Poll: Brit kids have trouble with history

LONDON, July 29 (UPI) -- A survey of British children found one in 20 respondents said former Boom Town Rats singer Bob Geldof discovered gravity rather than Sir Isaac Newton.

The survey of 5,000 British children between the ages of 6 and 15, conducted by Premier Inn, found 12 percent of those polled identified the Somme as a famous painting rather than the site of a bloody World War I battle, The Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday.

"There seems to be a lot of confusion when it comes to children and historical events," Premier Inn spokesman Steve Conway said. "Isaac Newton would not be happy to learn Bob Geldof is getting the credit for unveiling the concept of gravity.

The survey also found confusion regarding the location of Stonehenge (Wiltshire, England), the authorship of "King Lear" (William Shakespeare) and the prime minister of Britain during World War II (Winston Churchill).

"By picking up a book, exploring the U.K. and learning a bit more about the history which surrounds different towns and cities, children can become much more clued up," Conway said.