ID :
15638
Tue, 08/12/2008 - 14:51
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/15638
The shortlink copeid
New British history forgets Sir Winston Churchill
London, Aug 12 (PTI) - It seems that new history has completely forgotten one of Britain's tallest leaders Sir Winston Churchill.
The wartime Prime Minister, who led Britain to victory in the Second World War, failed to secure a place on the list of the most important people and events in British history.
What's more interesting is that Queen Victoria, Florence Nightingale, Captain Cook and Sir Walter Raleigh also couldn't get into the "British" list though The Beatles found a place, 'The Sun' reported Monday.
A team of scholars working for the 'History Channel' has actually compiled the comprehensive list for a five-part television series called '50 Things You Need To Know About British History'.
The list, however, includes Alfred The Great, William Shakespeare, Charles Darwin and explorer David Livingstone.
It also contains an odd selection of events such as the building in 1859 of the Red House, key to the development of British arts and crafts, the gin drinking craze of 1729 and, astoundingly, the completion of the Channel Tunnel.
However, Laurence Westgaph, one of the historians who helped put the list together, said that he had argued that they needed more traditional elements in the list. But he also added that people would contend that was a "dead white males" view of history.
Historian David Starkey called the list "just silly". "World politics would be very different today were it not for Sir Winston Churchill. Victoria is a more interesting one. She was not only the most important figure of the Victorian era but she was its greatest symbol." PTI MOT
The wartime Prime Minister, who led Britain to victory in the Second World War, failed to secure a place on the list of the most important people and events in British history.
What's more interesting is that Queen Victoria, Florence Nightingale, Captain Cook and Sir Walter Raleigh also couldn't get into the "British" list though The Beatles found a place, 'The Sun' reported Monday.
A team of scholars working for the 'History Channel' has actually compiled the comprehensive list for a five-part television series called '50 Things You Need To Know About British History'.
The list, however, includes Alfred The Great, William Shakespeare, Charles Darwin and explorer David Livingstone.
It also contains an odd selection of events such as the building in 1859 of the Red House, key to the development of British arts and crafts, the gin drinking craze of 1729 and, astoundingly, the completion of the Channel Tunnel.
However, Laurence Westgaph, one of the historians who helped put the list together, said that he had argued that they needed more traditional elements in the list. But he also added that people would contend that was a "dead white males" view of history.
Historian David Starkey called the list "just silly". "World politics would be very different today were it not for Sir Winston Churchill. Victoria is a more interesting one. She was not only the most important figure of the Victorian era but she was its greatest symbol." PTI MOT
