I’d like to say a few words about the people I admire.

Diana Spencer – the people’s princess – was born on the first of July 1961 in Sandringham in England. She had two older sisters and a younger brother. In childhood she liked games, swimming, running and dancing. She wanted to become a dancer. Besides she loved children very much and at the age of sixteen she worked in schools for very young children. Diana became princess, when Prince Charles, the Queen’s son, asked her to be his wife and they got married. They seemed to be a happy couple at first and had two sons. They traveled a lot and work a lot, they visited many countries together. But Diana was not quite happy because of her husband’s mistress Camilla, love triangle and the mental derangement. She has a weak psychology.

Lady Di the most famous, the most beautiful and the most photographed woman in the world. She won the hearts of millions and millions of people in many countries. Many people came to London to remember her when she died in the automobile catastrophe. The car accident which took her life became such a total shock to crowds of people. People felt the need to be in London at the funeral. Tears and love at the funeral moved the world. And the answer to this is so simple: Diana was such a lovely lady that she did so much for those people less fortunate than herself. She was kind, liked ordinary people, though she was rich and had many rich friends. Wherever she was, she was always ready to lend a hand. Diana was devoted to the sick and the poor. Diana was seen many times in flood of tears because of the pressures of her loveless 15-year marriage. She wanted to give people love cause she needed love herself. It is not a secret that Lady Di was hounded and humiliated to the point of mental breakdown and was able to pull through only because she knew she had the love of the people to buoy her in her darkest hours.

When Diana got married she wrote: “ I had been the Cinderella of my family for long enough. Suddenly the insignificant ugly duckling is obviously going to be a swan. Cinderella is going to the ball. Gone are the days of dusters. My life is taking a new direction. I have such hope for the future, such belief that you will love, nurture and protect me from the difficulties that lie ahead. It is the stuff of which fairy tales are made. I have tremendous hopes in my heart. Her Royal Highness, the Princess. My character had for seven years been forsaken and submerged. It is time to face the facts on my life. Now is the moment to start believing in myself. My life has changed its course”.

I think that one of the most outstanding people of Great Britain is Margaret Thatcher (Robins). I read some articles about her life and activities. I know that she was born in 1925. Her father had a shop but he was very interested in local politics. Margaret was a good student and studied chemistry at Oxford. Then she met and married Denis Thatcher, a successful businessman. Later she decided to study law. She was elected to the Parliament in 1959. For four years she was Secretary of State for Education. In 1975 she became the leader of the Conservative party. In 1979 she became Prime Minister, Britain’s first woman Prime Minister. There were many hard events in Britain in the period of her rule: unemployment, inflation, problems of Northern Ireland. She had an image of a strong, respected leader. Thatcher was called the “Iron Lady”. She won her post three times. She made a great contribution into the development and prosperity of her country. People loved and trusted her. In 1990 Margaret Thatcher resigned. Three men were the candidates for the post of Prime Minister. John Major won.

Academician S.P.Korolyov is a famous scientist and founder of practical cosmonautics. He was the chief constructor of the first Earth sputniks and spaceships. He was born in 1906 in the small Ukrainian town of Zhitomir into a family of teachers. He was interested in mathematics, literature and he read a great deal. All his life he loved music. In 1923 Sergei Korolyov joined a Glider Pilots’ Club, where he learned to construct gliders and to fly them. In 1925 Korolyov entered the Kiev Polytechnical Institute where he studied aviation and mathematics, but in the evening he had to work for money: he was a building worker, he worked at the post-office and he played very small roles in films. After two years in Kiev Korolyov came to Moscow. In the day-time he worked at an aeroplane factory and in the evening he studied at the Moscow Higher Technical School. There he learned about K.E.Tsiolkovsky’s ideas on space travel and about his rockets. He graduated from the Moscow Higher Technical School and became an aviator engineer. At the same time he finished the Moscow Pilot School. During the Great Patriotic War Korolyov constructed a jet engine for aeroplanes and rockets. On October 4, 1957 he first man0made sputnik of the Earth was launched into space. It was the result of thirty years hard work and Chief Constructor was S.P.Korolyov. Then dogs were sent into space and only after a lot of experiments the first cosmonaut in the world –Y.A.Gagarin launched into space in the spaceship “Vostok” on April 12, 1961. After this there were many other longer and more difficult flights. Tehn followed rockets to the Moon, Mars and Venus. S.P.Korolyov died in 1966. For his brilliant work in the name of science and progress he was awarded two Gold Stars of the Hero of Socialist Labour. People will always remember the names of those who opened a new era in th conquest of outer space, and the name of S.P.Korolyov is one of them.

Another person whom I respect very much is President of the USA George Washington (1732-1799) who won a lasting place in American History as the “Father of our country”. For nearly twenty years he guided his country much as father cares for a growing child. He lived an exciting life in exciting time. He was born on a farm on February 22, 1732. As a boy, he explored the wilderness. Later he was a progressive farmer of that time. When he grew older, he helped the British fight the French and Indians. Many times he was nearly killed. Washington was the commander-in-chief if the American National Army. As a general he suffered hardships with his troops in the winter. He lost many battles but led the American Army to final victory in the War of Independence. After he became a President he successfully solved many problems facing his country.

Washington belonged to an old colonial family that believed in hard work, in public service and in worshipping God. Ye was born in Westmoreland county, Virginia, His first American ancestor came to Virginia from England in 1657. George’s father, Augustine, had four children by his first wife and six by his second wife, Vary Ball, George’s mother. His formal education was slight: no more than 7 or 8 years of school. Men, plantation life and haunts of river, fields and forest were his principal teachers. His favourite subject was arithmetic. He studied enough history and geography to know something of the outside world. But he never learned very much about literature and foreign languages. In 1759 Washington married Martha Dandridge, a rich widow. He became a loving stepfather to Martha’s two children.

His political career was long and successful. In September 1771 the Continental Congress met, where Washington had his first chance to meet and talk with leaders of other colonies. The members were impressed with his judgements and military knowledge. He was sent to the Second Continental Congress (1775) where he was elected a commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. In 1789 Washington was elected President of the Republic. George Washington died after an illness of two days on December 14, 1799. Washington is the most respected national hero of the USA. The capital was named after him. Many parks, streets, bridges, schools bear his name.