Never, in the field of human conflict, was so much owed by so many to so few.
― Winston Churchill
We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender
― Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill (November 30th, 1874 – January 24th, 1965) was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, once during the Second World War, and again in the early 1950s. As a brilliant statesman and shrewd politician, he went on to lead England during the dark years of the World War 2, preserving Britain thought the sheer force of his personality and resolve. He is the only British Prime Minister to have received the Nobel Prize, and the first person to be made an Honorary Citizen of the United States of America. Even as a child, Churchill was strong willed and defiant. His appetite for adventure and success took him from the front line of battle to the forefront of politics. But his finest hour didn't come until his sixties, when he led his country in the fight against Nazi Germany.
Churchill was born November 30th, 1874. He was the son of Randolph and Jennie Churchill born in Blenheim Palace, in Oxfordshire, England. He a noted politician and she an American the daughter of Leonard Jerome a New York businessman born at 426 Henry Street, Brooklyn where the home stands today with a plaque attesting to this event. Educated at Harrow, he graduated from Sandhurst, then joined the army serving in Cuba and in South Africa where he was taken prisoner during the Boer War. His political career began with election to Parliament in 1900. Other positions followed: lord of the admiralty, secretary of state for war and air and then Chancellor of the Exchequer. Semi-retired, World War II hostilities dictated his return to his old post first lord of the admiralty. When Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain resigned in disgrace in 1940, Churchill became Prime Minister, and remained through the end of the war. In the postwar, his party lost control of the Parliament and he was out of power. Six years later, he again assumed the reigns of power as prime minister strongly supporting initiatives for the defense of Western Europe against communist aggression. He was knighted in 1953 and received the Nobel Prize for Literature for his chronicles of the war years. In poor health, he left politics for good in 1955 and spent most of his retirement in southern France. While in England, his residence was located at Chartwell House in Kent where the family lived from its purchase in 1922 and where he suffered his final stroke that resulted in him lapsing into a coma. He lingered for nine days dying at age 90, seventy years to the day of his father's death.
During the war, he provided great inspiration for the British and allied troops and playing a key role to the Allied victory and was a fine man who cared for others. His immediate contribution was to instill in the British people his own fiery resolve and will to resist. Throughout the tense summer of 1940, when Britain stood alone, his speeches proved an inspiration. Yet Churchill did more than just talk. He toured the country inspecting the bomb-damaged towns and cities. He also worked tirelessly on diplomatic and military initiatives to regain the offensive.
Trivia[]
- Winston Churchill loved a bit of bricklaying during his spare time, and built several walls at his Chartwell house.
- Winston Churchill loved to retire late, take a long, hot bath while drinking a Scotch, and smoke a cigar and relax.
- During his stay in the White House in 1941, Churchill spent most of his personal time naked and drinking brandy.
- In 1963, President John F. Kennedy named him 'Honorary Citizen of the United States'.
- Churchill is so highly regarded for his skills as an orator and statesman that in an BBC 2 television poll he was ranked as the greatest Briton in history.]]