Nicholas Breakspear
The only English-born Pope, Adrian IV, born Nicholas Breakspear, died 850 years ago this week. He’s our hero of the week not for any religious reason, but for his achievement in actually getting the top job - the previous six popes had all been Italian by birth, non-Italian popes then as until recently very rare beasts. He was of humble birth too, in contrast to most pontiffs. He rose rapidly in the church hierarchy on merit rather than as was more usual through nepotism. And though he lived outside England most of his life his death has something rather English about it – supposedly choking while drinking a glass of wine.
Previous heroes of the hour
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Geraint Thomas 13/8/2018
Katherine Grainger 18/8/2016
Jason Kenny 17/8/2016
Victoria Wood 21/4/2016
Ronnie Corbett 15/4/2016
George Martin 9/3/2016
David Bowie 11/1/2016
Wayne Rooney 9/9/2015
George Cole 6/8/2015
Sir Nicholas Winton 5/7/2015
Charles Kennedy 11/6/2015
Joshua Leakey 27/2/2015
Richard Attenborough 25/8/2014
Sir Nicholas Winton 13/6/2014
Stephen Sutton 14/5/2014
Bob Hoskins 2/5/2014
Tony Benn 14/3/2014
Peter O'Toole 20/12/2013
Tom Daley 3/12/2013
David Frost 3/9/2013
Andy Murray 8/7/2013
Richard Briers 27/2/2013
Michael Winner 29/1/2013
Patrick Moore 11/12/2012
Clive Dunn 8/11/2012
Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes 21/9/2012
Laura Trott 13/8/2012
Bradley Wiggins 26/7/2012
Eric Sykes 12/7/2012
Claire Lomas 9/5/2012
Fabrice Muamba 2/4/2012
Florence Green 8/2/2012
The Lawrence Family 4/1/2012
Christopher Hitchens 20/12/2011
Gary Speed 29/11/2011
John Motson 6/10/2011
David Croft 3/10/2011
David Walliams 13/9/2011
Tariq Jahan 19/8/2011
Stuart Broad 2/8/2011
Darren Clarke 18/7/2011
Hugh Grant 7/7/2011
Rory McIlroy 20/6/2011
Queen Elizabeth II 11/5/2011
Henry Cooper 2/5/2011
Chris Brasher 13/4/2011
Royal Wootton Bassett 16/3/2011
Colin Firth 15/2/2011
John Barry 31/1/2011
Jordan Tyson 14/1/2011
Howard Webb 4/1/2011
Elisabeth Beresford 26/12/2010
Charles Dickens 6/12/2010
Alastair Cook 1/12/2010
Kate Middleton 16/11/2010
Danny Baker 2/11/2010
Claire Rayner 12/10/2010
Norman Wisdom 5/10/2010
Colin Montgomerie 4/10/2010
Ed Miliband 27/9/2010
Eileen Nearne 14/9/2010
Annie Nightingale 13/9/2010
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Stephen Hawking 4/9/2010
Samantha Cameron 30/8/2010
Karen Woo 10/8/2010
Mo Farah 2/8/2010
Mark Lewis Francis 29/7/2010
Mark Cavendish 16/7/2010
Beryl Bainbridge 2/7/2010
Tony Hibbert 28/6/2010
Emile Heskey 18/6/2010
Armando Iannucci 7/6/2010
Gary Lineker 19/5/2010
Andrew Neil 7/5/2010
Gillian Duffy 29/4/2010
Dan Snow 19/4/2010
Malcolm McLaren 8/4/2010
Emma Thompson 6/4/2010
James Corden 22/3/2010
Keith Alexander 16/3/2010
Carol O'Brien 14/3/2010
Adam Buxton 11/3/2010
Michael Foot 3/3/2010
Alexander McQueen 2/3/2010
Amy Williams 20/2/2010
Dick Francis 15/2/2010
Terry Pratchett 8/2/2010
Alex Reid 3/2/2010
Jean Simmons 25/1/2010
Robert Burns 18/1/2010
Jonathan Ross 11/1/2010
Patrick Stewart 4/1/2010
Gareth Thomas 23/12/2009
Delia Smith 10/12/2009
Rhodri Morgan 2/12/2009
Grace Darling 23/11/2009
Boris Johnson 10/11/2009
Chris Hoy 2/11/2009
Beth Tweddle 19/10/2009
John Lennon 5/10/2009
Francis Drake 24/9/2009
Keith Floyd 15/9/2009
England Cricket Team 27/8/2009
Jessica Ennis 18/8/2009
Bobby Robson 7/8/2009
Harry Patch 28/7/2009
Henry Allingham 19/7/2009
Andrew Strauss 9/7/2009
Mollie Sugden 2/7/2009
Michael Eavis 22/6/2009
Andy Murray 15/6/2009
David Cameron 9/6/2009
Big Ben 1/6/2009
Vince Cable 25/5/2009
Alex Ferguson 18/5/2009
Margaret Thatcher 11/5/2009
Carol Ann Duffy 3/5/2009
Gordon Ramsay 27/4/2009
The Duke of Edinburgh 20/4/2009
Henry VIII 13/4/2009
Jenson Button 6/4/2009
David Beckham 29/3/2009
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