英国第一位国王，为什么没人记得？

When Britons pick the best monarch in history, the shortlist doesn't include the man who first unified England.

His name is Æthelstan; he was crowned 1,100 years ago, and today almost no one in his own country remembers him.

America has Washington, Germany has Bismarck, but England's story has to start with a forgotten king.

William the Conqueror and his grandfather Alfred the Great are names Britons grow up hearing.

In 927, Æthelstan rode north and took York.

That was the last Viking kingdom left on the island.

That same year, the leaders of the various kingdoms recognized him at a meeting as King of the English.

Historians see that year as England's unification, and he became the first King of England.

By 2027, this will be exactly 1,100 years ago.

Derek Hilling, who launched the Birth of England Project, wants to turn the anniversary into a big event.

He has prepared commemorative coins, stamps and downloadable celebration packs, and even wants a national holiday.

He petitioned Parliament for an England Day, and so far it has only 31 signatures.

Another petition to put up a statue of him outside Parliament was rejected.

In Malmesbury, someone applied to erect an 11-foot bronze statue of him.

Local residents worried the statue would damage the roots of three silver birches, and the application was ultimately not approved.

The trouble is that 2027 is also the European Year of the Normans, marking 1,000 years since William the Conqueror's birth.

In 1066, the Normans crossed the sea and killed the English king, then massacred locals in the north.

Hilling's view is straightforward: if the Norman celebrations also cover that part, then fine.

Historian Tom Holland admires him greatly and finds the story both heroic and inspiring.

He says it's hard to imagine an American or French national story beginning with a crushing defeat.

He really could fight, too — he defeated a Scottish and Viking alliance at the Battle of Brunanburh.

He also established a relatively centralized rule, wanting the whole kingdom to use a single coin.

He is buried in Malmesbury, where commemorative walks and lectures have been held for him.

Not long ago, Kingston station in London named a train King Æthelstan, and Holland says the buzz later slowly faded.

In Eamont Bridge, Cumbria, locals are embroidering a tapestry.

That is exactly where the kingdoms recognized him as king back then.

An organization called E927 wants to hold festivals and public art there, and has received a grant from the local council to build a website.

Cambridge scholar David Woodman wrote a biography of him titled The First King of England.

The celebrations are set for 2027, and Hilling says this must be done on a big scale.

Woodman's explanation is simple: poor Æthelstan — no one in his own time promoted him properly.