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Churchill's Date of Birth
Winston Churchill was born on November 30th, 1974, in Blenheim Palace, in England. His parents were Lord Randolph and Lady Randolph Churchill. Lord Randolph was a descendant of British royalty, which gave Winston some advantages throughout school and his political career. Lady Randolph was a commoner from New York who had moved to England. This event is significant because Winston would go on to serve as England's Prime Minister twice, his most notable term being during World War II (Nathan 15). -
Graham Bell Invents the Telephone
In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell invented the worlds' first telephone. Bell, a Scottish-born inventor, had been conducting experiments about sound since his youth, and he improved on past inventors' creations to create a very early telephone. This event is significant in history because the invention of the telephone would help to break the communication barrier that caused many problems around the world (Grun 437). -
Stevenson Publishes "Treasure Island"
In 1882, Robert Luis Stevenson published the book "Treasure Island." Stevenson, a Scottish author, was part of a literature movement that was taking place in Europe, and he published many other classic novels. "Treasure Island" is a classic work about pirates and buried treasure, and it really influenced the perception of pirates. This event is significant because Stevenson's work has helped shape the topic of pirates and treasure into a very popular theme for children today (Grun 440). -
Churchill joins Sandhurst
In August of 1893, Winston Churchill was accepted into Sandhurst military academy. Sandhurst is a very prestigous university, and is often compared to West Point academy in New York. Churchill spent his next few years attending school here, and while he struggled with academics, he quickly became very skilled in war tactics and combat. This event is important because Churchill's years here would prove to be very valuable later in his life, as he was active in many battles (Nathan 31). -
Churchill joins 4th Hussars
In 1895, Churchill finished school at Sandhurst and entered a military group called the 4th Hussars. Churchill was one of the top graduates of his class, and the 4th Hussars were very highly regarded. While part of the 4th Hussars, Churchill was deployed in places like Cuba, India and Sudan. This event is significant because Churchill's military career would help him gain some political advantages on the way to becoming part of Parliament and later Prime Minister ("Winston Churchill"). -
Churchill Elected to Parliament
In 1908, Winston Churchill was elected to the British Parliament. After leaving his military life behind, Churchill had spent his next few years serving in local government groups and reporting for newspapers, in the meantime gaining popularity. This event was important because this was the official start of Churchill's long and successful political career. Also, this gave him a lot more political popularity, which would help him in getting more of a leadership role ("Winston Churchill"). -
Ford Develops the Farm Tractor
In 1915, Henry Ford introduced his innovative farm tractor. It was called the Fordson, and it was the most advanced gasoline-powered tractor at the time. It was instantly in mass production, and it became popular in countries like the U.S., Ireland, England and Russia. This event is significant in history because the invention of the Fordson revolutionized tractors, and it made tractors much more popular across the U.S. and Europe (Grun 469). -
Churchill Appointed Minister of Munitions
On July 17th, 1917, Churchill was appointed Minister of Munitions by Prime Minister David Lloyd George. At the time, being an inexperienced politician, the public response was rough, and members of the War Cabinet threatened to resign. But the Prime Minister was Churchill's friend and was able to help him stay. This event is significant because this was the most publicity Churchill had ever received at this point, and people were eager to see what he would do ("The Life of Churchill Archives"). -
Churchill Elected Secretary of State for War and Air
In 1919, Churchill was elected the Secretary of State for War and Air, also under Prime Minister David Lloyd George. He would hold this position until 1922. As Secretary, Churchill was the main constructor of the Ten Year Rule, which gave Britain a time of peace beyond the five to ten years he hoped for in the document. This event was significant because Churchill showed great authority and leadership during this time, which made him a candidate to lead in the future ("Winston Churchill"). -
Churchill Appointed First Lord of the Admiralty for WWII
On September 3rd, 1939, Churchill was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty, on the same date Britain joined WWII. Again in a top military position, Churchill had an idea of blocking Norwegian ports to hinder the Germans. This was rejected by the Prime Minister, but when Germany occupied Norway shortly after, people began to question the Minister and respect Churchill. This is important because Churchill's military strategies to stop the Germans helped him gain influence ("Winston Churchill"). -
Churchill Appointed Prime Minister 1st Time
On May 10th, 1940, Winston Churchill was appointed Prime Minister of England, by King George VI. Churchill would hold his position throughout the rest of Britain's involvement in WWII, until the election of July 1945. He joined forces with "The Allies" in order to take down Hitler and Nazi Germany. This event is important because Churchill went on the lead Great Britain through the war, gathering allies and winning key battles en route the the Allies' victory (Winston Churchill). -
Churchill Re-elected Prime Minister
In the election of October 8th, 1951, Winston Churchill was elected Prime Minister of England for the second time. He would stay in office until poor health forced him to retire in 1955. During this term, Churchill established himself as one of England's most iconic and respected leaders. This event is significant because Churchill's long and successful political career came to an end during these 4 years in office, and in this time he became very well-liked ("The Life of Churchill Archives"). -
Russia Launches Sputnik I
In 1957, satellite Sputnik I was launched into space by the Soviet Union. Sputnik is famous for being the Earth's first artificial satellite in orbit. This event is significant because it triggered the "Space Race," a competition between the U.S. and the Soviet Union to put things into space. The Space Race would become a critical aspect of the Cold War taking place between the two nations (Grun 542). -
Gagarin Orbits the Earth
In 1961, astronaut Yuri Gagarin completed a full orbit of the Earth. Gagarin, a Soviet, completed the feat in a spacecraft called the Vostok. He also is famous for being the first person ever to journey into outer space. This event is significant because it gave the Soviets another advantage in the "Space Race," part of the Cold War with the United States. This accomplishment was also a great spark in the space industry as a whole, and led to many more astronauts heading to space (Grun 549). -
Mona Lisa Exhibited in New York
In 1962, the famous "Mona Lisa" painting was exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Displayed in the Louvre Museum in France, the famous painting was kept in the New York museum for three and a half weeks. The Mona Lisa was made by Italian Renaissance painter Leonardo Da Vinci around 1504. This event is important because Americans who were not accustomed to European art got to see one of the most valuable paintings in the world, and be introduced to a different art style (Grun 551). -
Churchill's Death
Churchill passed away on January 24th, 1965, at his home in London. Churchill had suffered many strokes and seizures during his late years, and he had one stroke nine days earlier that left him gravely ill, and this was the ultimate cause of his death. This event is significant because Churchill had left a great legacy on England, and he was so well-liked by all people. The country mourned his death for over a week, and the turnout at his funeral was massive ("Winston Churchill").
