you get half a cigar for that John the crucial letter is the first letter you pronounce so 'an 'istoric' [with silent 'h'] and 'a historic' have always been correct' and 'an historic' never has ... except by those with a misguided sense of the correct [which sadly includes many entrusted with education] an 'otel' ....yes 'an hotel'... never ! - my gran would have had a fit [mind you she was half french...]