Margaret Thatcher

@only Woman Prime Minister of United Kingdom, Career and Personal Life

Margaret Hilda Thatcher, leader of the conservative party is the first and only woman Prime minister of United Kingdom

Oct 13, 1925

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Biography

Personal Details

  • Birthday: October 13, 1925
  • Died on: April 8, 2013
  • Nationality: British
  • Famous: only Woman Prime Minister of United Kingdom, Oxford University, Leaders, Political Leaders, Prime Ministers, ENTJ, ESTJ
  • Spouses: Denis Thatcher (m.1951–2003)
  • Siblings: Muriel
  • Childrens: Carol Thatcher, Mark Thatcher

Margaret Thatcher born at

Grantham

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Birth Place

She married Sir Dennis Thatcher in December 1951 and the couple had twins; Carol Thatcher and Mark Thatcher.

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Personal Life

Sir Dennis Thatcher passed away due to pancreatic cancer on June 26, 2003, after which Margaret became a recluse, avoiding public appearances.

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Personal Life

She suffered a number of strokes during her third term as Prime Minister; one of the reasons the Cabinet persuaded her to resign.

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Personal Life

Margaret Thatcher, nee Margaret Hilda Roberts, was born on 13 October 1925, in Grantham to Alfred Roberts, a grocer, preacher and local mayor, and Beatrice Ethel. She, along with her sister, Muriel, spent most of her childhood in Grantham and helped her father with the grocery business.

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Childhood & Early Life

Her father was active in local politics at the Methodist church and brought up both his daughters as strict Methodists. He became the Mayor of Grantham in 1945 but lost his position as alderman in 1952, when the Labor Party came into power.

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Childhood & Early Life

She won a scholarship to Kesteven and Grantham Girls’ School, where she was head girl for the academic year 1942-1943. Her school reports showed academic consistency and brilliance in a number of extra-curricular activities.

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Childhood & Early Life

In 1946, she attended Oxford College and became the President of the Oxford University Conservative Association in 1946, where she came to be inspired by the political works of Freidrich von Hayek; an influence that evident in all her reforms and policies.

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Childhood & Early Life

She graduated with second-class honors and earned her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry in 1947 and moved to Essex to work as a chemist for BX Plastics.

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Childhood & Early Life

Thatcher first stood for Parliament in 1950 and became the Conservative contender for the Dartford Labor Party seat. She became an instant media magnet because she was the youngest representative and the only female candidate at the time.

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Political Beginnings

She knew from the start that it would be nearly impossible to defeat the Liberal Labor Party, but she still gathered a fan-following with her speeches. Though defeated, she remained undaunted and tried as a Conservative candidate once more, only to be defeated once again. She soon married Dennis Thatcher, who helped her rise to prominence.

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Political Beginnings

In 1952, funded by her husband, she studied law and qualified as a barrister in 1953. Due to the birth of her twins, she could not contest for the 1955 General Election, but soon returned into the political arena.

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Political Beginnings

She won her first election campaign in 1959, winning the seat of Finchley in London, a position she held till she retired in 1992.

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Political Beginnings

She rapidly rose within the ranks of the Conservative Party, holding a variety of positions and finally, entered the Shadow Cabinet in 1967.

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Political Beginnings

The Conservative Party lost power in 1974 and she soon became a dominant force in her political arena.

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Rise To Prominence & Power

She got elected as leader of the Conservative Party in 1975, beating Edward Heath and became the first woman to serve as the opposition leader in the House of Commons, winning 130 votes against 119.

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Rise To Prominence & Power

She was finally appointed as the Prime Minister on May 4, 1979 defeating the opposition party which was unpopular and divided.

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Rise To Prominence & Power

Britain’s economy in 1979 was in dire financial crisis and Thatcher’s first term in office saw her adopting a new economic theory known as ‘Monetarism’.

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Rise To Prominence & Power

During this time, she also changed government regulations on business and subsidies, resulting in business failures, higher unemployment and mounting inflation. She countered this problem with a change in taxation policies and money circulation, which reduced inflation levels while hushing public and economic opposition.

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Rise To Prominence & Power