Wow! I thought we were bad. A majority actually believe that Sherlock Holmes is real.
Britons are losing a grip on fact and fiction - with nearly one in four believing Winston Churchill and Florence Nightingale are myths and more than half thinking Sherlock Holmes actually existed.These people are obviously not reading and have no understanding of their history.[...]
They were also under the impression that Charles Dickens, one of the most famous writers in English literature, was a fictional character himself.
[...]
Historical figures and the percentage of Britons who believe they are myths:1. Richard the Lionheart (47%)2. Winston Churchill (23%)3. Florence Nightingale (23%)4. Bernard Montgomery (6%)5. Boudica (5%)6. Sir Walter Raleigh (4%)7. Duke of Wellington (4%)8. Cleopatra (4%)9. Gandhi (3%)10. Charles Dickens (3%)
Update: Argh! You know, it's really bad when you're busting on a nation for being dumb and then you're told you have a misspelling! Bummer!
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With the exception of Nightingale and Gandhi, how important are these people, in and of themselves, anyway? Kings, queens, warriors, the lot.
I would say Churchill was very important in the history of England. Wouldn't you? Without him the British might have surrendered to Hitler.
And Richard I, the Moors.
Don't misunderstand me, because I've loved the Plantagenet kings of England, even John, since I was ten years old. But, is my adult life better having grown up with them ... or Pippi Longstocking?
Because, just maybe, a fictional character with more smarts and panache trumps the average real-life bloke.
I firmly believe that one should know history because our life is impacted by what has come before even if we don't realize it.
Does anyone know if they have flouride in their water?
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