Top 10 England facts

Mary I of England. Mary restored Roman Catholicism after the short-lived Protestant reign of her half-brother Edward VI. Her sobriquet "Bloody Mary" was given by Protestant opponents, as she had over 280 religious dissenters burned at the stake during the persecutions. Her re-establishment of Roman Catholicism was reversed after her death by Elizabeth I

Russia, England, Portugal and several others. The dragon-slayer saint was very popular as a patron saint during the Middle Ages. Many Patronages of Saint George exist around the world, including: Malta, Georgia, England, Egypt, Bulgaria, Aragon, Catalonia, Romania, Ethiopia, Greece, India, Iraq, Lebanon, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, Sardinia, Serbia, Macedonia, Ukraine, Russia and Syria, as well as numerous cities, professions and organizations.

Wimbledon Trophy. Pineapple sits atop the Wimbledon cup as an outdated symbol of luxury. Back in 17th-century England pineapples were one of the most sought-after commodities, and thus the pineapple achieved a social status.

Yes, it was Adrian IV. Nicholas Breakspeare, better known as Adrian IV (b. Approx. 1100 in the Abbots Langley) was the pope in the period from December 4, 1154 to September 1, 1159, the only Englishman on the Chair of Peter. He was the son of a monk Robert of St. Albans. Nicholas began his schooling at St Albans, but soon moved to France, where he joined the Congregation of Canons Regular of St. Rufus.

About 8,000 years ago. Until about 14,000 years ago, Great Britain was joined to Ireland, and as recently as 8,000 years ago it was joined to the continent by a strip of low marsh leading to what are now Denmark and the Netherlands. Great Britain became an island at the end of the last glacial period when sea levels rose due to the combination of melting glaciers and the subsequent isostatic rebound of the crust.

Victoria. Queen Victoria is the longest-ruling monarch of Great Britain and ruled during a time of economic and imperial expansion.At the outbreak of the First World War their grandchildren occupied the thrones of Denmark, Greece, Norway, Germany, Romania, Russia, Spain and the United Kingdom. Queen Victoria had forty grandchildren and eighty-eight great-grandchildren spread throughout Europe. Hence she was nicknamed Grandmother of Europe.

At the human zoo in London. Sara Baartman was known women who, due to their large buttocks, were exhibited as freak show attractions in 19th-century Europe under the name Hottentot Venus—"Hottentot" was the name for the Khoi people, now considered an offensive term, and "Venus" referred to the Roman goddess of love. The fame is due to the extensive exploitation of her body by the general public and scientists, as well as the horrible mistreatment she received during her life and after her death. Her body parts were on display at the Musée de l'Homme for 150 years.

116. The Hundred Years' War was a long struggle between England and France over succession to the French throne. It lasted from 1337 to 1453, so it might more accurately be called the "116 Years' War."

In Blackpool. Blackpool is the only city in Europe and one of three places in the world that uses double-decker trams. In the years 1962-1992 it was the only British city with a working tram network.

King of England hideaway. Following the defeat of the Parliament army at the battle of Worcester in 1651, the future king of England, Charles II Stuart sought hideaway on an oak to save himself from Cromwell's soldiers.