<P> The opening and closing ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympics featured the two greatest Britons, Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Winston Churchill as main characters, played by Kenneth Branagh and Timothy Spall, each of them reading a monologue from William Shakespeare's The Tempest . The ceremony also included a personal appearance by Tim Berners - Lee, who was placed 99th on the list . There were no black Britons on the list, prompting a separate three - month survey to find the 100 greatest black Britons . </P> <P> Due to the nature of the poll used to select and rank the Britons, the results do not claim to be an objective assessment . They are as follows: </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Rank </Th> <Th_colspan="2"> Name </Th> <Th> Notability </Th> <Th> Nomination defended by </Th> <Th> Ref . </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Sir Winston Churchill </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Prime Minister (1940--1945, 1951--1955). Historically ranked as one of the greatest British prime ministers . Kept the nation's spirit up during World War II, when the country had to defend itself against Hitler's attempts to invade . He was an important figure in post-war international and national politics as well . Received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953 . </Td> <Td> Mo Mowlam, British politician . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Isambard Kingdom Brunel </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Designer of the Great Western Railway, Clifton Suspension Bridge, SS Great Britain and numerous significant ships, tunnels and bridges . A prominent figure during the Industrial Revolution which began in Britain, he revolutionised public transport and modern engineering . </Td> <Td> Jeremy Clarkson, TV presenter . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Diana, Princess of Wales </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> First wife of Charles, Prince of Wales (marriage 1981--1996), and mother of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Prince Harry . Admired for her philanthropic deeds . </Td> <Td> Rosie Boycott, journalist and feminist activist . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Charles Darwin </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Biologist . Originator of the theory of evolution through natural selection and author of On the Origin of Species . </Td> <Td> Andrew Marr, journalist and TV presenter . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 5 </Td> <Td> William Shakespeare </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Poet and playwright . Creator of Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and many more . Thought of by many as the greatest of all English writers . He is still an internationally admired and influential figure in the field of theatre . </Td> <Td> Fiona Shaw, actress and theatre and opera director . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 6 </Td> <Td> Sir Isaac Newton </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher . Originator of universal gravitation and laws of classical mechanics and laws of motion . His Principia is one of the most influential works in the history of science . </Td> <Td> Tristram Hunt, historian . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 7 </Td> <Td> Elizabeth I of England </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Queen of England and Ireland . (1558--1603). Brought a period of relative internal stability . She is associated with the defeat of the Spanish Armada . Her reign is known as the Elizabethan era . </Td> <Td> Michael Portillo, journalist and politician . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> John Lennon </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Pop / rock singer - songwriter, musician, activist and member of music quartet The Beatles . One of the most famous, successful, influential, covered and admired pop artists of all time . Hailed for his peace activism . </Td> <Td> Alan Davies, comedian and actor . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 9 </Td> <Td> Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Naval commander, famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars . His victory during the Battle of Trafalgar was significant in preventing an invasion by Napoleon Bonaparte's army . </Td> <Td> Lucy Moore, historian . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 10 </Td> <Td> Oliver Cromwell </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1st Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland (1653--1658). Commander of the New Model Army during the English Civil War against King Charles I. Admired for moving the country to a more democratic stateform, though his nomination was controversial due to allegations of genocide in Ireland . </Td> <Td> Richard Holmes, military historian . </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> Rank </Th> <Th_colspan="2"> Name </Th> <Th> Notability </Th> <Th> Nomination defended by </Th> <Th> Ref . </Th> </Tr>

Who was voted the greatest briton of all time by the uk public in a bbc poll in 2002