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Whether it’s Superman or Indiana Jones, heroes have been the central focus of blockbuster movies for decades.
But who would you say is your biggest personal hero?
In a new study, scientists set out to understand the most common heroes in Britain.
Their findings highlight some key types of heroes, including family members, religious and political leaders, as well as writers, celebrities, and even adventurers.
So would you say any of these popular choices are your hero?
In a new study, scientists set out to understand the most common heroes in Britain. Their findings highlight some key types of heroes, including family members, religious and political leaders, as well as writers, celebrities, and even adventurers.
In the study, researchers from the University of Exeter surveyed 1,686 British adults and 1,000 adults in the United States about who their greatest personal hero was.
The results revealed that in both countries, the majority of people said their family and friends were their heroes.
These “everyday” heroes accounted for one in three choices in the United Kingdom and 41 percent in the United States.
The politicians were popular in both countries: Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher and Tony Benn were the most popular in the United Kingdom, and Ronald Reagan, Abraham Lincoln and Barak Obama were the most popular in the United States.
Religious leaders were the eighth most popular category in the UK, with Jesus Christ, Desmond Tutu and the Pope topping the list.
Human rights activists and activists ranked as the sixth most popular category in both countries.
In the United Kingdom, these included Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malala Yousafzai, while in the United States they were Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Mahatma Gandhi.
And when it comes to sports personalities and adventurers, Stephen Gerrard, Muhammed Ali and Steffi Graf among the British, while the Americans chose Muhammed Ali, Michael Jorda and Chris Jericho.
As expected, several celebrities, actors and television presenters were named heroes.
One of the least popular categories was public services, with Britons choosing nurses, firefighters and NHS Ebola workers as their heroes (file image)
David Attenborough (pictured), Jeremy Clarkson and Audrey Hepburn were the top celebrities chosen in the UK, while John Wayne, Tom Brady and Dreaming were the top choices for American contestants.
David Attenborough, Jeremy Clarkson and Audrey Hepburn were the favorites in the United Kingdom, while John Wayne, Tom Brady and Dreaming were the favorites of the American participants.
One of the least popular categories was public services, with Britons choosing nurses, firefighters and NHS Ebola workers as their heroes.
Across the pond, first responders, police, and firefighters were the top choices in this category.
The heroes were significantly more likely to be men: only one in four Britons and one in five Americans said they had a heroine.
“The appeal of heroes is enduring,” said Dr. Ekaterina Kolpinskaya, who led the study.
‘We’ve discovered that people’s gender and ethnicity influence who their hero is.
“There is a persistent gap between the figure of the publicly prominent white male hero and a perpetually “invisible” and “forgotten” heroine.
Meanwhile, most of the heroes were white.
The heroes were significantly more likely to be men: only one in four Britons and one in five Americans said they had a heroine. Pictured: JK Rowling, who was the most popular choice in the Writer category.
Ethnic minority heroic figures tended to include non-British political activists such as Nelson Mandela (pictured), Martin Luther King Jr., Malala Yousafzai, Mahatma Gandhi and Muhammad Ali, while only three Britons made the list.
Non-white heroes only represented 15 percent of all heroes in the United Kingdom and 31 percent in the United States.
Ethnic minority heroic figures tended to include non-British political activists such as Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., Malala Yousafzai, Mahatma Gandhi and Muhammad Ali, while only three Britons made the list.
This included boxer Lennox Lewis, Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton and Victoria Cross winner Johnson Beharry.
Dr Nataliya Danilova, co-author of the study, said: “In both countries, ethnic minorities belong to another group of “invisible” and often overlooked heroes.
“But there was a much broader presence of non-white Americans in the ‘group’ of American heroes.”