Coraline's favourite well-known European figure is Rowan Atkinson

Rowan Sebastian Atkinson is a world famous English actor, comedian and screenwriter.

He was born on 6^th January 1955. Mr. Bean is his best-know creation. For most of us, he is one of the funniest people in British comedy. He has also had cinematic success with his performances in Mr. Bean movie adaptations like Mr Bean’s Holiday.

In 1979, Atkinson wrote for and starred in the BBC’s Not the Nine O’clock News comedy series. Then he starred as Mr. Bean in the eponymous TV series. Mr. Bean and his teddy bear, Teddy, faced unexpected situations. There is an almost total absence of dialogue; the humour comes from the situations and the clowning of Atkinson.

Atkinson has achieved the extraordinary feat of making many people all over the world laugh, like Chaplin had done in his day. In a way, he reminds us of our common humanity, which, nowadays, is no mean feat… Thank you Mr Bean!

Sophie's favourite well-known European figure is Chalie Chaplin

Charles Spencer Chaplin was born in 1889 in a poor neighbourhood of London in the UK.

He became a director, actor, composer, writer and producer of a many films. The Kid (1921), Modern Times (1936), and The Great Dictator (1940) are three of the best known.

His most famous character was The Tramp, a homeless person with the manners of a gentleman who wore a bowler hat and carried a walking stick.

His career started in 1913 in Hollywood. He received two honorary Oscars and an Oscar for best music. He died in 1977 in Switzerland aged 88.

I think his work is amazing because most of his films show the problems of society like poverty but with humour and pathos. For me, he was a true artist because he was hard-working and his films still make people laugh.

Mathilde's favourite well-known European figure is Coco Chanel

Gabrielle Chanel was born on the 19^th of August 1883 in Saumur and she died on the 10^th January 1971. She was from a poor family. She had two nicknames: Mademoiselle and Coco.

She became a world-famous fashion designer. She is the symbol of French elegance; she revolutionized fashion in many ways, for example by making women wear men’s clothes.

I admire her because she was so strong-willed; despite the pain of losing people close to her, and no matter how difficult a situation might become, she always fought for her dignity and never gave up.

Benjamin's favourite well-known European figure is Jean Moulin

Jean Moulin, a famous French politician and resistance fighter, is certainly the historic figure I admire the most because of his actions for our country.

He was born in 1899 in Béziers. He spent a peaceful childhood with his brother and sister.  He was influenced by his father, a regional councilor, and became interested in politics. In 1917 he decided to integrate the Law faculty of Montpellier. After a short year of study he was sent to Vosges to fight in the First World War in 1918.

He became General Secretary of the Prefecture then Under Prefect, the youngest in France.

In 1936 he became a member of staff of the Minister of the Air force for the government called “Front populaire”. He was able secretly to help to Republican fighters in the Spanish Civil War by sending them planes. In 1937 he was named Prefect in Rodez, the youngest in France. On the eve of the Second World War he became Prefect in Chartres.

Because of the rise of political extremes in Europe the Second World War broke out. This confrontation was the theatre of Jean Moulin’s heroic and exemplary actions. At the beginning of the war he tried to integrate the French army but the Home Office forced him to keep his position.

In 1940 for the first time he acted against the Germans and refused to sign a declaration which accused some Africans of killing civilians. As a result Jean Moulin was imprisoned and tortured. He decided to commit suicide by cutting his own throat. His attempt failed and since that day he wore a scarf to hide his scar. Due to this experience he began to strongly hate the Nazis.

In 1941, Jean Moulin went to London after having crossed Spain and Portugal. Over there he met Charles de Gaulle who gave him his mission: to unite all the resistance movements. He returned to France in 1942 and set up his base in Lyon. “Rex” (his code name) succeeded in creating the secret army in 1942 which included soldiers from the three groups of resistance fighters: “Combat”,”Libération” and “Franc-tireur”.

He went back to London in 1943 and was decorated with the liberation cross. He went back to France and set up the CNR (Conseil National de la Résistance) in order to improve the organization of the different actions of resistance.

In 1943, Jean Moulin was recognized by the Gestapo. He was arrested and tortured. He did not speak and showed his courage during the many interrogations. He was transferred to Germany but died during the journey in the train on the 8^th July 1943.

His ashes were sent to the Panthéon to lie among the major figures of the country. He well deserves his place there. Who can’t admire this man for his actions? It is really uncommon to find a man with so much courage to defy the biggest dangers and suffering. He was a great leader. It is important to say that he wasn’t the only one who showed a lot of bravery during this Second World War; however he became the symbol of this heroic movement and a major historic figure who fought to make Europe a better place, free from tyranny.

Margaux's favourite well-known European figure is Brigitte Bardot

Brigitte Bardot was born on 28^th September 1934 in Paris. She is a French actress and singer, activist for animal rights, founder and leader of the foundation which bears her name.

She is world-famous, a star, muse of the greatest artists of our time, an emblem of the emancipation of women.

"BB" is one of the most famous French artists and was the biggest star of European cinema after the War. She put an end to her career in 1973 to devote herself to the defense of animals.

In 1976, after seeing a documentary about seal pup culling, she started a major international campaign. This amazing woman said during an interview: “If I'm here, it’s not for tourism or to be photographed but to find a solution to the problem and I beg the Canadian government to find a solution to this problem. [...] We must tell you that, even if seal hunting is over 300 years, traditions change and only idiots never change their minds.”

In 1986, Bardot created in Saint-Tropez the Brigitte Bardot Foundation which is an organization to protect animals.

She said: “I gave my beauty and my youth to men. I give my wisdom and my experience and the best of myself to animals”.

In my opinion, Brigitte Bardot is an amazing woman because she fights for something dear to her heart and is not afraid of people’s opinion about her. She is a role model for all Europeans.

Simon's favourite well-known European figure is Marie Curie

Maria Salomea Skłodowska Curie (1867-1934) was born in 1867 in Warsaw, in the Kingdom of Poland (which was a part of the actual Poland). She became a French citizen when she married Pierre Curie. She was a chemist and physicist who discovered Polonium and Radium, two chemical elements now present in the periodic table. She was a pioneer in radioactivity research, winning the Nobel Prize twice, the first time in 1903 in Physics, the second time in 1911 in Chemistry. She was the first female professor at the University of Paris, and also the first woman to be entombed on her own merits in the Paris Panthéon (in 1995). She died from aplastic anemia due to long-term exposure to radiation.

I think that the work she and her husband did together in order to advance Science and the world is obviously worthy of everyone’s admiration. She was a great person; her research still brings hope to cancer victims or of other diseases of the same order, and the Curie Institutes in Paris and in Warsaw are still major medical research centers today. The sacrifices she made pushed the limits of current knowledge. She had great willpower and dignity and was full of life. Her impressive inquiring mind is still admired around the World.

She is a great European figure because she was both Polish and French and she contributed to the progress of humanity.

Claire's favourite well-know European figure is Zinedine Zidane

But what happened?!

Zinédine Yazid Zidane is a world-famous football player. He is French, but Algerian by birth. He has marked the history of football. He is our favorite footballer in France; we call him “Zizou”.

His most important award was the 1998 World Cup. Unfortunately, I am too young to remember this event!

He has played for very important clubs like the Juventus Turin or Real Madrid.

He controversially head-butted an Italian player during the 2006 World Cup final. This ended his eighteen-year career. He was 34, which is rather young to retire! However, he did not disappear...

He is quite clever because he uses his good reputation among the French to support charities. The best known is ELA. He also takes part in charity matches with other players.

The famous number 10 is very important in French people's hearts. Zizou is a great symbol of integration; he is proof that France and Europe are welcoming to people from other parts of the world...