Nye Bevan is the early front-runner

By St David's Day 2004, Culturenet Cymru hopes to have received thousands of votes from members of the public nominating their favourite Welsh icons.

As well as being a popularity poll, the site aims to educate readers about the famous Welsh figures featured.

The vote is split into five categories - leaders, thinkers, performers, creatives and groundbreakers.

Nominations must be in by November, before the top 100 is selected.

Biographies of the 100 will appear on the site, before a second vote begins to put them in order of popularity by St David's Day 2004.

Gareth Edwards leads the challenge from the world of sport

Culturenet Cymru Director Alison Coleman, said: "We want as many people as possible to nominate their heroes and to tell us why they believe their choice deserves the title Welsh hero.

"When the project completes, we will finally have an answer to the question 'Who are the greatest Welsh men and women?'"

Voting has already started on the site and the early leader is founder of the NHS Aneurin Bevan, closely followed by medieval Welsh price Owain Glyndwr.

The site will be updated weekly to give the current state of voting and will use a state-of-the-art system to ensure that no-one votes more than once during a voting period.

Welsh Olympian Tanni Grey-Thompson has nominated fellow sportsman, rugby star Gareth Edwards.

'Unsung hero'

And BBC Radio Wales presenter Nicola Heywood Thomas has chosen a more unsung figure - Lady Rhondda.

She said: "In my opinion a real unsung Welsh hero is Margaret Haig Thomas, or as she later became, Lady Rhondda.

"She dedicated her early years to the suffragette movement, ended up in prison and was one of those to be released on hunger strike.

"Along with her father, David Alfred Thomas, she became a member of David Lloyd George's government in 1918 as Director of Women in the Ministry of National Service.

"I believe her achievements - particularly in the age in which she lived - are an inspiration to all women."

Greatest Briton

Earlier this year, scientist Sir Isaac Newton triumphed in a BBC poll searching for the greatest Briton.

Viewers of BBC World voted the discoverer of gravity as the most respected Briton, ahead of former Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill.

The late Diana, Princess of Wales came in third position, taking 13% of all entries.

And in 2000, a BBC Wales online poll voted Owain Glyndwr the Welshman of the Millennium.