Margaret Hilda Thatcher

Born:

13 October 1925, Grantham, Lincolnshire, England

Died:

8 April 2013, London, England

Nationality:

British

Profession(s):

Politician, Barrister, Chemist

Early Life and Education

• Born Margaret Hilda Roberts to Alfred and Beatrice Roberts.
• Educated at Huntingtower Road Primary School and Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School, Grantham.
• Studied Chemistry at Somerville College, Oxford, graduating with a Second-Class Honours BA in 1947.
• Became President of the Oxford University Conservative Association in 1946.
• Researched for a year at BX Plastics, developing methods to preserve ice cream.
• Qualified as a barrister in 1953.

Career and Major Achievements

• Elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for Finchley in 1959.
• Served as Secretary of State for Education and Science from 1970 to 1974.
• Became Leader of the Conservative Party in 1975, the first woman to lead a major British political party.
• Served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990, the longest-serving British Prime Minister of the 20th century.
• Implemented significant economic reforms known as "Thatcherism," including privatization of state-owned industries and deregulation.
• Oversaw the Falklands War in 1982, leading to British victory.
• Played a key role in ending the Cold War alongside US President Ronald Reagan.
• Navigated the miners' strike of 1984-85, which significantly weakened the power of trade unions.

Notable Works

• The Downing Street Years (1993, autobiography)
• The Path to Power (1995, autobiography)
• Statecraft: Strategies for a Changing World (2002)

Legacy and Impact

Margaret Thatcher's premiership remains one of the most transformative and controversial in British history. Her policies profoundly reshaped the British economy and society, leaving a lasting impact on the nation's political and economic landscape. Analysis of her life and career is often found in documents such as a 'margaret thatcher full biography pdf'.

Awards and Honours

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