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The birth of Winston Churchill
On November 30, 1874 Winston Leonard Spencer- Churchill was born in Oxfordshire, England. Winston's father, Lord Randolph Churchill, the third son of John Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough, was a politician. Churchill's mother, Jennie Jerome was the daughter of American millionaire Leonard Jerome. Winston Churchill went on to be the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the 20th century(Nathan 9). -
The Completion of the Eiffel Tower
On March 31, 1889 the Eiffel tower was completed. The Eiffel tower was constructed to commemorate the centennial of the French revolution, and to demonstrate France's industrial power to the rest of the world. It was designed by Architect Gustave Eiffel and took two years to build. The Eiffel tower was the most unique form of architecture the world had seen and still remains a distinguished symbol of French culture(Palmero), (Grun). -
Winston Churchill enrolls at Sandhurst academy
In 1893 Churchill finally passed the entrance exam and enrolled at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. There he began to gain leadership skills that would greatly benefit him later in life. This event is significant because Winston Churchill would someday fight in World War one and would lead the British in World War two. Churchill applied what he learned at Sandhurst academy to those wars, which led to his resounding success throughout his political and military career(Epstein 5). -
Winston Churchill is elected into the House of Commons
After resigning from the army in 1899 Churchill took to politics. In 1900 he began his political career when he won the Oldham seat at the 1900 general election,and was given a seat in the House of Commons. To Winston, his first day as a member of parliament was a turning point in his life, and a new opportunity to seek the respect he had always longed for. This event is significant because this was the beginning of Winston Churchill's long and prosperous political career(Nathan 48-50). -
Winston Churchill becomes Lord of Admirality
In 1911 Winston Churchill was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty. When he held this position he made sure that the Navy was ready to fight and prepared for war, even though he was ignored by his superiors, who still believed Germany was weak, and not ready to wage war. This event is significant because this was one of Churchill's first major leadership roles and showed his importance in the British government and military(Nathan 56-59). -
The Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty was signed on June 28, 1919 in Paris. It was written by the Allies with no participation by the Germans and included fifteen parts and 440 articles. The treaty of Versailles officially ended World War I, the deadliest war which involved more countries and was more expensive than any other war before. The treaty of Versailles drastically altered the geography of Europe and held Germany accountable for the expenses of World War I, which left them economically devastated(History.com). -
The crash of Wall Street
On October 29, 1929 stock prices collapsed completely and 16,410,030 shares were traded on the New York Stock Exchange in a single day. Billions of dollars were lost, wiping out thousands of investors. In the aftermath, America and the rest of the industrialized world spiraled downward into the Great Depression, the deepest and longest-lasting economic downturn in the history of the Western industrialized world up to that time(pbs.org), (Grun). -
Winston Churchill takes over as Prime Minister of Great Britain
On May 10, 1940 Winston Churchill took over as prime minister following the resignation of Neville Chamberlain after the German invasion of Norway. On that same night, king George V asked Churchill to take over as Prime Minister. Almost immediately, he enlarged the army, and strengthened the navy.This event is significant because it gave Churchill the chance to finally reveal his true intelligence and talent which would eventually lead to Great Britain's success in WWII(Epstein 95-98). -
Winston Churchill and the Battle of Britain
Less than a month after Churchill's appointment as prime minister, France surrenders to Germany, and the British are left alone in the war against the Nazis. For a whole month the Germans invaded London, but the British Air Force held them off and proved their strength. This event is significant because without Churchill's fierce and moving speeches, and his military expertise, the British would've lost the battle and possibly the war(www.History.com). -
The attack on Pearl Harbor
On December 7, 1914 Japanese forces launched a surprise attack on a U.S. naval base in Hawaii. Tensions had been high between the two countries for a while, but this was the last straw. On that Sunday morning, hundreds of fighter planes came down on Pearl Harbor, killing more than 2,400 Americans. Pearl Harbor signified Americas entrance into World War II, the deadliest and most widespread war in history(www. History.com), (Grun). -
Churchill delivers the "Iron Curtain" speech
n one of the most famous orations of the Cold War period, former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill condemns the Soviet Union’s policies in Europe and declares, "an iron curtain has descended across the continent.” This is significant because it is considered one of the opening announcements the of the Cold War, and the official drawing of battle lines, America and Great Britain against the Soviet Union(www. History.com). -
Winston Churchill reelected
Though Churchill lost the election in 1945, he didn't give up and ran again. After a change of political party, Winston once again won the prime ministry. He was then Knighted and seemed to be the most beloved, and popular person in all of the United Kingdom. This is significant because it was yet another installment of his commitment for his country, and was another sign of his determination even at the age of 77(Nathan 91). -
The discovery of the DNA model
Deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA is a molecule that contains the instructions an organism needs to develop, live and reproduce. In 1953, James Watson, Francis Crick, Maurice Wilkins and Rosalind Franklin figured out that biological information is carried using a Double-helix DNA structure. This discovery marked a milestone in the history of science and gave rise to modern molecular biology, and allowed for ground-breaking discoveries in understanding the genetic code(Rettner), (Grun). -
Winston Churchill retires
After a successful life in politics, on April 7, 1955, Winston Churchill retires from his position as Prime Minister. Winston Churchill resignation was due to many health problems that occurred while he was in power. Winston Churchill served Great Britain honorably, and his impacts will be remembered forever. Churchill's retirement signified the end of Winston Churchill's long and lucrative career as Prime Minister of Great Britain(Nathan 91). -
the construction of the Berlin wall
On August 12, 1961 the communist government of East Germany began constructing a wall between East and West Germany. The purpose of the wall was to stop citizens from crossing over to the West to escape communist repression. The wall stood as symbol for the cold war. A battle between the democratic West and the communist East. The wall was also signified the people of Germany losing their freedom and individual rights(Grun), (www. History.com) -
Winston Churchill dies
On January 24, 1965 at the age of ninety Winston Churchill passed away from complication of a stroke that he suffered nine days earlier. Churchill's death was mourned by thousands in Great Britain as well as round the world. This event is significant because it marked an end to the life of possibly one of the most important figures in British history(www. Britannica.com).
