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Famous people of London. Topic in English “Famous People of the United Kingdom

Municipal Autonomous Educational Institution

Secondary School No. 17

Project on the topic: Prominent people of Great Britain, their contribution to science and world culture. British of Russian origin

Completed by: 6B grade student

Granovsky Vladislav

Head: O.P. Oshchepkova

I. Introduction

Significance of the project

Goals and objectives

II. Main part

1.Famous people of Britain

Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill

Charles Robert Darwin

- Michael Faraday

Margaret Hilda Thatcher

2. BritishRussianorigin

Philip Mountbatten ( Prince Philip)

3. A game

III.Conclusion

IV. List of used literature

Introduction

Do you want to know interesting facts about the lives of great British writers, artists, musicians, political and public figures, scientists? So, it’s time to start studying my project, which is called “British people who make a contribution to world culture” (“What do you know about outstanding British people?”). Great Britain has become famous for many people who, in one way or another, affect the lives of not only the British. We are all well aware of the names of scientists who influenced the development of science. For example, Isaac Newton (founder of modern mathematics and physics) or Charles Darwin (theory of evolution).

It is simply impossible to avoid this writer when we touch on the topic of “Famous People of Great Britain.” William Shakespeare is one of the most famous writers in the world. His plays “Romeo and Juliet”, “Hamlet, Prince of Denmark”, “King Lear”, “Macbeth” were translated into almost all languages and staged in every theater. He described characters and feelings that can be called international and everlasting.
"Famous People of England", the list of which is quite extensive, includes the name of this princess, known throughout the world as Lady Di, who also needs no introduction. Her popularity and excessive attention from the paparazzi became fatal for this woman. She gained worldwide fame thanks to her unconventional approach to solving many social problems, which is not typical for a representative of such a conservative family as the Windsors.
Daniel Defoe, Robert Burns, Walter Scott, Charles Dickens, Lewis Carroll are just a few names known throughout the world.
William Hogarth, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Gainsborough, John Constable contributed to the treasury of world painting.
Here are a few more names known around the world.
Admiral Horatio Nelson is the most outstanding admiral of the British fleet, as he ensured the supremacy of the British fleet on the seas for a hundred years. He is an example for sailors around the world.
Margaret Thatcher is the first and only woman to hold the post of Prime Minister of a European state. In our country she received the nickname “Iron Lady” for her criticism of the Soviet leadership.
Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg; the list of famous people who were born and lived in Great Britain is very large. And I will tell you about some of them.

Goals and objectives

The main goal is to get acquainted with life and creativity famous people Great Britain.

Objectives: to cover all spheres of society that reflected the activities of great people, to use a large amount of information about their work and life, to provide assistance to any reader interested in the life of these countries in studying their language and culture, to arouse your interest in the country of the language being studied and talk about famous people.

The British who contributed to world culture and science.

In the modern world, different cultures coexist and, one way or another, interact. The current processes of globalization are accompanied by the expansion of ties between different countries and peoples. The opportunity to communicate with representatives of different cultures has become an everyday reality. Lots of people participate in international organizations, forums and conferences, work in multinational companies, study abroad. To maintain these diverse and multi-level contacts, appropriate knowledge is required not only foreign language, but also foreign language culture. The recently emerged linguocultural dictionaries and dictionaries of cultural literacy are designed to form a sufficient level of cultural and communicative competence. According to M.V. Moiseev, they cannot be classified as either encyclopedic or linguistic dictionaries, since they combine the features of explanatory, encyclopedic and linguistic dictionaries. The purpose of this article is to find out how English literature is reflected in world culture, as well as to identify specific features of the construction of a dictionary entry that includes lexical units related to literature.

Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill

At the end of 2002, the BBC invited all residents of the United Kingdom to determine "the greatest Briton in history." By voting, it was determined that the British consider Winston Churchill to be their most outstanding fellow citizen.

Winston Churchill - English politician, statesman, Prime Minister of Great Britain Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (WinstonLeonardSpencer-Churchill) was born on November 30, 1874 at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, UK.

His mother was an American, the daughter of Leonard Jerome, owner and editor of the New York Times, and his father was Lord Randolph Churchill. Winston's grandfather is the seventh Duke of Marlborough, John Spencer-Churchill.

Winston Churchill was educated at the privileged Harrow School and the British Royal Military College, which he entered only on his third attempt.

In March 1895 he was commissioned into the Fourth Hussars as a lieutenant, assigned to Hackshire.

In 1896-1898 he served in India. He took part in the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902), and was a war correspondent.

In November 1899, Churchill was captured by the Boer commander-in-chief Louis Botha, the future first prime minister of the Union of South Africa and a close friend of Churchill.

Great Briton. Sir Winston Churchill in The Racimor Chronicles

After his release from captivity, he left military service and spent some time in the United States, where he lectured. Returning to England, he began to build his political career.

In 1900, Churchill was elected to Parliament from the Conservative Party.

In 1904 he joined the Liberal Party, and in 1906 he entered the House of Commons as a Liberal member. In the same year he was appointed Deputy Secretary of State for the Colonies.

In 1908 he headed the Ministry of Trade, and in 1910 he took the post of Minister of Internal Affairs.

In 1911-1916 - First Lord of the Admiralty (Minister of the Navy). During the First World War, Churchill participated in the defense and evacuation of Anschwergen (1914), and was one of the active organizers of the Dardanelles operation (1915-1916), the failure of which led to his resignation.

In 1916, as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, he went to Flanders on active duty as a battalion commander of the Royal Scots Fusiliers.

From 1917 to 1918 he was Minister of Military Supply, in 1919-1922 - Minister of War and Minister of Aviation.

In 1924-1929 he served as Minister of Finance, entering parliament from the Conservative Party.

In September 1939, with the outbreak of World War II, under pressure public opinion Churchill was again appointed First Lord of the Admiralty.

Winston Churchill and his Victoria

In 1940-1945 - Prime Minister of Great Britain and Minister of Defense. Leader of the House of Commons, leader of the Conservative Party.
The threat hanging over Great Britain from Nazi Germany, the real possibility of loss of sovereignty and complete enslavement by the aggressor forced Churchill, together with the United States, to take the side of the USSR in the war with Germany and to create an anti-Hitler coalition.

In August 1942 and October 1944 he met with Stalin in Moscow; repeatedly crossed the Atlantic to meet with US President Franklin Roosevelt. He took an active part in the Tehran (1943) and Crimean (1945) conferences, as well as the post-war Potsdam Conference (1945).

In 1945, having retired after Labor's victory in the parliamentary elections, Churchill did not stop active political activity. On March 5, 1946, in Fulton, Missouri, USA, he called on Western countries to form an Anglo-American military alliance to fight “Eastern communism” and to establish the dominance of the “English-speaking world.” Churchill then first used the expression “iron curtain” between Eastern and Western Europe.

In 1947, Winston Churchill urged US Republican Senator Stiles Bridge to persuade US President Harry Truman to launch a warning nuclear strike on Soviet Union, which he believed would help stop the spread of communism to the West.

In 1951-1955, Churchill again served as Prime Minister of Great Britain. Having assessed the new balance of power between East and West in nuclear weapons, he expressed doubts about the advisability of putting pressure on the USSR. Demands for the development of a joint Western defense (including West German forces) were combined in his diplomacy with proposals to seek an agreement with the USSR.

After leaving office for health reasons in April 1955, Churchill did not play an active role in politics in the last years of his life. He remained a member of parliament until 1964.

Winston Churchill is the author of many books in the historical and memoir genre. In the 1930s, he completed the multi-volume work “The World Crisis, 1916-1918” and wrote an autobiographical book “The Early Years of My Life”, worked for many years on the six-volume “family” epic “The Life of Marlborough”, published a six-volume work “The Second World War” (1948-1954), the four-volume “History of English-Speaking Peoples” (1956-1958), etc. His literary heritage amounts to more than 40 volumes.

In 1953, Churchill was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.

That same year, Queen Elizabeth II awarded him the highest order of Great Britain, the Order of the Garter. In 1963, he became an honorary US citizen.

Churchill had been married to Clementine Hozier since 1908, the couple had five children - son Randolph, daughters Diana, Sarah, Marigold (who lived only three years) and Mary. Sir Randolph took care of his father's literary heritage, prepared a multi-volume collection of works for publication, and opened an Archive Center. Lady Sarah Soules contributed to the establishment of museums in memory of her father. The first was a house in Blanheim with a memorial room open to tourists. In Crimea, in the Livadia Palace, through her efforts, an office-library with unique documents of the Yalta Conference and a bust of Churchill was opened. Born Mary Spencer-Churchill, she worked for the Red Cross Society, Britain's women's voluntary service. She repeatedly accompanied her father on his trips, including to Potsdam. In recent years, she has written a number of biographical books.

In 1973, a monument to Winston Churchill was erected in Parliament Square in London.

In 1998, a monument to Churchill was unveiled in Paris on the Champs-Elysees.

In 2005, Churchill's museum, Churchill War Rooms, was opened in London in the basement of Whitehall, the former secret headquarters of the British government during World War II.

In May 2008, in Sochi, Russia, on the territory of the Krasmashevsky sanatorium, a monument was opened to the leaders of the three victorious powers in World War II - Churchill, Stalin and Roosevelt.

CharlesRobertDarwin

Charles Robert Darwin(English: Charles Robert Darwin (1809-1882) - English naturalist, creator of Darwinism, foreign corresponding member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1867). Known as the founder of the doctrine of evolution.

Scientific field: biology and geology. Academic degrees: Bachelor of Arts (1832), Master of Arts (1837) and Doctor of Canonical and civil law.

In his main work “The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection” (1859), summarizing the results of his own observations (voyage on the Beagle, 1831-36) and the achievements of contemporary biology and breeding practice, he revealed the main factors of evolution organic world. In his work “Changes in Domestic Animals and Cultivated Plants” (vols. 1-2, 1868), Charles Darwin presented additional factual material to the main work. In the book. “The Descent of Man and Sexual Selection” (1871) substantiated the hypothesis of the origin of man from an ape-like ancestor. Works on geology, botany and zoology. Zodiac sign - Aquarius.

Darwin's childhood, education and family

Charles Darwin was born February 12, 1809 in Shrewsbury, England. He was the son of Robert Darwin, who practiced successfully as a doctor in Shrewsbury. Mother - Suzanne Wedgwood - came from rich family owners of the famous porcelain factory. Darwin's family was connected for several generations with the Wedgwood family. Darwin himself married his cousin Emma Wedgwood. Darwin's grandfather, Erasmus Darwin, was a famous doctor, naturalist, and poet. In general, representatives of the Darwin family are characterized by high intellectual qualities and broad cultural interests.

After the sudden death of his mother in 1817, Charles Darwin was raised by his older sister Caroline. That same year, Charles began attending a school for incoming students in Shrewsbury. He did not shine with success, but even then he developed a taste for natural history and for collecting collections.

In 1818, Charles Darwin entered Shrewsbury at a “big school” with a boarding school, which for him was “just an empty place.” Darwin studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh from 1825 to 1827, and theology at Cambridge from 1827 to 1831. In 1831-36, on the recommendation of the botanist J. Henslow and the Wedgwood family, Darwin got a job as a naturalist on the Beagle and traveled around the world. He returned from the trip as a man of science.

In 1839, Charles Darwin married and the young family settled in London. Since 1842 the family lived permanently in Down, most beautiful place, convenient for concentrated work and relaxation. Darwin and his wife had 10 children, three of whom died in childhood.

Geology of Darwin

On December 27, 1831, the Beagle set sail. Darwin managed to take with him the just published 1st volume of “Principles of Geology” by Charles Lyell. This volume has big influence on the formation of the scientific views of a young researcher. Before the publication of Lyell's book, catastrophe theory dominated geology. Lyell showed that the geological forces that operated in the past continue to operate today. Darwin fruitfully applied Lyell's teachings to an object that crossed the Beagle's path. This was the island of Sant Iago. His study provided material for Darwin's first major generalization about the nature of oceanic islands. Darwin showed that both continental and island volcanoes are associated with large faults in the earth's crust, with cracks formed during the uplift of mountain ranges and continents.

Darwin's second generalization relates to the problem of secular movements of the earth's crust. For geological periods Over an enormous period of time, the continent of South America experienced repeated uplifts and subsidences, which alternated with periods of relative peace. Charles Darwin painted with broad strokes the origin of the Patagonian Plain and the gradual weathering (denudation) of the Cordillera.

Michael Faraday

Michael Faraday(1791-1867) - English physicist, founder of the doctrine of the electromagnetic field, foreign honorary member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1830). Discovered the chemical action of electric current, the relationship between electricity and magnetism, magnetism and light. Discovered (1831) electromagnetic induction - a phenomenon that formed the basis of electrical engineering. Established (1833-1834) the laws of electrolysis, named after him, discovered para- and diamagnetism, rotation of the plane of polarization of light in a magnetic field (Faraday effect). Proved identity various types electricity. Faraday introduced the concepts of electric and magnetic fields and expressed the idea of the existence of electromagnetic waves. He studied with the chemist and physicist, one of the founders of electrochemistry, Humphry Davy.

The founder of the modern field concept in electrodynamics, the author of a number of fundamental discoveries, including the law of electromagnetic induction, the laws of electrolysis, the phenomenon of rotation of the plane of polarization of light in a magnetic field, one of the first researchers of the influence of a magnetic field on media.

Childhood and youth

Michael Faraday was born on September 22, 1791, in London, in the family of a blacksmith. His older brother Robert was also a blacksmith, who in every possible way encouraged Michael’s thirst for knowledge and at first supported him financially. Faraday's mother, a hardworking, wise, although uneducated woman, lived to see the time when her son achieved success and recognition, and was rightfully proud of him.

The family's modest income did not allow Michael to even graduate high school, and at the age of thirteen he became an apprentice to the owner of a bookstore and bookbinding workshop, where he was to stay for 10 years. All this time, Faraday was persistently engaged in self-education - he read all the literature available to him on physics and chemistry, repeated the experiments described in books in his home laboratory, and attended private lectures on physics and astronomy in the evenings and Sundays. He received money (a shilling to pay for each lecture) from his brother. At the lectures, Faraday made new acquaintances, to whom he wrote many letters in order to develop a clear and concise style of presentation; he also tried to master the techniques of oratory.

First independent research. Scientific publications

After returning to the Royal Institution in 1815, Michael Faraday began intensive work, in which independent scientific research occupied an increasing place. In 1816 he began giving public lectures on physics and chemistry at the Society for Self-Education. In the same year his first printed work appeared.

In the period up to 1821, Michael Faraday published about 40 scientific papers, mainly on chemistry. Gradually, his experimental research increasingly shifted to the field of electromagnetism. After Hans Oersted's discovery of the magnetic action of electric current in 1820, Faraday became fascinated by the problem of the connection between electricity and magnetism. In 1822, an entry appeared in his laboratory diary: “Convert magnetism into electricity.” However, Faraday continued other research, including in the field of chemistry. Thus, in 1824 he was the first to obtain chlorine in a liquid state.

Election to the Royal Society. Professorship

In 1824, Michael Faraday was elected a member of the Royal Society, despite the active opposition of Davy, with whom Faraday's relationship had become quite difficult by that time, although Davy liked to repeat that of all his discoveries, the most significant was “Faraday's discovery.” The latter also paid tribute to Davy, calling him a "great man."

A year after his election to the Royal Society, Michael Faraday was appointed director of the laboratory of the Royal Institution, and in 1827 he received a professorship at this institute.

Faraday's disease. Latest experimental work

Constant enormous mental stress undermined Faraday's health and forced him to take a break for five years in 1840. scientific work. Returning to it again, Faraday in 1848 discovered the phenomenon of rotation of the plane of polarization of light propagating in transparent substances along the lines of magnetic field strength (Faraday effect). Apparently, Faraday himself (who wrote excitedly that he had “magnetized light and illuminated the magnetic line of force”) attached great importance to this discovery. Indeed, it was the first indication of the existence of a connection between optics and electromagnetism. Conviction in the deep interconnection of electrical, magnetic, optical and other physical and chemical phenomena became the basis of Faraday's entire scientific worldview.

In 1855, illness again forced Faraday to interrupt his work. He became significantly weaker and began to lose his memory catastrophically. He had to write down everything in the laboratory notebook, down to where and what he put before leaving the laboratory, what he had already done and what he was going to do next. To continue working, he had to give up a lot, including visiting friends; the last thing he gave up was lectures for children.

The importance of scientific works

One day, Michael Faraday attended one of the lectures of Humphrey Davy, the great English physicist, inventor of the safety lamp for miners. Faraday made a detailed note of the lecture, bound it and sent it to Devi. He was so impressed that he invited Faraday to work with him as a secretary. Devi soon went on a trip to Europe and took Faraday with him. Over the course of two years, they visited the largest European universities. Returning to London in 1815. Faraday began working as an assistant in one of the laboratories of the Royal Institution in London. At that time it was one of the best physics laboratories in the world. From 1816 to 1818 Faraday published a number of small notes and short memoirs on chemistry. Faraday's first work on physics, devoted to the study of singing flames, dates back to 1818.

By and large, this period was only a preparatory school for Faraday. He did not so much work independently as he studied and prepared for those brilliant works that constituted an era in the history of physics and chemistry. On June 12, 1821, Michael married Miss Bernard. Her family had long and friendly acquaintance with the Faradays; it belonged to the same sect of “Zandemans”, of which Faraday was a member. Faraday had been on the best terms with his bride since childhood. The wedding took place without any pomp - in accordance with the nature of the “Zandemanism”, as well as the character of Faraday himself.

Research in electromagnetism and inductive electricity, which constitutes the most valuable diamond in Faraday's crown of glory, consumed the greater part of his life and his energies. As was his custom, Faraday began a series of experiments designed to clarify the essence of the matter. Michael wound two insulated wires parallel to each other on the same wooden rolling pin; He connected the ends of one wire to a battery of ten cells, and the ends of the other to a sensitive galvanometer. It turned out that at the moment when a current is passed into the first wire, and also when this transmission stops, a current is also excited in the second wire, which in the first case has the opposite direction to the first current and the same with it in the second case and lasts only one instant. These secondary instantaneous currents, caused by the influence of primary induction, were called inductive by Faraday, and this name has remained with them to this day.

Faraday then begins to study the laws of electrochemical phenomena. The first law established by Michael Faraday is that the amount of electrochemical action does not depend either on the size of the electrodes, or on the current intensity, or on the strength of the decomposing solution, but solely on the amount of electricity passing through the circuit; in other words, the amount of electricity required is proportional to the amount of chemical action. This law was derived by Faraday from countless experiments, the conditions of which he varied to infinity.

The second, even more important law of electrochemical action, established by Faraday, is that the amount of electricity required for the decomposition of various substances is always inversely proportional to the atomic weight of the substance, or, expressed differently, for the decomposition of a molecule (particle) of any substance The same amount of electricity is always required.

Extensive and versatile work could not but affect Faraday's health. In the last years of this period of his life, he worked with great difficulty. In 1839 and 1840, Faraday's condition was such that he was often forced to interrupt his studies and go somewhere to the seaside towns of England. In 1841, friends convinced Faraday to go to Switzerland to recover his strength for new work with a thorough rest. It was the first real vacation in a long time.

The opportunity to devote himself entirely to scientific pursuits for Faraday was determined, however, not only by a certain material security, but even more so by the fact that all external life worries were removed from him by his wife, his real guardian angel. Loving wife took on all the hardships of life in order to give her husband the opportunity to devote himself entirely to science. Never for a long time life together Faraday did not feel the difficulties of a material nature, which only his wife knew and which did not distract the mind of the tireless researcher from his great works. Family happiness also served as the best consolation for Faraday in the troubles that befell him in the first years of his scientific career. A scientist who outlived his wife wrote about his family life, referring to yourself in the third person.

From magnets the researcher moved on to electric currents. During these experiments, Michael Faraday made a great new discovery. We are talking about “magnetic friction”. The second half of the forties was occupied by work on the magnetism of crystals. Faraday then turned to the magnetic phenomena of flame, which had just been discovered by Bancalari. And finally. Faraday addresses questions of a purely philosophical nature. He tries to find out the nature of matter, determine the relationship between atom and space, between space and forces, dwells on the question of the hypothetical ether as a carrier of forces, and so on.

However, the scientist became famous not only for his numerous discoveries. Faraday wanted his discoveries to be understandable to those who did not receive special education. To do this, he began to popularize scientific knowledge. Since 1826, Faraday began giving his famous Christmas lectures. One of the most famous of them was called “The History of the Candle from a Chemical Point of View.” It was later published as a separate book and became one of the first popular science publications in the world. This initiative was taken up and developed by many others scientific organizations The scientist did not stop his scientific activities until his death.

Michael Faraday has passed away August 25, 1867, aged seventy-six years. (Samin D.K. 100 great scientists. - M.: Veche, 2000)

"The Iron Lady"

Margaret Thatcher

" Iron Lady "

Margaret Thatcher- Prime Minister of Great Britain (1979-1990)

The term Thatcherism has become firmly established in British political life. This term characterizes certain political, ideological and moral guidelines that Margaret Thatcher pursued or sought to implement, as well as her specific leadership style.
The political philosophy of Thatcherism is not without interest. It is based on several elements. This is an apologetics for free enterprise and personal initiative. Thatcher considers the main incentive to be direct material gain, the desire to “arrange life as best as possible for yourself and your family.” According to her, she thereby “appeals to the best that is inherent in human nature.”
The question of the motivation of human activity is one of the central ones in the philosophy of Thatcherism. “There is nothing wrong with creating wealth, only the passion for money for the sake of money is reprehensible,” says Thatcher. “The pursuit of equality is a mirage. Opportunities mean nothing if they are not backed by the right to inequality, the freedom to stand out from everyone else.”

To understand Thatcher's worldview, one must keep in mind that she herself, unlike most of her predecessors, does not belong to the British establishment. She comes from the petty bourgeoisie. She was born in 1925 in the small English town of Grantham into the family of a grocer and forever retained her sympathies for the environment from which she came. This largely explains the fact that an important element of the concept of Thatcherism was the “return to Victorian moral values” it proclaimed: respect for family, home and religion, law and order, frugality, accuracy, hard work, the primacy of individual rights.
Thatcher quite accurately captured the mood of certain sections of society advocating that the country should be headed by " strong personality", which could return Britain to its former greatness and restore "proper order" in the country. It is characteristic, for example, that in the sphere of public morality, strengthening law and order, Thatcher not only did not weaken the role of the state, but also significantly strengthened it. During her tenure The authorities adopted several new important laws designed to expand the powers of the courts and police, and immigration legislation was tightened.
The basis of Thatcher's economic course was the monetarist concept, which gave priority to reducing inflation by curbing the growth of the money supply and issuing it in a volume that would be directly dependent on output and the interest rate. Monetary regulation is the main lever of influence on economic conditions. The Thatcher government consistently restructured the tax system. Reducing taxation, according to her plan, should encourage business activity and increase capital turnover.
M. Thatcher energetically and decisively broke the system of state corporations that had developed in the country. Privatization of the socialized sector is one of the main elements of the economic restructuring she carried out. In conversations, including with our economists, she more than once noted the inflexibility of state enterprises and their late response to the constantly changing needs of the market. Since these enterprises, she said, are supported by the state, they do not need to worry about survival. At the same time, Thatcher has repeatedly said that an important task of the government is to create the most favorable conditions for private business, which has the right to achieve increased profits subject to full responsibility for the results of its own activities. A feature of Thatcher's version of privatization is the widespread sale of shares to small owners. This line, she noted, makes it possible to introduce the mass of ordinary Englishmen to the philosophy of ownership, and, therefore, in political terms, to strengthen their base of support for conservatives.

The policies of Thatcher and her government faced significant difficulties. For example, in the social field, the creation of market competition in the healthcare sector, and in educational reforms, there was a clear tendency to divide society into “first” and “second” class people. It was in these issues that Thatcher crossed the line of acceptable social maneuvering. English voters turned out to be unprepared for the restructuring of society according to the principle of “everyone for himself.” This was reflected in the processes that ultimately forced Thatcher to relinquish her leadership of the party and leave the post of prime minister in 1990. Of course, one must also take into account the rigidity of Thatcher’s line when resolving budgetary issues in the European Union, which put London at risk of isolation in the community. The methods of resolving issues in the government gave reason to interpret Thatcher's style as authoritarian, as a departure from the “art of British classical diplomacy.”
But we should not forget that Thatcher’s pragmatism allowed her to gradually move away from the initially negative line towards the Soviet Union and carry out reassessment of approaches to one of the main problems of international life - the complex of East-West relations.
Thatcher is a powerful person. Her mind, strength, extraordinary intellect - everything was devoted to state and political activities for many years. Her main passion is communication with strong people on the political stage, even if this communication results in a sharp dialogue, a principled dispute (which, by the way, happened more than once during her contacts with Gorbachev). Thatcher was drawn to statesmen, from whom, as she put it, “emanate the magnetism of power and popularity.” Especially to those who, in her eyes, are capable of conducting a dialogue with knowledge of the matter, at a high intellectual level. After her third election victory, Thatcher clearly sought to apply her strength and experience in the international arena, primarily in the sphere of East-West relations. It is natural - what, in fact, could be more important for the fate of Europe and the world? It is also quite natural that Thatcher, who already had extensive experience in communicating with government officials and prominent politicians, considered it especially important to strengthen contacts with the Soviet leader and prepared for each meeting with Gorbachev especially seriously. Under the Prime Minister, a small group of experts was created from former British ambassadors in Moscow, authoritative Sovietologists. The leading role among them was played by the talented analyst Charles Powell, who always accompanied Thatcher in conversations with the president of the former USSR.

Thatcher undoubtedly has a certain artistry, which is important in politics. Preparing for this or that meeting with Gorbachev, she not only weighed political aspects the upcoming conversation, but she also practiced every gesture, even her gaze. Once at the airport, when meeting Gorbachev, one of my British interlocutors, who knew Thatcher well, said: “Look at our prime minister - she has literally transformed, her eyes glow with an unusual brilliance. This is the influence of your president...” “Politicians are not guided by love or hatred, they are guided by interests, not by feelings,” noted the prominent British writer and diplomat of the 18th century, Philip Chesterfield. True, of course. And yet... The obvious mutual sympathies of Thatcher and Gorbachev undoubtedly contributed to strengthening contacts between the two leaders, making their dialogue more confidential and, consequently, more fruitful.
Stories about British-Soviet relations often feature the meeting of the British prime minister with Gorbachev in December 1984 on the outskirts of London, at the government country residence of Checkers.
Already in the mid-80s, when it became obvious that Brezhnev was seriously ill and in fact did not govern either the state or the party, analytical work began in the West and became increasingly widespread every year, the purpose of which was to calculate what promises the world and the Soviet Union a “post-Brezhnev period.” The ruling triumvirate, which actually ruled our country at that time (Ustinov, Andropov, Gromyko), was not particularly taken into account, since all members of this triumvirate had an insurmountable obstacle to the pinnacle of power - age.
M. Gorbachev was little known in the West at that time. However, his visit to Canada in 1982 and his conversations with political figures in this country provided Western politicians and the most far-sighted “Kremlinologists” with valuable information. They began to talk about Gorbachev as an ambitious and energetic politician who, unlike his colleagues in the Politburo, showed significant interest in Western methods of economic management, in the Western system of values. The Soviet ambassador to Canada - he was A. Yakovlev at that time - greatly helped Gorbachev create this initial image.
M. Thatcher met Gorbachev in February 1984, when she arrived in Moscow for Andropov’s funeral. In the autumn of the same year - for the first time after a long cooling of Anglo-Soviet relations - a delegation of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was invited to visit London on an official visit.
The development of Soviet-British relations in recent years is a striking and in many respects perhaps the only example of how trust can be strengthened between two states in a relatively short period of time. During the Moscow-London dialogue, new, modern approaches were laid in relations between East and West. This process, of course, was very, very difficult, because in the course of it we had to overcome years of accumulated mutual suspicions, mistrust and negative stereotypes of perceiving each other.

British of Russian origin

PhilipMountbatten(PrincePhilip)

Prince Philip was the fifth child and only son of Prince Andrew, son of King George I of Greece and brother of the then reigning King Constantine, and at birth had the title Prince of Greece and Denmark. Prince Andrew belonged to the Danish house of Glücksburg, which reigned in Greece, his wife and Philip's mother, Princess Alice, belonged to the Battenberg family (she was the niece of the Russian Empress Alexandra Feodorovna).

Philip is the great-grandson of the Danish king Christian IX, the great-great-grandson of the English Queen Victoria and the Russian Emperor Nicholas I.

After Constantine's abdication in 1922, Prince Andrew's family was expelled from Greece and settled in Paris. In 1928, Philip was sent to live with relatives in London. In 1933-1935 he studied at school in Germany, then in Scotland. In 1939-40 he studied at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. After graduation, he received the rank of midshipman and passed the Navy throughout the Second World War, ending it with the rank of senior lieutenant.

While studying at college, he met his fourth cousins, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, who attended the school with King George VI. After this, a correspondence began between Philip and Elizabeth, and in 1946 Philip asked the king for permission to marry the heiress to the throne.

Before marriage, he adopted the surname Mountbatten (an anglicized version of his mother's surname - Battenberg) and converted from Greek Orthodoxy to Anglicanism. In addition, he renounced the titles "Prince of Greece" and "Prince of Denmark" and accepted British citizenship. On the eve of the marriage, King George VI awarded his future son-in-law the title DukeEdinburgh, graphMerionetskyAndbaronGreenwich.

Philip and Elizabeth have four children: Charles, Prince of Wales (b.1948), Princess Anne (b.1950), Prince Andrew, Duke of York (b.1960) and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (b.1964).

In 1950, he was appointed commander of the sloop Magpie. He completed active service in the Navy in 1951.

In 1952, after the death of King George VI and the accession of Elizabeth II to the throne, he became the consort of the reigning monarch, but did not accept the title of prince consort. The title of prince (usually given to direct descendants of the king) was given to Philip in 1957.

After 1952, Prince Philip devoted himself entirely to serving the royal family, performing numerous ceremonial and charitable duties. He is a patron of about 800 organizations. In 1964-1986 he was president of the International Equestrian Federation, in 1981-1996 - of the World Wildlife Fund. In 1973, he was the first member of the British royal family to visit the USSR.

During the celebrations of his 90th birthday in 2011, Prince Philip announced his intention to reduce public functions.

On December 15, 2016, he could become the longest-living male descendant of Queen Victoria. The record currently belongs to the late (died May 5, 2012 at the age of 95 years, 6 months and 5 days) Carl Johan Bernadotte.

Games

Exercise 1

Match English words with their translation.

Task 2

He was the grandson of the seventh Duke of Marlborough, that is, a direct descendant of the first Duke of Marlborough. However, he did not have the title of Duke, because according to English tradition, noble title inherited by the eldest son in the family, and his father was the second son. If you uncle had no sons, then he would definitely have become the ninth Duke of Marlborough, but then he would not have taken the chair of the Prime Minister of Great Britain.

Answer: Winston Churchill - famous English politician, statesman, Prime Minister of Great Britain in 1940-1945 and 1951-1955.

Task 3

The first and only woman to hold the post of Prime Minister of a European state. In our country she received the nickname “Iron Lady” for her criticism of the Soviet leadership.

Answer: Margaret Thatcher was re-elected three times as Prime Minister. As head of government, Thatcher carried out a number of political and economic reforms: she allowed the privatization of a number of unprofitable state-owned enterprises, kept inflation at the lowest level, and faced unemployment problems. But, thanks to skillful leadership, stability and economic growth appeared in the country.

Conclusion

Great Britain is very rich in outstanding people, as it always has been. There are many famous British musicians, athletes, scientists, writers, researchers and so on.

I asked my friends and family to name their favorite famous British people. Some people, prominent celebrities are alive today. Some are historical figures who have contributed to Britain's past.

This important twentieth-century politician and statesman received the most votes. He led the British people during the Second World War and his inspirational speeches helped people continue to hope for peace during very difficult times. He is known for his determination and his ability to unite people with powerful words. Many older Britons will be able to immediately recognize the sound of his voice. Some voters argue that more modern celebrities don't offer the same role models and inspiration as a historical figure. But there are also very famous people who show us the right example. Of course, this is Winston Churchill.

One of the most important people of humanity was Charles Darwin, who was a great explorer, scientist and writer. He traveled all over the world carefully studying the origins of humans and some animals, and then he created his famous book "On the Origin of Species" where he argued that all human beings were descended from simpler creatures through evolution and natural selection. Isaac Newton was another great man in the world of science. This outstanding Englishman is considered one of the founders of physics. Among the famous British David Beckham, famous football player. This brilliant and very popular footballer is best known as Manchester United's best player and captain of his country. He is often presented as a role model for young boys and, until recently, as an ideal family man and father.

Great Britain has given the world many talented people. The preparation of this document took quite a long time, sometimes hard work. But I did it with pleasure. Thanks to this I now know a lot more about some British people. It was very interesting to learn a lot of new things. I hope that my project will help you in the future.

List of used literature

Britain for you. Sozykina L.S., Karpukhina I.A. Moscow, 2001

English for everyone. C. E. Eckersley. St. Petersburg, 1995

Britain. James O'Driscoll. Oxford, 1997.

Great Britain made a great contribution to the science, literature, music and arts of the world. It gave mankind a lot of outstanding scientists, writers and poets, musicians and painters.

Thomas More, who lived in the 15th century was an outstanding humanist, scientist and statesman. His work “Utopia” brought him worldwide acknowledgment. Many prominent people were influenced by his ideas of a free democratic state described in “Utopia”.

Daniel Defoe, Robert Burns, Walter Scott, Charles Dickens, Lewis Carroll are only a few names well-known all over the world.

William Hogarth, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Gainsborough, John Constable contributed to the world’s painting treasures.

Great Britain has also given the world many outstanding scientists. Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of penicillin was born in Scotland. He spent his working hours almost entirely in hospitals and laboratories. His discovery of penicillin did more to help suffering people than anything else for centuries. When he died in 1955 his old friend said: “… by his work he relieved more suffering than any other living man.”

Ernest Rutherford, a famous English physicist worked in the field of radioactivity. His brilliant researches established the existence and nature of radioactive transformations. He was one of the founders of the atomic theory of physics and creators of the first atomic model.

M. Faraday made his major discovery in the field of electricity - the electromagnetic induction. He also made several important observations on the conductivity of different materials. Enjoying world-wide popularity, Faraday remained a modest man, who rejected high titles.

All of them considered hard labor and love for mankind to be the main reason of their success.

Prominent people of Great Britain

Great Britain has made great contributions to the world's science, literature, music and art. She gave humanity many outstanding scientists, writers and poets, musicians and artists.

Thomas More, who lived in the 15th century, was an outstanding humanist, scientist and statesman. His work "Utopia" brought him worldwide recognition. Many famous people were influenced by his ideas of a free democratic state, described in Utopia.

William Shakespeare is one of the most famous writers in the world. His plays "Romeo and Juliet", "Hamlet, Prince of Denmark", "King Lear", "Macbeth" were translated into almost all languages and staged in every theater. He described characters and feelings that can be called international and everlasting.

Daniel Defoe, Robert Burns, Walter Scott, Charles Dickens, Lewis Carroll are just a few names known throughout the world.

William Hogarth, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Gainsborough, John Constable contributed to the treasury of world painting.

Great Britain has also produced many outstanding scientists. Alexander Fleming, who discovered penicillin, was born in Scotland. He spent almost everything work time in hospitals and laboratories. His discovery of penicillin did more to help suffering people than anyone else for centuries. When he died in 1955, his old friend said: "... with his work, he cured more sufferers than any other person."

Ernest Rutherford is a famous English physicist who worked in the field of radioactivity. His brilliant research established the presence and nature of radioactive transformations. He was one of the founders of the atomic theory of physics and the creator of the first atomic model.

M. Faraday did major discovery in the field of electrical energy - electromagnetic induction. He also made a number of important observations on the thermal conductivity of various materials. Although famous throughout the world, Faraday remained a modest man who refused a high title.

All these people credited hard work and love for humanity as the main reason for their success.

Hello my beloved readers.

What do you think of when you hear about Great Britain? Tea, the Queen and Big Ben? Oh, how neglected everything is!;) But I’m absolutely sure that somewhere on the shelves of your memory lies this little knowledge that you carefully hide.

So today I will remind you what Great Britain is famous for, besides tea and the Queen! I’ll also give you a topic in English with translation, where I’ll briefly tell you the most interesting things.

Great places

Cities

Surprisingly there is only one in the UK Big City - London with a population of more than 7 million people. Other cities stopped at about half a million.

Every city in the country is beautiful, but there are famous places that everyone wants to visit.

Liverpool known for the group " Beatles"and the seaport, which was first built here and made the delivery of goods much faster.

By the way, the residents of Liverpool were given the nickname “ Scousers» after the same name of a popular dish in this area - potato stew. Moreover, local dialect and the accent also received this name.

Manchester famous for its football team - Manchester United. Hundreds of football fans come there every day.

The city also received a number of nicknames during the history of its existence. These were " Madchester" - from the word " mad" - crazy - and " Gunchester"in an era of rising youth crime. But, nevertheless, it still remains incredibly beautiful and popular.

Universities

If you are asked which famous universities you know, you will immediately think about and. Well, maybe remember about London University. The merit of this is that Oxford and Cambridge universities are on everyone's lips. They take first place in the rankings, and almost everyone dreams of studying there.

Attractions

Surely everyone knows Shakespeare, Dickens And Thomas Hardy. Everyone has heard about Jane Austen and her " Pride and Prejudice", about Lewis Carroll and an incredible journey " Alice in Wonderland"(this is still my favorite book!), about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", which are becoming more and more popular every year.

And about Joanne Rowling and loved by many " Harry Potter“It’s not worth saying.

Great scientists like Isaac Newton And Charles Darwin were born on this land. Famous politicians like Margaret Thatcher- the first woman in history Prime Minister And Winston Churchill significantly influenced the course of history not only of their country, but of the whole world.

And now in English

Remember, I promised at the very beginning to tell all this in English? Well, catch it.

Surprisingly, but the UK has only one big city - London, with its population over 7 million people. Other cities have on average half a million citizens.

Liverpool is famous for The Beatles and the seaport, which was the first to be built here and made the delivery of goods much faster.

By the way, the citizens of Liverpool were given the nickname “scousers” by the name of popular in this area dish - potato stew. Moreover, the local dialect and accent got this name too.

Manchester is famous for its football team - Manchester United. Hundreds of football fans arrive there every day.

Universities.

If you are asked what the most famous universities are, you instantly think about Oxford and Cambridge. Well, maybe, about the University of London too.

The reason for this is that everyone heard about Oxford and Cambridge universities. They took the first place in all rankings, and many people want to study there.

Sightseeing

We can write a three-volume book about the places to visit in the UK. From Big Ben to Loch ness lake, Tower of London, the Big Eye, hundreds of museums and galleries are all located here.

Great people.

It requires several days to name all famous people of the country. All the singers and actors, writers and poets, great political figures, and famous historical figures.

If the only famous musicians you can name are the Beatles, then you are far from the country’s music world. Mick Jagger and Sir Elton John, Tom Jones and John Lennon left a significant mark in musical history.

And as for JK Rowling and the extremely beloved “Harry Potter” it’s no use mentioning.

Great scientists like Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin were born in the country. Famous politicians like Margaret Thatcher - first female Prime Minister and the Whinstone Churchill greatly influenced the course of history of not only their country, but the whole world.

Useful expressions:

to have on average - to have on average

population over (5 million) - population more than (5 million)

popular dish - popular dish

the delivery of goods - delivery of goods

the reason for this - the reason for this

it requires - required

to influence the course of history - influence the course of history

not only... but also - not only... but also

To fully immerse yourself and feel the whole spirit of Great Britain, you need to either devote a significant part of your life to studying it, or go there on a long trip.

However, it will be interesting for children to visit Harry Potter's castle, and adults will enjoy the beautiful views of the castles and the historical spirit of the country, not just by looking at the photos.

If you want to receive even more interesting and useful materials, subscribe to my blog newsletter and stay up to date with everything new.

Until new interesting meetings!

Any country, as you know, is famous, first of all, not for its mineral resources, rich deposits of gold and diamonds, but for its inhabitants. “Who are the most famous - you ask. As for this country, it has made a huge contribution to the treasury of world culture, history, economics, politics and other spheres of society. Therefore, the list will be very extensive.

Every year, based on the results of a traditional survey carried out in the country, a special list is compiled, which includes the most famous people in England. Only the most worthy of them, who have made the greatest contribution to the development of this country, are included in it. So who are they, the great and famous people of England? In this article we present to your attention only some of them.

Sir Cliff Richard

Let's start talking about the most famous personalities of the country of Foggy Albion with a person unfamiliar to most of our fellow citizens. Just like other famous people in England, in particular his colleague Paul McCartney, Cliff Richard bears the title “sir” before his name. These two distinguished people have common rock and roll roots.

In the late 50s of the last century, Cliff instantly became the king of rock and roll and the idol of many British teenagers. As part of the great band The Shadows, which accompanied the musician, he reached the pinnacle of his career. At that time, Cliff Richard's group was put on a par with the American The Ventures, noting their enormous contribution to the popularization of rock and roll. By the mid-60s, Richard's fame seemed to know no bounds. Many people in England came to his concerts.

Revenge

However, the new fashion that emerged pushed the great musician far and long away from the top of the charts. Only in 1976 did he manage to take revenge with his song "Devil Woman", which became his first hit in America. In the 80s, Cliff Richard's career continued successfully; he managed to stay afloat in the 90s, and entered the new millennium as a legend.

In the UK, this performer is ranked on a par with “The Beatles”. To date, more than 250 million albums of this musician have been sold worldwide. He became the real king of the British hit parade, taking first place 25 times.

Charles Darwin

To the list of “Famous Englishmen” we will add Charles Darwin, who needs no introduction. He is known throughout the world as a great naturalist, the creator of the famous book "The Origin of Species", the founder of the hypothesis that the human race descended from monkeys.

Charles Darwin scientifically substantiated the idea that in the course of evolution, which took place over centuries and millennia, not only humans, but also all living organisms evolved. Moreover, they all had common ancestors. Scientists are still arguing about whether this theory should be considered reliable. Famous and famous people from Great Britain and other countries spoke out and debated about it, but never came to a consensus.

The main driving force through which this process occurs, as Charles Darwin believed, is natural selection. In his ingenious assumptions, the scientist relied on artificial selection, which received significant development in the agricultural sector of Great Britain at the end of the 19th century, that is, during the lifetime of the researcher.

His hypotheses and ideas became a solid basis for modern biology; there is a whole doctrine based on the idea of natural selection, called Darwinism. Many famous Englishmen and representatives of other countries are his followers and are called Darwinists.

David Beckham

The list of "Famous People of England" includes David Beckham. He won world fame as a member of the Manchester United team. David's parents were simple people. His father worked and moonlighted as a coach for a local team, his mother was a hairdresser. They were very fans of Manchester United and attended all the matches with the participation of this team, which took place on their home field.

Therefore, one might say, fate itself prepared Beckham a chance to become famous, and he took advantage of it by attending a training session of the Barcelona club, and at the age of 14, signing a contract with his beloved Manchester United. The footballer first attracted attention when he scored the decisive goal against Crystal Palace, which allowed his beloved club to take the British Youth Cup in 1992.

Since then, David Beckham has been invited to play in various teams that include some of England's biggest names in the football world. Thus, he worked in the clubs Real Madrid, Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and other strong and famous teams. Despite the fact that he has now completed his career, David continues to hold the record for the most matches played in the Great Britain national team, which he captained for six years.

With his good looks, David Beckham was also voted the highest paid player in football in 2011 and is now a global brand name.

A year after the divorce, Diana was killed in a car accident in Paris. Then, in 1997, a remake of the song “Candle in the Wind” by Elton John was dedicated to her; earlier, in 1973, dedicated to Marilyn Monroe.

In 2007, this hit became the best-selling single in the world. In addition to music, the name of the great Lady Di was immortalized in cinema and literature, and in 2002 people recognized her as the third of the hundred great citizens of Great Britain. Not only ordinary residents, but also many famous people of England and other countries were inspired by her example.

Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin's fame was also very great. This representative of London inherited his talent from his parents, who worked as artists in the music hall. The image of the tramp Charlie brought him the greatest fame. Actively starring in short comedies that combined slapstick comedy and pantomime, he achieved maximum fame. At that time, namely in 1910, such comedies were the most popular silent film genre.

Mature period of creativity

Then, already in the next decade, Charlie Chaplin began to turn to serious social problems, being simultaneously a producer, director, scriptwriter and composer. But it was the early image of the extravagant vagabond that people in Britain and the world remember most. At the end of this decade, Charlie Chaplin moved to the United States, where he founded United Artists with three other artists."

This great man began his career at the age of just 13 when he first appeared on the music hall stage, and was active for 75 years, almost until his death. At the turn of the millennium, the people of Great Britain named him tenth of the hundred great stars of world cinema.

Many books have been dedicated to the brilliant comedian, and dozens of different films, feature films and documentaries, have been made about him. The name Charlie Chaplin has become a household name, which indicates enormous popularity, which has not diminished to this day.

James Cook

Let's add to the list of "Famous People of England" the brave navigator, James Cook, who truly glorified his country. Since the time of Vladimir Vysotsky, he has been haunted by the incorrect stamp that he was allegedly eaten by cannibals. In fact, the great captain fell in a battle with the Hawaiians, famous for their thieving antics, for the property belonging to his ship. At that time he was already making his third voyage around the world.

James was very brave and did his job well. life path from a cabin boy of the Hercules coal miner to a world-famous navigator. On the spot where he was struck down by the Hawaiian spear, there is now a monument built by their descendants in recognition of the great merits of this explorer.

The legacy of the great navigator

As a legacy, James Cook left behind many carefully compiled maps, which served as guides for posterity for a long time.

Despite the fact that the navigator had to leave home for a long time on long expeditions, Cook was married and had six children. Even as a cabin boy, he showed a penchant for studying maritime affairs, reaching the point of fanaticism. James Cook was thirsty for knowledge, and this made him go further and further in his voyages.

The captain is also responsible for the discovery of a remedy for the treatment of scurvy, a terrible disease that claimed the lives of many sailors at that time. James Cook became famous for his tolerance and friendliness towards the Aborigines.

Later, in our time, the spacecraft on which the fourth American landing on the Moon was named after the ship Endeavor, the first ship whose commander was Cook. Together with Ivan Kruzenshtern and Francois de La Perouse, this Englishman is the greatest navigator in the world.

William Shakespeare

It is simply impossible to avoid this writer when creating an article on the topic “Famous people of Great Britain”. He is the author of truly immortal literary masterpieces, which to this day are staged on the stages of world theaters.

Each of us is familiar with the famous saying “To be or not to be?” This author created an impressive and significant legacy of tragedies, comedies, chronicles, poems, and three epitaphs. His most popular and beloved creation is Romeo and Juliet. The stories of Hamlet, Othello and Macbeth are also very famous.

Doubt about the identity of the author

There are legends about William Shakespeare; sometimes they say that he was not one person, but a pseudonym behind which a whole group of writers was hiding. This was due to the fact that history has not left us information about what kind of education this author received. However, William Shakespeare's vocabulary was about 30 thousand words!

In addition, the works of this man reveal his deep knowledge of history and literature. Another reason for doubt is that none of his manuscripts have reached us. The orientation of the great playwright and poet is also disputed.

A number of researchers believe that the basis for this opinion is the sonnets of William Shakespeare, supposedly of an autobiographical nature. However, despite all the rumors, William Shakespeare (or other famous people of Great Britain under his pseudonym - this question has not yet been resolved) remains a classic of English literature. He died at the beginning of the 17th century, but his creations are still alive.

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There are countries on our planet that everyone and everything knows about, and one of them is Great Britain. Looking at the huge lists of the 100 great inhabitants of this country, one gets the impression that the United Kingdom has collected all the minds and talents: a lot of politicians, scientists, stars and writers were born here, leaving a huge contribution to world history. And many famous people of Great Britain made a huge contribution not only to the development of this country, but also to the science and culture of the whole world.

1. Queen Elizabeth II (1926 - present)

The current reigning queen of Great Britain, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, was born in London in 1926, and in 1952 ascended the throne and to this day delights the whole world with her reign.
Queen Elizabeth II is the daughter of King George VI and the heir to the famous Windsor dynasty, which has ruled England for many years. As a child, she did not even dream of ascending the throne, because she was only the third contender after her uncle Edward VIII and her father. But Edward VIII abdicated the throne because of his love for a married woman, and George VI died of thrombosis in 1952. As a result, a young girl at the age of 26 ascended the throne.
Even before this significant event, Elizabeth II married Philip Mountbatten and managed to give birth to two children - Prince Charles and Princess Anne. During the reign, the crowned couple had two more children.
Throughout her life, Elizabeth II actively took part in the political activities of the country, received an excellent education and even taught herself some disciplines. Today she is the main modern symbol of Great Britain, an example to follow not only for royalty, but also for ordinary Englishmen.

2. Diana Spencer (1961-1997)

Lady Di, or officially Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales. This person needs no introduction, as she has been living in the hearts of thousands of people for many years, especially in the UK. She was married to Prince Charles, gave birth to two children from him - Prince William and Prince Harry, but in this marriage she never found her love and happiness.
Princess Diana, heir to the ancient and famous Spencer-Churchill family, was the standard of style and kindness during her lifetime, and remains so now.
In the last years of her marriage, Lady Di experienced many scandals - the publication of information about her husband's infidelities, the official declaration of her own infidelity to Prince Charles and the constant excessive interest of the media, which ultimately led to the death of everyone's favorite. Queen Elizabeth II insisted on Diana and Charles' divorce, and it was officially signed in 1996. A year later, Lady Di was in a car accident in Paris with her lover Dodi al-Fayed (the son of an Egyptian billionaire), as a result of which she did not survive.
Princess Diana's role in charitable and global activities has brought her well-deserved popularity and love throughout the world.

3. Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

Winston Churchill is one of the smartest and most quoted politicians in the United Kingdom, who managed to stay in the political system during the reign of 6 British monarchs (from Queen Victoria to Queen Elizabeth II). Churchill became a favorite of the British during the Second World War, it was at this time that he raised the spirit of the country's inhabitants, who did not believe in victory and were waiting for the German invaders. Churchill was also responsible for the initiative to start the Cold War, so this politician can be called the “cutter” of the modern world as we see it today.
Everyone remembers Sir Winston Churchill as the Prime Minister of Great Britain, but besides this, he was also a writer, a journalist, and even a winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, which he received in 1953.

4. Queen Victoria (1819 - 1901)

Alexandrina Victoria, or Queen Victoria, was the reigning monarch of Great Britain and Ireland from 1837 until her death. Until recently, she was the longest-reigning monarch in the history of the United Kingdom, sitting on the throne for 63 years and 7 months. In honor of this ruler, even the era of her reign was called Victorian, since Queen Victoria was able to significantly expand the British Empire, create a constitutional monarchy as we see it today, and ensure cultural, industrial, scientific and military progress. The House of Commons also succumbed to the reforms, increasing its influence.
Victoria became Queen at the age of 18, a year before she met her future husband, Prince Albert. The couple had 9 children, and the Queen was often called the “Grandmother of Europe” for the fact that throughout her life she arranged the marriages of all her children and 42 grandchildren across the continent. After the death of her mother and her dear husband in 1861, Queen Victoria went into mourning and wore only black robes for the rest of her life.

5. Margaret Thatcher (1925 - 2013)

“The Iron Lady” Margaret Hilda Thatcher is the first female prime minister of a European state and Great Britain in particular. At one time, she harshly criticized the leadership of the USSR, for which she received the nickname “Iron Lady,” but in her country she was very loved and revered, especially after the victory in the Falkland Islands. Respect for this political person can be indicated by the fact that she was re-elected to the post of prime minister 3 times.
During her political career, Margaret Thatcher carried out a lot of economic and political reforms, for example, was able to keep inflation at an incredibly low level, achieved permission to privatize some unprofitable state-owned enterprises, and solved unemployment problems in the country. The result was economic growth and stability in the UK.

6. William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

It is impossible to imagine English literature without William Shakespeare. He is an outstanding playwright and poet. His immortal works, in particular Hamlet and King Lear, are staged more often than others all over the world.
William Shakespeare is called the poet of England; he wrote 38 plays, 154 sonnets, and many comedies and epitaphs. However, there is no evidence that all these works were written by Shakespeare, nor are there any surviving manuscripts of the writer. In addition, William Shakespeare did not receive an education, although all of his works are incredibly deep with a large vocabulary reaching 29 thousand words. And although there is a lot of controversy surrounding the figure of the great playwright (about the authenticity of his works, religion, appearance and even his orientation), he was and remains a unique personality with a worldwide heritage.

7. Isaac Newton (1643-1727)

The famous scientist, mathematician, one of the founders of classical physics, astronomer and mechanic - all this is Isaac Newton. We have known about him since school: it was he who expounded the law of universal gravitation, explained the 3 laws of mechanics, developed the theory of color, integral and differential calculus; He has more than one mathematical and physical theory to his credit.
This is a scientist with a capital S, since he considered even eating and sleeping necessary, but wasted time, which could be dedicated to science. Newton did not have direct students, but a number of English scientists grew up on his books and research.

8. Charles Darwin (1809-1882)

We all know Charles Robert Darwin from the main theory in our history of the evolution of life on Earth, namely the evolution of man from the ape. He was a biologist, naturalist and explorer who circumnavigated the world after graduating from Cambridge University in 1831. After publishing works that resulted from research during his travels, Darwin began collecting material on the evolution and heredity of plants and wild animal species, studied natural and artificial selection, putting forward the hypothesis of heredity.
Most biologists recognized Darwin's theory of evolution during his lifetime, but it became generally accepted only in the 50s of the last century. Now “Darwinism” has become a household word, meaning a scientific view of evolution in the modern world.

9. Charlie Chaplin (1889 - 1977)

One of the most recognizable images in cinema was created by the inimitable Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin, who was not only an actor, but also a director, screenwriter, composer, and editor. At the age of 13, he began his career, inheriting acting talent from his parents, music hall artists.
Although Charlie Chaplin played not only in silent short comedies, but also created films with serious social themes, he is remembered throughout the world for his image of the tramp Charlie. The actor worked not only in England, but also in the USA, where he became the co-founder of the United Artists film studio. This talented silent filmmaker will forever remain in the memory of cinema, being included in the hundred greatest stars of world cinema.

10. James Cook (1728 - 1779)

The name James Cook is associated with oceans and trips around the world. This brave discoverer left behind a lot accurate maps, which he compiled with such care that they were used by many generations of sailors after. He explored lands where few had previously reached - the east coast of Canada, some parts of Newfoundland, New Zealand, Australia. James Cook has completed 3 round-the-world expeditions across the World Ocean.
James Cook was very friendly and tolerant of the local aborigines, wherever he sailed, however, it was at their hands, or more precisely, the inhabitants of Hawaii, that he was killed with a spear in the back of the head.

11. Paul McCartney (1942 - present)

A member of the legendary group The Beatles, Sir James Paul McCartney is recognized as one of the best bass guitarists of all time. He has received a Grammy Award 16 times, is a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and is at the same time an active public and charitable figure, calling for the fight for animal rights, etc.
Paul McCartney is even included in the Guinness Book of Records as the most successful musician and composer in recent history for 60 gold discs and more than 100 million singles sold.

12. Charles Dickens (1812 - 1870)

The writer Charles Dickens is one of the main pillars of literature in England. He was the most popular English-language writer during his lifetime, and after his death his name was placed next to Shakespeare. Such novels as “The Life and Adventures of Oliver Twist”, “David Copperfield” and others made Dickens a classic of world literature, the greatest prose writer of the 19th century.

13. John Tolkien (1892 - 1973)

England is rich in famous writers, but it was John Tolkien who was able to introduce “high fantasy” into the genre that has been read by thousands of people around the world for several decades. Great films have been created based on his books; people of all ages read “The Hobbit, or There and Back Again,” “The Lord of the Rings,” “The Silmarillion,” without even knowing that the author of their favorite books was not just a writer. John Tolkien worked as a professor of Anglo-Saxon at the University of Oxford, was a linguist, philologist, translator, and received the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire from Queen Elizabeth II. His contribution to modern literature is enormous, and it is not for nothing that he has been ranked among the 50 greatest British writers since 1945.

14. Stephen Hawking (1942 - 2018)

Who would have thought that in the modern world a physicist could be so popular, and even have physical disabilities. However, Stephen William Hawking succeeded, he became a popularizer of science, promotes his theory of black holes to the masses, is one of the most influential theoretical physicists, and the founder of quantum cosmology.
Stephen Hawking is almost completely paralyzed (only part of his cheek remains movable), he still has at a young age discovered amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. However, thanks to a speech synthesizer, the physicist communicates with others and leads an active social life, even flying in zero gravity.

15. David Beckham (1975 - present)

A list of famous British people would be incomplete without David Beckham, the former Manchester United midfielder. This footballer gained worldwide fame thanks to his execution of set-pieces and free kicks. Not only with his excellent game, but also with his attractive appearance, Beckham was able to achieve the title of the highest paid football player in 2011. He is also famous for being married to Victoria Adams, one of the members of the mega-popular group “Spice Girls”. Now the couple are very famous in the fashion world.

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