Edward IV of England

About Edward IV of England

Edward IV of England was a pivotal figure of the late medieval period, reigning as king during the volatile Wars of the Roses (1461–1470 and 1471–1483). As the first of the Yorkist kings, his primary historical contribution was successfully seizing and retaining the throne from the Lancastrian dynasty, a feat that required considerable military skill and political maneuvering to establish a dynasty that would profoundly shape the subsequent Tudor era. His high placement at #262 in MIT's Historical Popularity Index reflects this enduring impact on the English throne and political history.

Despite this significant historical standing, Edward IV's modern internet attention is relatively modest. In 2025, his Wikipedia page garnered 301K views, resulting in an Attention Gap of approximately 1x, suggesting his online visibility aligns closely with his historical importance relative to the entire Pantheon pool. Interestingly, this view count is dwarfed by contemporary politicians like Dwight D. Eisenhower (3.5M views) and Joe Biden (10.6M views), and even by less historically ranked figures like Ragnar Lodbrok (#554 importance, 1.1M views).

This modest attention is trending downward, as evidenced by a sharp year-over-year decrease of -38.3% in Wikipedia views, combined with a -7% decline in momentum between Q1 and Q3 of 2025. This suggests that while Edward IV was crucial to the dynastic struggles leading to the Tudors, the digital spotlight on the Wars of the Roses is currently receding.