Key Events: Winston Churchill

DATE	BRIEF DESCRIPTION

1874	Born November 30, eldest son of Lord Randolph Churchill and American heiress Jennie Jerome.
1898	Cavalry officer in India and Sudan.
1899	War correspondent in South Africa - imprisoned by the Boers, but escapes.
1900	Elected Conservative MP for Oldham.
1904	Changes political allegiance to the Liberal Party over free trade issue.
1908	President of the Board of Trade in Asquith's government.
1910-1911	Home Secretary.
1911-1915	First Lord of the Admiralty. Failure of naval campaigns leads to demotion.
1917	Minister of Munitions in Lloyd George's government.
1919-1921	Secretary for War and Air.
1921-1922	Colonial Secretary.
1922	Collapse of Lloyd George's government
1924	Elected Conservative MP for Epping.
1926	Chancellor of the Exchequer during the General Strike, which he vigorously condemns.
1929	Fall of Baldwin's government. Beginning of period in political wilderness, speaking out against prevailing policies of disarmament and appeasement with Nazi Germany.
1939	War cabinet post as First Lord of the Admiralty.
1940	Becomes Prime Minister on Chamberlain's resignation. Speeches rally the nation after the fall of France and the evacuation of Dunkirk.
1941	Soviet Union and the United States join the Allied cause against Axis powers.
1945	Yalta Conference fixes post-war political map of Europe. Defeated by Labour Party landslide in General Election.
1946	Makes Iron Curtain speech warning of Soviet threat and division of Europe.
1951-1955	Prime Minister, but efforts handicapped by old age and poor health, which eventually leads to his resignation.
1965	Dies January 24 in London.