Daily Research News Online no. 2552 - Newton Voted Greatest Briton by Worldwide Audience

Newton Voted Greatest Briton by Worldwide Audience

August 20 2003

Sir Isaac Newton has been named the greatest ever Briton in a worldwide follow-up to the BBC TV series 'Great Britons', at the end of which a British audience originally chose Winston Churchill. Votes were cast by overseas viewers to international TV channel BBC World.

For the series, originally shown on BBC2, ten shortlisted candidates were profiled and viewers were asked to vote for the greatest. BBC World showed the same programmes, concluding voting in August. Newton was a comfortable winner with Churchill 4.4% behind and Princess Diana a distant third, just ahead of Shakespeare.

The results, broadcast in mid-August on BBC World, are as follows:

Briton	% of vote
Sir Isaac Newton	21.4
Sir Winston Churchill	17
Princess Diana	13
William Shakespeare	12.1
Charles Darwin	10.1
John Lennon	8
Isambard Kingdom Brunel	7.9
Elizabeth I	6.1
Oliver Cromwell	2.2
Horatio Nelson	2.1

According to historian Tristram Hunt, who presented the Great Britons profile of Newton, 'Newton's achievements affected all mankind and I think it is a proper reflection of his genius that a global audience has voted him the Greatest Briton.

'Indeed, it was Newton's advances in physics - his understanding of gravity and planetary motion - that have sent satellites into space and allowed the series to be beamed round the globe. The world has now repaid the favour'.

Narendhra Morar, commissioning editor of Great Britons for BBC World, said: 'I think one of the reasons for Newton's victory was that the poll was conducted online and he would appeal to younger, computer-savvy voters. It's fascinating that our viewers chose a different greatest Briton to the original series, although Churchill still had a strong following and actually came first among BBC World's ex-pat viewers'.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.