The Rivalry That Caused The Origin Of The Cambridge

Oxford and Cambridge both belong to the top ranked universities around the world. With outstanding achievements, both universities belong to the greatest university list.

Oxbridge indicates Oxford and Cambridge together. The two oldest universities of United Kingdom are popular for their rivalry with each other.

Of the two universities, Oxford which is situated in Oxford town, is the oldest. It was home to various scholars at that time. 

But in 1209 there was a riot between the town people and the scholars. Though exact reasons are not known, there are claiming that town people hanged two scholars without trials. They were accused of the mysterious death of a woman. 

The riot was so big that many scholars left Oxford town for safety. The scholars who came to Cambridge town for safety decided to continue their studies there. These eventually paved the way for University of Cambridge.

That rivalry continued and both institutions flourished. Each gifted some greatest minds of our world.

Oxford:

72 Nobel Prize laureates, 3 Fields Medalists and 6 Turing Award winners have studied or worked at the University of Oxford. Its alumni have won 160 Olympic medals.

28 British prime ministers have attended Oxford, including William Gladstone, H. H. Asquith, Clement Attlee, Harold Macmillan, Edward Heath, Harold Wilson, Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, David Cameron, Theresa May and Boris Johnson.

30 international leaders have been educated at Oxford including Harald V of Norway, Abdullah II of Jordan, William II of the Netherlands, 5 Australian Prime Ministers, Six Pakistani prime ministers, 2 Prime Ministers of Canada (Lester B. Pearson and John Turner), 2 Prime Ministers of India (Manmohan Singh and Indira Gandhi) and Bill Clinton ( President of the United States )

Cambridge:

120 Nobel laureates, 11 Fields Medalists, 7 Turing Award winners and 14 British prime ministers, 30 international state heads, have been affiliated with Cambridge. University alumni have won 194 Olympic medals.

Notable alumni:

Charles Prince of Wales, Sir Isaac Newton, Sir Francis Bacon, John Dee, Brook Taylor, G. H. Hardy, John Edensor Littlewood, Srinivasa Ramanujan, James Clerk Maxwell, Charles Darwin, Francis Crick, James Watson , Stephen Hawking, John Harvard, Robert Walpole, Edward VII, George VI, King Peter II of Yugoslavia, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Queen Sofía of Spain.

Oxford Vs Cambridge: Boat race 2019

Oxbridge competition is observed with a annual Boat Race that takes place on the river Thames in London. Though their rivalry, the two universities often co operates with each other for research and academic purposes.