, but their union was unhappy. In February 1567, his residence was destroyed by an explosion, and Darnley was found murdered in the garden. James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, was generally believed to have orchestrated Darnley's death, but he was acquitted of the charge; he later married Mary. Following an uprising against the couple, Mary was imprisoned in Loch Leven Castle. She was forced to abdicate in favour of James VI, her one-year-old son by Darnley. After an unsuccessful attempt to regain the throne, she fled southwards seeking the protection of her first cousin once removed, Queen Elizabeth I of England. Mary had once claimed Elizabeth's throne as her own, and was considered the legitimate sovereign of England by many English Catholics, including participants in a rebellion known as the Rising of the North. Perceiving her as a threat, Elizabeth had her confined in various castles and manor houses in the interior of England. After eighteen and a half years in custody, Mary was found guilty of plotting to assassinate Elizabeth in 1586. She was beheaded the following year.

Edward the Confessor (1003 - 1066)

Among the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England. Usually considered the last king of the House of Wessex, he ruled from 1042 to 1066. Although he is often portrayed as a listless, ineffectual monarch overshadowed by powerful nobles, he preserved much of the dignity of the crown and managed to keep the kingdom united during his reign of 24 years. His close ties to Normandy prepared the way for the conquest of England by the Normans under William, duke of Normandy (later King William I). When he died in 1066, he was succeeded by Harold Godwinson, who was defeated and killed in the same year by the Normans under William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings.

Duke of Wellington (1769 - 1852)

Anglo-Irish soldier and statesman whose name was Arthur Wellesley, and who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as Prime Minister. His defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 puts him in the first rank of Britain's military heroes.

Thomas Becket (1119 - 1170)

Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. He excommunicated some of the king's knights without asking the king's permission, and the dispute soon escalated into a wide-ranging debate about the relationship between Church and Crown. In 1170 he was murdered at the altar of the cathedral by four of Henry's knights. Revulsion at the archbishop's murder forced the king to downplay his claims and go through a ritual of public penitence. The archbishop was soon regarded as a saint and his tomb became an international pilgrimage shrine.

Sake Dean Mahomed (1759-1851)

Bengali Anglo-Indian traveller, surgeon and entrepreneur who was one of the most notable early non-European immigrants to the Western World. He introduced Indian cuisine and shampoo baths to Europe, where he offered therapeutic massage. He was also the first Indian to publish a book in English.

Stephen Lawrence (1993)

Black British man murdered in 1993 in a racially motivated attack while waiting for a bus. The case became a cause célèbre and one of the highest profile racial killings in UK history; its fallout included profound cultural changes to attitudes on racism and the police.

Robert Baden-Powell

British Army officer, writer, author of Scouting for Boys which was an inspiration for the Scout Movement, founder and first Chief Scout of The Boy Scouts Association and founder of the Girl Guides.

Dawn French (1957)

British actress, writer, and comedian best known for starring in and writing for the sketch show French and Saunders (with comedy partner Jennifer Saunders), and for playing the lead role as Geraldine Granger in the sitcom The Vicar of Dibley.

Nadiya Hussain

British baker, columnist, author and television presenter. She rose to fame after winning the sixth series of BBC's The Great British Bake Off in 2015.

Eddie Stobart

British businessman who started an agriculture business in the late 1940s.

Jamie Oliver

British celebrity chef and restaurateur. His typically English cuisine has garnered him numerous television shows and restaurants. In 2005, he initiated a campaign originally called Feed Me Better to move British schoolchildren towards eating healthy foods and cutting out junk food; this campaign was eventually backed by the British government.

Captain James Cook (1728 - 1779)

British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the Royal Navy. He made detailed maps of Newfoundland prior to making three voyages to the Pacific Ocean, during which he achieved the first recorded European contact with the eastern coastline of Australia and the Hawaiian Islands, and the first recorded circumnavigation of New Zealand.

Admiral Nelson (1758 - 1805)

British flag officer in the Royal Navy. He was noted for his inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics, which together resulted in a number of decisive British naval victories, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was wounded several times in combat, losing the sight in one eye in Corsica and most of one arm in the unsuccessful attempt to conquer Santa Cruz de Tenerife. He was shot and killed during his final victory at the Battle of Trafalgar near the port city of Cádiz in 1805.

Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)

British philosopher who he led the British revolt against idealism. He is considered one of the founders of analytic philosophy, and one of the 20th century's premier logicians. He wrote Principia Mathematica, an attempt to create a logical basis for mathematics. (Nobel prize)

John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)

British philosopher, political economist and civil servant. One of the most influential thinkers in the history of liberalism, he contributed widely to social theory, political theory and political economy. He was a proponent of utilitarianism, an ethical theory developed by his predecessor Jeremy Bentham. A member of the Liberal Party, he was also the first Member of Parliament to call for women's suffrage.

Emmeline Pankhurst (1858 - 1928)

British political activist and leader of the British suffragette movement who helped women win the right to vote.

Rosemary West (1995)

British serial killer convicted of ten murders in 1995. Her husband, Fred, is believed to have collaborated with her in the torture and murder of at least nine young women between 1973 and 1987, whereas Rose was judged to have murdered her 8-year-old stepdaughter, Charmaine, in 1971. The majority of these murders were committed at the couple's home. She is now in prison.

Robert Peel

British statesman of the Conservative Party who served twice as Prime Minister of the UK and twice as Home Secretary. He is regarded as the father of modern British policing and as one of the founders of the modern Conservative Party.

Clement Attlee (1883 - 1967)

British statesman of the Labour Party who served as Prime Minister of the UK from 1945 to 1951 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955. The government he led built the post-war consensus. His government undertook the nationalisation of public utilities and major industries, as well as the creation of the National Health Service. He supervised the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, and arranged the independence of Burma (Myanmar), and Ceylon (Sri Lanka). His government ended the British Mandates of Palestine and Jordan. He is considered to be one of the greatest British Prime Ministers, thanks to his roles in leading the Labour Party, creating the welfare state and building the coalition opposing Stalin in the Cold War.

Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)

English composer, conductor and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British classical music. Best known for: Peter Grimes, the War Requiem, The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra.

St Augustine of Canterbury (6th century)

Catholic Benedictine monk who became the first Archbishop of Canterbury in the year 597. He is considered the "Apostle to the English" and a founder of the Catholic Church in England.

Bonnie Prince Charlie (1720 - 1788)

Charles Edward Louis John Casimir Sylvester Severino Maria Stuart was the elder son of James Francis Edward Stuart, grandson of James II and VII and after 1766 the Stuart claimant to the throne of Great Britain. He was also known as "The Young Pretender" or "The Young Chevalier". He is best remembered for his role in the 1745 rising; defeat at Culloden in April 1746 effectively ended the Stuart cause and subsequent attempts such as a planned French invasion in 1759 failed to materialise. His escape from Scotland after the uprising led him to be portrayed as a romantic figure of heroic failure in later representations.

Cardinal Manning (1808 - 1892)

English Cardinal of the Roman Catholic church, and the second Archbishop of Westminster from 1865 until his death in 1892. He used this goodwill to promote a modern Roman Catholic view of social justice, was instrumental in settling the London dock strike of 1889, and he had a significant role in the conversion of notable figures.

J.M.W. Turner (1775- 1851)

English Romantic painter known for his expressive colourisation, imaginative landscapes and turbulent, often violent marine paintings.

John Constable (1776-1837)

English Romantic painter known principally for his landscape paintings of Dedham Vale, the area surrounding his home — now known as "Constable Country".

L.S. Lowry (1887-1976)

English artist famous for painting scenes of life in the industrial districts of North West England in the mid-20th century. He is best known for his urban landscapes peopled with human figures often referred to as "matchstick men".

Terry Pratchett (1948-2015)

English author of fantasy novels, especially comical works. Best known for: Discworld series of 41 novels. He was the best-selling author of the 90's in the UK.

John Wesley (1703 - 1791)

English cleric and theologian who, with his brother Charles and fellow cleric George Whitefield, founded Methodism.

William Byrd (1543-1623)

English composer of the Renaissance. He wrote in many of the forms current in England at the time. He produced sacred music for Anglican services, although in later life he became Roman Catholic and wrote Catholic sacred music.

Thomas Tallis (1505-1585)

English composer who composed choral music, considered one of England's greatest composers. No contemporary portrait of him survives, and little is known about his life, but there seems to be agreement that he was born in the early 16th century, toward the close of the reign of Henry VII.

Edward Elgar (1857-1934)

English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. He has been described as the first composer to take the gramophone seriously. Known for: Enigma Variations, the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, concertos for violin and cello, The Dream of Gerontius.

Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)

English composer. His works include operas, ballets, chamber music, secular and religious vocal pieces and orchestral compositions including nine symphonies, written over nearly fifty years. He is among the best-known British symphonists, noted for his very wide range of moods, from stormy and impassioned to tranquil, from mysterious to exuberant. Among the most familiar of his other concert works are Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (1910) and The Lark Ascending (1914).

Gustav Holst (1874-1934)

English composer. His works were played frequently in the early years of the 20th century, but it was not until the international success of The Planets in the years immediately after the First World War that he became a well-known figure. Best know for: The Planets

Tracey Emin (1963)

English contemporary artist. Famous art piece: Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963-1995 (a tent appliquéd with the names of everyone the artist had ever shared a bed with)

Delia Smith

English cook and television presenter, known for teaching basic cookery skills in a no-nonsense style

Ken Loach

English director of television and independent film. He is known for his socially critical directing style and for his socialist ideals, which are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as poverty (Poor Cow), homelessness (Cathy Come Home) and labour rights (Riff-Raff, and The Navigators).

Edgar Wright

English director, screenwriter, producer, best known for The Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy (which includes Shaun Of the Dead, starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost) and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. His latest film, the action comedy Baby Driver, was released in 2017.

Jack the Giant-Killer

English fairy tale and legend about a young adult who slays a number of giants during King Arthur's reign. The tale is characterised by violence, gore and blood-letting. Giants are prominent in Cornish folklore, Breton mythology and Welsh Bardic lore.

Gurinder Chadha

English film director of Kenyan Asian origin. Most of her films explore the lives of Indians living in England. Known for: Bend It Like Beckham (2002), Bride and Prejudice (2004), Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (2008), Viceroy's House (2017).

Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806 - 1859)

English mechanical and civil engineer who built dockyards, the Great Western Railway, a series of steamships including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship, and numerous important bridges and tunnels. His designs revolutionised public transport and modern engineering. He is considered "one of the most ingenious and prolific figures in engineering history", "one of the 19th century engineering giants", and "one of the greatest figures of the Industrial Revolution, [who] changed the face of the English landscape with his groundbreaking designs and ingenious constructions".

Oliver Cromwell (1599 - 1658)

English military and political leader. He served as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1653 until his death, acting simultaneously as head of state and head of government of the new republic. As one of the generals on the parliamentary side in the English Civil War against King Charles I, he helped to bring about the overthrow of the Stuart monarchy, and, as lord protector, he raised his country's status once more to that of a leading European power from the decline it had gone through since the death of Queen Elizabeth I. A man of outstanding gifts and forceful character, he was one of the most remarkable rulers in modern European history. He is one of the most controversial figures in the history of the British Isles, considered a regicidal dictator by historians such as David Sharp, a military dictator by Winston Churchill, but a hero of liberty by John Milton, Thomas Carlyle, and Samuel Rawson Gardiner, and a class revolutionary by Leon Trotsky.

Bede (672 - 735)

English monk well known as an author and scholar. His most famous work, Ecclesiastical History of the English People gained him the title "The Father of English History".

John of Gaunt (1340 - 1399)

English nobleman and member of the House of Plantagenet, the third of five sons of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault. He was called by that name because he was born in Ghent. When he became unpopular later in life, scurrilous rumours and lampoons circulated that he was actually the son of a Ghent butcher, perhaps because Edward III was not present at the birth. This story always drove him to fury. His legitimate male heirs, the Lancasters, include English kings Henry IV, Henry V, and Henry VI.

George Orwell (1903-1950)

English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic whose name was Eric Arthur Blair, though he was better known by his pen name. His work is marked by lucid prose, awareness of social injustice, opposition to totalitarianism, and outspoken support of democratic socialism. His work continues to influence popular and political culture, and the term Orwellian - descriptive of totalitarian or authoritarian social practices - has entered the language together with many of his neologisms, including Big Brother, Thought Police, Room 101, memory hole, newspeak, doublethink, proles, unperson, and thoughtcrime. Best known for: Animal Farm, 1984.

Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832)

English philosopher, founder of modern utilitarianism (ethical theory that states that the best action is the one that maximizes utility)

Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)

English poet and soldier. He was one of the leading poets of the First World War. He wrote poetry on the horrors of trenches and gas warfare, which stood in stark contrast both to the public perception of war at the time.

William Tyndale (16th century)

English scholar who became a leading figure in the Protestant Reformation in the years leading up to his execution. He is well known for his translation of the Bible into English.

Harold Godwinson (1022 - 1066)

The last Anglo-Saxon king of England. Harold reigned from 6 January 1066 until his death at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October, fighting the Norman invaders led by William the Conqueror during the Norman conquest of England. His death marked the end of Anglo-Saxon rule over England.

Francis Drake (1540 - 1596)

English sea captain, slave trader, and privateer of the Elizabethan era who carried out the second circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition, from 1577 to 1580, and was the first to complete the voyage as captain while leading the expedition throughout the entire circumnavigation. With his incursion into the Pacific Ocean, he claimed what is now California for the English and inaugurated an era of conflict with the Spanish on the western coast of the Americas, an area that had previously been largely unexplored by western shipping. Elizabeth I awarded him a knighthood in 1581. As a Vice Admiral, he was second-in-command of the English fleet in the battle against the Spanish Armada in 1588. His exploits made him a hero to the English, but led the Spanish to brand him a pirate, known to them as El Draque. King Philip II allegedly offered a reward for his capture or death of 20,000 ducats, about £6 million in modern currency.

Peter Sutcliffe (1981)

English serial killer dubbed the "Yorkshire Ripper". In 1981, he was convicted of murdering 13 women and attempting to murder 7 others. He had regularly used the services of prostitutes in Leeds and Bradford, and his outbreak of violence seems to have occurred because he was swindled out of money by a prostitute and her pimp. When interviewed by authorities, he claimed that the voice of God had sent him on a mission to kill prostitutes. Sutcliffe carried out his murder spree over five years, during which time the public were especially shocked by the murders of women who were not prostitutes.

Amy Winehouse (1983 - 2011)

English singer and songwriter. She was known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres, including soul, rhythm and blues and jazz. She died of alcohol poisoning on 23 July 2011, aged 27. Her album Back to Black posthumously became, for a time, the UK's best-selling album of the 21st century.

William Morris (1834-1896)

English textile designer, poet, novelist, translator, and socialist activist. - He was a major contributor to the revival of traditional British textile arts and methods of production. - His literary contributions helped to establish the modern fantasy genre. - He played a significant role in propagating the early socialist movement in Britain. - He is recognised as one of the most significant cultural figures of Victorian Britain - Though best known in his lifetime as a poet, he posthumously became better known for his designs.

Ronnie Biggs (1960's)

English thief, known for his role in the Great Train Robbery of 1963, for his escape from prison in 1965, for living as a fugitive for 36 years and for his various publicity stunts while in exile. In 2001, he returned to the UK and spent several years in prison, where his health rapidly declined. He was released from prison on compassionate grounds in 2009.

Mike Leigh

English writer and director of film and theatre. "Kitchen sink realism" style. Best known for: "Career Girls"

Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797)

English writer, philosopher, and advocate of women's rights, best known for "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman" (1792), in which she argues that women are not naturally inferior to men, but appear to be only because they lack education.

J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973)

English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor best known for The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion. He is the "father" of modern fantasy literature.

Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400)

Father of English literature, widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages. He is best known today for The Canterbury Tales. His work was crucial in legitimizing the literary use of the Middle English vernacular at a time when the dominant literary languages in England were French and Latin.

G.F. Handel (1685-1759)

German, later British, Baroque composer who spent most of his career in London, becoming well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, and organ concertos. He became a naturalised British subject in 1727. Within 15 years, he had started three commercial opera companies to supply the English nobility with Italian opera. Known for: Messiah, Water Music, and Music for the Royal Fireworks

Madhur Jaffrey

Indian-born actress, food and travel writer, and television personality. She is recognized for bringing Indian cuisine to the Americas with her debut cookbook, An Invitation to Indian Cooking (1973)

Neil Jordan

Irish film director, screenwriter, novelist and short-story writer. He won an Academy Award for The Crying Game (1992), and achieved renown for creating The Borgias for Showtime.

Brian Boru (941 - 1014)

Irish king who ended the domination of the High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill. Building on the achievements of his father, Cennétig mac Lorcain, and especially his elder brother, Mathgamain, Brian first made himself King of Munster, then subjugated Leinster, eventually becoming High King of Ireland. He was the founder of the O'Brien dynasty.

James Connolly (1868 - 1916)

Irish republican and socialist leader. He was a member of the Industrial Workers of the World and founder of the Irish Socialist Republican Party. With James Larkin, he was centrally involved in the Dublin lock-out of 1913, as a result of which he formed the Irish Citizen Army (ICA) that year. He opposed British rule in Ireland, and was one of the leaders of the Easter Rising of 1916, when the ICA, along with the larger Irish Volunteers, seized Dublin and held it for six days.

Edmund Burke (1730 -1797)

Irish statesman, author, and philosopher. Widely regarded as the philosophical founder of modern conservatism. He criticized British treatment of the American colonies. Notable work: "Reflections on the Revolution in France" ; "A Vindication of Natural Society".

Edward I [Longshanks] (1239 - 1307)

King of England from 1272 to 1307. He strengthened the crown and Parliament against the old feudal nobility. He subdued Wales, destroying its autonomy; and he sought (unsuccessfully) the conquest of Scotland. His reign is particularly noted for administrative efficiency and legal reform. He introduced a series of statutes that did much to strengthen the crown in the feudal hierarchy. His definition and emendation of English common law has earned him the name of the "English Justinian."

Henry VIII (1491 - 1547)

King of England from 1509 until his death. Henry was the second Tudor monarch, succeeding his father, Henry VII. He is best known for his six marriages and, in particular, his efforts to have his first marriage, to Catherine of Aragon, annulled. His disagreement with the Pope on the question of such an annulment led Henry to initiate the English Reformation, separating the Church of England from papal authority. He appointed himself the Supreme Head of the Church of England and dissolved convents and monasteries. Despite his resulting excommunication, he remained a believer in core Catholic theological teachings. Domestically, he is known for his radical changes to the English Constitution, ushering into England the theory of the divine right of kings. Besides asserting the sovereign's supremacy over the Church of England, he greatly expanded royal power during his reign. Charges of treason and heresy were commonly used to quell dissent, and those accused were often executed without a formal trial, by means of bills of attainder. He achieved many of his political aims through the work of his chief ministers, some of whom were banished or executed when they fell out of his favour.

Robert Bruce (1274 - 1329)

King of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329. He was one of the most famous warriors of his generation, and eventually led Scotland during the First War of Scottish Independence against England (Battle of Bannockburn). During his reign, he fought successfully to regain Scotland's place as an independent country and is today revered in Scotland as a national hero.

Alfred the Great (849 - 899)

King of Wessex from 871 to 899. He was the youngest son of King Æthelwulf of Wessex. Taking the throne after the death of his brother Æthelred, he spent several years dealing with Viking invasions. After a decisive victory in the Battle of Edington in 878 he made an agreement with the Vikings, creating what was known as Danelaw in the North of England. He also oversaw the conversion of the Viking leader, Guthrum. He successfully defended his kingdom against the Viking attempt at conquest, and by the time of his death had become the dominant ruler in England. He is one of only two English monarchs to be given the epithet "the Great", the other being the Scandinavian Cnut the Great. He had a reputation as a learned and merciful man of a gracious and level-headed nature who encouraged education, proposing that primary education be conducted in English rather than Latin, and improved his kingdom's legal system, military structure, and his people's quality of life.

Wat Tyler (1381)

Leader of the 1381 Peasants' Revolt in England. He marched a group of rebels from Canterbury to the capital to oppose the institution of a poll tax and demand economic and social reforms. While the brief rebellion enjoyed early success, he was killed by officers loyal to King Richard II during negotiations at Smithfield, London.

Thomas Cranmer (1489 - 1556)

Leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He helped build the case for the annulment of Henry's marriage to Catherine of Aragon, which was one of the causes of the separation of the English Church from union with the Holy See. Along with Thomas Cromwell, he supported the principle of Royal Supremacy, in which the king was considered sovereign over the Church within his realm. When Edward came to the throne, the archbishop was able to promote major reforms. He wrote and compiled the first two editions of the Book of Common Prayer, a complete liturgy for the English Church. After the accession of the Roman Catholic Mary I, he was put on trial for treason and heresy, then executed.

Arthur (king)

Legendary British leader who, according to medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the late 5th and early 6th centuries AD. The details of his story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and his historical existence is debated and disputed by modern historians. The 12th-century French writer Chrétien de Troyes, who added Lancelot and the Holy Grail to the story, began the genre of Arthurian romance that became a significant strand of medieval literature. In these French stories, the narrative focus often shifts from the king himself to other characters, such as various Knights of the Round Table. Arthurian literature thrived during the Middle Ages but waned in the centuries that followed until it experienced a major resurgence in the 19th century. In the 21st century, the legend lives on, not only in literature but also in adaptations for theatre, film, television, comics and other media.

Merlin

Legendary Welsh figure best known as the wizard or warlock featured in Arthurian legend and medieval Welsh poetry. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae. Geoffrey's rendering of the character was immediately popular, especially in Wales. In the story, Merlin engineers the birth of Arthur through magic and intrigue. Later writers expanded the account to produce a fuller image of the wizard: they have Merlin serve as the king's advisor and mentor to the knights until he is bewitched and imprisoned by the Lady of the Lake.

Princess Diana (1961 - 1997)

Member of the British royal family: first wife of Charles and mother of Prince William and Prince Harry. She was born into the Spencer family, a family of British nobility with royal ancestry. As Princess of Wales, she undertook royal duties on behalf of the Queen and represented her at functions overseas. She was celebrated for her charity work and for her support of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. She was involved with dozens of charities including London's Great Ormond Street Hospital for children, of which she was president from 1989. She also raised awareness and advocated ways to help people affected with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and mental illness. She was the object of worldwide media scrutiny during and after her marriage, which ended in divorce in 1996. After her death in a car crash in a Paris tunnel in 1997, the UK went into national mourning.

Captain Swing (1830)

Name given to several threatening letters during the rural English Swing Riots of 1830, when labourers rioted over the introduction of new threshing machines and the loss of their livelihoods. Captain Swing was described as a hard-working tenant farmer driven to destitution and despair by social and political change in the early nineteenth century.

John Bull

National personification of the UK in general and England in particular, especially in political cartoons and similar graphic works. He is usually depicted as a stout, middle-aged, country dwelling, jolly, matter-of-fact man.

Cardinal Newman (1801 - 1890)

Poet and theologian, first an Anglican priest and later a Catholic priest and cardinal, who was an important and controversial figure in the religious history of England in the 19th century. Originally an evangelical Oxford University academic and priest in the Church of England, he then became drawn to the high-church tradition of Anglicanism. He became known as a leader of, and an able polemicist for, the Oxford Movement, an influential and controversial grouping of Anglicans who wished to return to the Church of England many Catholic beliefs and liturgical rituals from before the English Reformation. In this the movement had some success. In 1845, joined by some but not all of his followers, he officially left the Church of England and his teaching post at Oxford University and was received into the Catholic Church. He was quickly ordained as a priest and continued as an influential religious leader, based in Birmingham. In 1879, he was created a cardinal by Pope Leo XIII in recognition of his services to the cause of the Catholic Church in England. He was instrumental in the founding of the Catholic University of Ireland which evolved into University College Dublin, today the largest university in Ireland

Elizabeth I (1533 - 1603)

Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death on 24 March 1603. She was the last monarch of the House of Tudor. She was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Anne's marriage to Henry VIII was annulled, and their daughter was declared illegitimate, but she still acceded to the throne after her half-siblings. She had her rival, Mary, Queen of Scots, imprisoned and executed as she was found guilty of plotting to assassinate her. After the short reigns of Elizabeth's half-siblings, her 44 years on the throne provided welcome stability for the kingdom and helped forge a sense of national identity. It was expected that Elizabeth would marry and produce an heir to continue the Tudor line. She never did, despite numerous courtships. As she grew older, Elizabeth became celebrated for her virginity. Her reign is famous for the flourishing of English drama, led by playwrights such as William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe, and for the seafaring prowess of English adventurers such as Francis Drake.

Anne Boleyn (1501 - 1536)

Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of King Henry VIII. Henry's marriage to her, and her subsequent execution by beheading, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the start of the English Reformation. Henry wanted to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon so he would be free to marry her. When it became clear that Pope Clement VII would not annul the marriage, the breaking of the Catholic Church's power in England began. She formally married Henry in 1533, but the newly appointed Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer declared Henry and Catherine's marriage null and void. Five days later, he declared Henry and Anne's marriage valid. Shortly afterwards, the Pope decreed sentences of excommunication against Henry and Cranmer. As a result of this marriage and these excommunications, the first break between the Church of England and Rome took place and the Church of England was brought under the King's control. She gave birth to the future Queen Elizabeth I. Henry was disappointed to have a daughter rather than a son but hoped a son would follow. However his wife subsequently had three miscarriages, and by March 1536, Henry was courting Jane Seymour. In order to marry Jane Seymour, Henry had to find reasons to end the marriage, so he had his wife investigated for high treason and beheaded.

Katherine of Aragon (1485 - 1536)

Queen of England from June 1509 until May 1533 as the first wife of King Henry VIII; she was previously Princess of Wales as the wife of Henry's elder brother Arthur. She is the daughter of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon. By 1525, Henry VIII was infatuated with Anne Boleyn and dissatisfied that his marriage to Catherine had produced no surviving sons, leaving their daughter, the future Mary I of England, as heir presumptive at a time when there was no established precedent for a woman on the throne. He sought to have their marriage annulled, setting in motion a chain of events that led to England's schism with the Catholic Church.

Boudicca (AD 60 or 61)

Queen of the British Celtic Iceni tribe who led an uprising against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire in AD 60 or 61, and died shortly after its failure, having supposedly poisoned herself. She is considered a British folk hero.

Warwick the Kingmaker (1428 - 1471)

Richard Neville was an English nobleman, administrator, and military commander. He was the wealthiest and most powerful English peer of his age, with political connections that went beyond the country's borders. One of the leaders in the Wars of the Roses, originally on the Yorkist side but later switching to the Lancastrian side, he was instrumental in the deposition of two kings, which led to his epithet of "Kingmaker".

Strongbow (1130 - 1176)

Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, Lord of Leinster, Justiciar of Ireland was a Welsh-Norman lord notable for his leading role in the Norman invasion of Ireland. Like his father, Richard fitz Gilbert has since become commonly known by his nickname, which may be a mistranscription or mistranslation of Striguil.

David Livingstone (1813 - 1873)

Scottish Christian Congregationalist, pioneer medical 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 mythical 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 commercial and colonial expansion. His fame as an explorer and his obsession with learning the sources of the Nile River was founded on the belief that if he could solve that age-old mystery, his fame would give him the influence to end the East African Arab-Swahili slave trade.

Flora MacDonald (1722 - 1790)

Scottish Jacobite heroine made famous by her part in the Young Pretender's escape after his defeat at Culloden.

Billy Connolly (1942)

Scottish comedian, musician, presenter and actor from Glasgow. He is known by the nickname "The Big Yin" ("The Big One").

Walter Scott (1771-1832)

Scottish historical novelist, playwright, poet and historian. --> Known for: Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, Old Mortality, The Lady of the Lake, Waverley, The Heart of Midlothian and The Bride of Lammermoor

David Hume (1711-1776)

Scottish philosopher best known for his highly influential system of philosophical empiricism, skepticism, and naturalism. Beginning with his "A Treatise of Human Nature" (1739), he examined the psychological basis of human nature. Against philosophical rationalists, he held that passion rather than reason governs human behaviour.

Maid of Norway (1283 - 1290)

She is a Norwegian princess called Margaret who was recognised as Queen of Scots following the death of her grandfather, King Alexander III, in March 1286. Her death in Orkney while travelling to Scotland sparked off the disputed succession which led to the Wars of Scottish Independence.

Lady Godiva (13th century)

She was an English noblewoman who was Countess of Mercia, and according to a legend dating at least to the 13th century, she rode naked - covered only in her long hair - through the streets of Coventry to gain a remission of the oppressive taxation that her husband, Leofric, Earl of Mercia, imposed on his tenants. The name "Peeping Tom" for a voyeur originates from later versions of this legend in which a man named Thomas watched her ride and was struck blind or dead.

Birmingham Six (1974)

Six men who, in 1975, were each sentenced to life imprisonment following their false convictions for the Birmingham pub bombings. The six men were later awarded compensation ranging from £840,000 to £1.2 million. The Birmingham pub bombings took place on 21 November 1974 and were attributed to the Provisional IRA. Explosive devices were placed in two central Birmingham pubs: the Mulberry Bush at the foot of the Rotunda, and the Tavern in the Town - a basement pub in New Street. The resulting explosions were the most injurious attacks in Great Britain since World War II (until surpassed by the 7 July 2005 London bombings); 21 people were killed and 182 people were injured.

James VI & I (1566 - 1625)

Son of Mary, Queen of Scots. He was King of Scotland from 1567 and King of England and Ireland from the union of the Scottish and English crowns in 1603 until his death in 1625. The kingdoms of Scotland and England were individual sovereign states, with their own parliaments, judiciaries, and laws, though both were ruled by one king. In his reign, the Plantation of Ulster and British colonisation of the Americas began. He was strongly committed to a peace policy, and tried to avoid involvement in religious wars.

Lindow Man

The preserved bog body of a man discovered in a peat bog at Lindow Moss near Wilmslow in Cheshire, North West England. The human remains were found in 1984 by commercial peat-cutters. However, it is not the only bog body to have been found in the moss;a woman was discovered the year before, and other body parts have also been recovered. The find, described as "one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the 1980s", caused a media sensation. It helped invigorate study of British bog bodies, which had previously been neglected in comparison to those found in the rest of Europe.

John Fisher (1469 - 1535)

Venerated as a saint by Roman Catholics, he was an English Catholic bishop, cardinal, and theologian. He was also an academic, and eventually served as Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. He was executed by order of Henry VIII during the English Reformation for refusing to accept the King as Supreme Head of the Church of England and for upholding the Catholic Church's doctrine of papal primacy. He was named a cardinal shortly before his death. He is honoured as a martyr and saint by the Catholic Church. He shares his feast day with St Thomas More on 22 June in the Roman Catholic calendar of saints and on 6 July in that of the Church of England.

Max Boyce (1943)

Welsh comedian, singer and entertainer. He rose to fame during the mid-1970s with an act that combined musical comedy with his passion for rugby union and his origins in the mining communities of South Wales.

Laura Ashley

Welsh fashion designer and businesswoman. She originally made furnishing materials in the 1950s, expanding the business into clothing design and manufacture in the 1960s. She created her own brand. Everyone in her family (husband, kids) worked in the company.

Owen Glendower (1359 - 1415)

Welsh ruler and the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales. To to many, viewed as an unofficial king. He instigated a fierce and long-running but ultimately unsuccessful revolt against the English rule of Wales. With his death, he acquired a mythical status along with Cadwaladr, Cynan and Arthur as the hero awaiting the call to return and liberate his people. In the late 19th century the Cymru Fydd movement recreated him as the father of Welsh nationalism.

Vera Lynn

Widely known as "the Forces' Sweetheart", she is an English singer of traditional pop, songwriter and actress, who was very popular during WWII. During the war she travelled the world giving concerts for the troops.

Olaudah Equiano (1745 - 1797)

Writer and abolitionist from the Igbo region of what is today southeastern Nigeria according to his memoir, or from South Carolina according to other sources. He was known in his lifetime as Gustavus Vassa. Enslaved as a child, he purchased his own freedom in 1766. He was a prominent abolitionist in the British movement to end the Atlantic slave trade. His autobiography, published in 1789, helped in the creation of the Slave Trade Act 1807 which ended the transatlantic slave trade for Britain and its colonies.