Europe's history has many dark sides, but its culture is more than a small gleam of hope, it radiates in many areas far out into the world. The old continent sets standards in art, literature and science. Starting with the ancient Greeks, Europe produces a number of smart and creative minds: from Aristotle to Michelangelo and Einstein, from Beethoven to the Beatles. We owe countless masterpieces, discoveries and inventions to them - from the steam engine to the World Wide Web.