May 4: Margaret Thatcher Becomes Prime Minister (1979)
Prayer Idea
Pray for the people and government of the United Kingdom.
History Note
Margaret Roberts was born on October 13, 1925, in Grantham, England. Her father was a grocer and a local politician. She took an early interest in politics. While studying chemistry at the University of Oxford, Margaret became president of the school’s Conservative Association.
After graduating in 1947 and working as a research chemist, Margaret studied for the bar exam and became a barrister (a type of British lawyer). She married Denis Thatcher in 1951, and they had twin children in 1953.
Margaret Thatcher lost her first run for a seat in Parliament, but she won election in 1959. She became influential in the Conservative Party and served in the cabinet of prime minister Edward Heath. Thatcher became leader of the Conservative Party in 1975.
When the Conservative Party came to power in 1979, Thatcher became prime minister. She was the first woman to be prime minister in the UK and in any European country. (Sirimavo Bandaranaike was the first woman to become a prime minister in any country, when she became prime minister of Ceylon—now Sri Lanka—in 1960.)
Thatcher worked to privatize industries that were owned by the government, to lower government spending, and to limit the power of labor unions. She led the country through the Falklands War with Argentina in 1982. Known as the “Iron Lady” because of her opposition to communism, Thatcher developed a close relationship with U.S. president Ronald Reagan.
After facing opposition from her own party, she resigned from her position as prime minister in 1990. She remained in the House of Commons until 1992, when she received the title of Baroness and became a life member of the House of Lords.
Thatcher began showing signs of dementia in 2000 and retired from public speaking in 2002. She died in 2013.
Margaret Thatcher welcomes Nancy and Ronald Reagan during their 1984 visit to the United Kingdom. Photo courtesy the National Archives.
Learn More
Watch this biography of Margatet Thatcher. Please Note: There is a reference to a an assassination attempt.
Find other resources at Homeschool History.
