# If There Was a New Poll of the 100 Greatest Britons?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-was-a-new-poll-of-the-100-greatest-britons/729264
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [August 29, 2015, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-was-a-new-poll-of-the-100-greatest-britons/729264 "2015-08-29T11:36:54Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2015, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-was-a-new-poll-of-the-100-greatest-britons/729264/1 "2015-08-29T11:36:54Z")
This one was done in 2002 and if it was laughable at the time it is hilarious now.
[Results.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100_Greatest_Britons) (Thanks to wiki)
Johnny Rotten? Good God.
Assuming this is not a popularity poll, and going on what they achieved (and acknowledging their failures) who would be your top five?
(I am not setting this as a poll as I have no idea what others may wish to contribute)
My top 5, in no specific order:
Henry V
Sir Isaac Newton
William Wilberforce
Horatio Nelson
The Black Prince
Go for it.
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### Author:  [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2015, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-was-a-new-poll-of-the-100-greatest-britons/729264/2 "2015-08-29T17:11:01Z")
Hmm. William Shakespeare, Isaac Newton, John Locke, Michael Faraday, and . . . the Bronte sisters, grouped as one ;).
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### Author:  [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2015, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-was-a-new-poll-of-the-100-greatest-britons/729264/3 "2015-08-29T17:14:14Z")
Apart from the celebs, it looks pretty un-laughable to me.
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### Author:  [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2015, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-was-a-new-poll-of-the-100-greatest-britons/729264/4 "2015-08-29T17:43:56Z")
Berners-Lee would be much higher now I hope.
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### Author:  [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2015, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-was-a-new-poll-of-the-100-greatest-britons/729264/5 "2015-08-29T19:06:32Z")
What. no
James Clerk Maxwell?
Andrew Carnegie
William Armstrong
William Gladstone
Benjamin Disreali
I would tend to look for social reformers and industrialists for our greatest Britons, with a heavy smattering of scientists such as Joseph Lister and Edward Jenner
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### Author:  [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2015, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-was-a-new-poll-of-the-100-greatest-britons/729264/6 "2015-08-29T20:24:40Z")
> [@casdave](#):
>
> What. no
>
> James Clerk Maxwell?
>
> Andrew Carnegie
>
> William Armstrong
>
> William Gladstone
>
> Benjamin Disreali
> I would tend to look for social reformers and industrialists for our greatest Britons, with a heavy smattering of scientists such as Joseph Lister and Edward Jenner
nm
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### Author:  [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2015, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-was-a-new-poll-of-the-100-greatest-britons/729264/7 "2015-08-29T20:35:06Z")
Any such list that includes Bono and leaves off Pete Townshend cannot be taken seriously.
And where is Robert Whitehead (inventor of the torpedo)???