Half of Brits aged 18 to 30 are unable to name iconic celebrities including Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe? Never heard of her! Half of Brits aged 18 to 30 are unable to name iconic celebrities – so how many do YOU recognise?
More than three-quarters of young people don’t know who Alan Turing isOver nine in ten are unaware that nurse Mary Seacole tended soldiers in CrimeaEven more modern icons Andy Warhol and Pablo Picasso are known by minorityAnd despite Kim’s Monroe impression at the Met, only 51 per cent know Marilyn
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She’s the original Hollywood icon who had an affair with the President of the United States – and his brother – before dying of a mysterious overdose, sparking a stream of never-ending conspiracy theories.
Kim Kardashian wore her dress to the Met Gala this weekend and Netflix released a documentary about her final days this year.
But apparently this is not enough to keep her relevant with millennials and Generation Z, according to a new survey, which shows almost half of 18 to 30 year old Brits (49 per cent) do not know who Marilyn Monroe is.
And the blonde bombshell is not the only one being forgotten to time, with a shameful 79 per cent of young people knowing nothing of Alan Turing, the genius behind the code-breaking Enigma machine in the Second World War.
His heroic effort, which proved vital in stopping Adolf Hitler and his barbaric Nazi regime, was reimagined in the 2014 Hollywood hit The Imitation Game, starring Benedict Cumberbatch no less.
The gay icon – who was tragically prosecuted for his sexuality following the war – is even plastered on £50 notes, which came into circulation just last year.
Though Monroe is one of the most famous women in history, half of 18-30s don’t recognise her
Alan Turing, who helped invent the computer, was unknown by 79 per cent of 18 to 30-year-olds
Marlon Brando was one of the original Hollywood heartthrobs after shooting to stardom thanks to his iconic role in A Street Car Named Desire. Yet he is not known to 72 per cent of 18-30 year olds
A staggering 77 per cent of young people do not know of Emmeline Pankhurst (far left), the iconic suffragette from Manchester who led the movement to win the right for women to vote
Iconic duo Ginger Rogers (77 per cent), Fred Astair (73 per cent), were also a mystery to the modern Brits polled. (Pictured: Fred Astair)
Iconic Mexican painter Frida Kahlo was the second-most forgotten at 89 per cent
The shocking figures come from research firm Perspectus Global, which interviewed 2,000 Britons aged 18 to 30.
And while many of them will have voted in the local elections this week, a staggering 77 per cent of young people do not know of Emmeline Pankhurst, the iconic suffragette from Manchester who led the movement to win the right for women to vote.
Even the most iconic and important artists of the 20th century are already being lost to the sands of time.
Pop art and soup can king Andy Warhol, who continues to inspire the world’s biggest stars, including Lady Gaga, is not known to 71 per cent of young Brits.
Meanwhile the father of cubism, Pablo Picasso, whose Guernica piece depicting the Spanish civil war remains one of the most important pieces of modern art, is unknown to 66 per cent.
Even Muhammad Ali, the most famous boxer of all time, was among the top 30 most forgotten icons.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, among the most forgotten for today’s youth are the stars of the silver screen, who shot to infamy almost a century ago.
Marlon Brando was one of the original Hollywood heartthrobs after shooting to stardom thanks to his iconic role in A Street Car Named Desire. Yet he is not known to 72 per cent of 18-30 year olds.
Say the words Breakfast at Tiffany’s and to many, one image springs to mind: Audrey Hepburn in a black dress, white pearl necklace, beehive bun and cigarette stick.
But 66 per cent of the youth of today could not pick the legendary actress out of a line up.
Iconic duo Ginger Rogers (77 per cent), Fred Astair (73 per cent), were also a mystery to the modern Brits polled, as were Jimi Hendrix (63 per cent) and Alfred Hitchcock (65 per cent).
Other historical figures who appear to have been lost to the younger generations in the mist of time include, civil rights campaigner Rosa Parks (73 per cent), the Lady of the Lamp, Florence Nightingale (58 per cent) and the first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong (53 per cent).
The most forgotten among 18 to 30 year olds in the poll was nurse Mary Seacole, who tended to soldiers during the Crimean War. Some 91 per cent of respondents did not know who she was.
Iconic Mexican painter Frida Kahlo was second at 89 per cent, with English writer Virginia Woolf third (80 per cent).
When it comes to what makes an icon, 74 per cent of Brits said it was someone who had been inspiring, 55 per cent said that overcoming challenges was important, and 51 per cent said it was about doing something ground breaking that changed the world.
