Athelstan was the first King to effectively control all of England, used law codes to tackle thefts, and oversaw the translation of the Bible into English.
84,000 people took part in the poll by podcast The Rest is History, and the Saxon beat Elizabeth I by 50.5% to 49.5%.
Athelstan was the first King to be ordained with a crown placed on his head, rather than a helmet, at Kingston’s All Saint’s Church.