Here are some facts about the British Prime Minister who is

best known for his leadership during World War 2.

Facts About Winston Churchill’s Childhood and Early Life

 Winston Churchill was born on 30th November 1874 at

Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire.

 His parents were Lord and Lady Randolph Churchill.

 Winston Churchill was not a very good pupil at school.

 Winston did not have a very close relationship with either of

his parents. He was, however, close to his nanny, Elizabeth Anne Everest.

 Winston’s father died at the age of 45 in 1895.

 Churchill had quite a severe lisp which he worked hard to deal with when giving
speeches.

 Winston got married to Clementine Hozier on 12th September 1908.

 Winston had five children, Diana, Randolph, Sara, Marigold and Mary. Marigold died
when she was very young – she got septicaemia.

Winston Churchill’s Military Record

 In 1893 Churchill applied to join the Royal Military College at Sandhurst. He chose to
join the calvary and became a Second-Lieutenant in the 4th Queen’s Own Hussars.

 Alongside his military career, Churchill also wrote about the conflicts he witnessed. This
made him extra money and it also allowed him to experience a range of different battles,
strategies and military situations.
 Winston Churchill was sent to Cuba (where he discovered Cuban cigars), India and
Sudan.

 Churchill left the British Army on 5th May 1899.

 As a war reporter he went to South Africa to cover the Second Boer War. He was
captured and made a Prisoner of War in Pretoria. Winston managed to escape from the POW
camp.

 Churchill joined the South African Light Horse (although he was still a war reporter).

 Winston Churchill was made First Lord of the Admiralty in 1911. In this role, Churchill
set about modernising Britain’s battleships.

 He was forced to resign from his post in 1915 because he had been heavily involved in
planning the Battle of Gallipoli (World War 1) –
which was a massive disaster.

 Churchill rejoined the British Army and

served as a Lieutenant-Colonel.

Winston Churchill and Politics

 Churchill won the seat for Oldham in

1900. He started off as a member of the
Conservative Party but he defected to the Liberal
Party in 1904.

 In 1908 Churchill introduced a bill to set

up Britain’s first minimum wages.

 Churchill rejoined the Conservative Party

in 1925.

 Churchill was made Chancellor of the

Exchequer, but he didn’t really do very well in this job.
 During the build-up to World War 2, Winston Churchill gave numerous speeches about
the need to rearm against Germany.

Winston Churchill and World War 2

 On the day that Britain declared war on Germany, Winston Churchill was made First
Lord of the Admiralty (the post he held during World War 1) and a member of the War Cabinet.

 Neville Chamberlain resigned on 10th May 1940. Churchill became Prime Minister.

 Churchill gave many memorable speeches that inspired the British public, such as the
‘finest hour’ speech and the speech given before the Battle of Britain.

 At the end of World War 2, Churchill was a hero to the British people and many thought
his leadership was the biggest reason for the defeat of Hitler.

 Churchill was defeated in the 1945 election. Churchill was seen as a fantastic war leader,
but the public didn’t think
he could lead the country
in times of peace.

 Churchill served as
Leader of the Opposition
for 6 years.

 Churchill became
Prime Minister for the
second time in October
1951. He resigned in April
1955.

Winston Churchill – Retirement

 Winston Churchill suffered a series of strokes during the 1950s.

 He left Parliament by standing down at the 1964 General Election.

 Churchill died on Sunday 24th January 1965 at the age of 90. This was exactly 70 years
after his father had died.

 Churchill’s state funeral was massive. 350 million people watched on television and 112
nations sent representatives to St Paul’s Cathedral.

 Churchill is buried at St Martin’s Church, Bladon.