. . . to be really shocked that some people don't know in which years both World Wars began and ended?

[squoosh]

Was saying to a friend at the weekend that I was really shocked when someone I knew admitted that they didn't know in which year WWII began.

The person I said this too then said 'hmmm, was it 1935 that WWII began? I think WWI was 1910'. And this from a really intelligent person too. I thought those were the sorts of dates that everyone just knew. Even if you've never studied history in any capacity surely those dates just seep into your mind via films and tv programmes etc.

AIBU?

In England History is only a compulsory topic until the end of KS3. Pupils in my school are certainly taught about both World Wars and current historiography (particularly surrounding the causes of the First World War and Appeasement) also features as a springing point for A Level later.

There are two things my pupils always remember from History lessons, even the naughty ones: Kunte Kinte (Roots) and his refusal to accept his slave name, and the fact that Vesalius was a dwarf who could only reach the legs of the bodies he stole from the gallows. They are taught plenty about the wars, but without fail these are the things they come up to me in the street years later to tell me about!

YANBU. It's Dumb Britain, isn't it? as mocked in private eye and various places. The problem is, many people don't care when the wars were. They aren't grateful for the sacrifices and don't see it as relevant to them to know what past generations did or gave up. Very sad.

whathas - that's awesome.

Your pupils sound very lucky to have you, if they're coming up to tell you these things years later.

frasersmummy

Actually I don't know that that's definitely wrong. I think sometimes the war in Japan is reckoned as ending in 1946. I think VJ Day was actually in 1945 as was the official Japanese surrender, but some Japanese forces continued to fight beyond that.

How can anyone not know the dates of WW1? Good grief, do people not watch Downton Abbey?!!

More seriously tho, VJ day is August 1945 and some Japanese soldiers continued fighting for many many years on remote islands in Indonesia and around the Pacific - some really interesting stories from there.

I guess as time goes by more recent historical dates become etched in people's memories, depending on what they learnt at school. European history was not a "core subject" where I grew up - it was something I learnt by choice aged 15-17.

I also think (and I know I will probably be flamed for this) that a lot of British people seem to assume that the rest of the world places the same kind of significance on British history as they do, an attitude which I find rather puzzling but which was reinforced by the opening ceremony of the Olympics.

I have lots of fond memories of my 17 years in England and lots of British friends, but none of my friends from other countries make the same kind of assumptions about people's knowledge of their home countries or history as the British do.

Sunnydelight

The OP has said her point related to an 'educated' British person not knowing the dates rather than expecting someone like you to know.