Margaret Thatcher was the first woman to be Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. She was also called "the Iron Lady."
From 1975 to 1990, she was the leader of the Conservative Party and from 1979 to 1990, she was Prime Minister.
She was known for her harsh policies and strong way of leading, and she is still one of the most controversial people in British politics.
Early Life and Education
Margaret Hilda Roberts was born in the English town of Grantham on October 13, 1925. She was the second daughter of Alfred Roberts, who ran a grocery store and ran for office in the area, and Beatrice Ethel, who ran the house.
Margaret's parents were both active members of the Methodist Church and taught their children to have a strong sense of morality and work ethic.
Margaret went to schools in her area and did well in school. She liked science and math a lot, and in 1943 she won a scholarship to study at Somerville College in Oxford.
She got her chemistry degree in 1947 and worked as a research chemist before going into politics.
Political Career
Margaret Thatcher's career in politics began in 1950, when she ran as a Conservative for the Kent constituency of Dartford.
She lost the election, but she learned a lot and kept getting involved in local politics.
In 1959, Thatcher was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the north London constituency of Finchley. She quickly became known in the Conservative Party as a rising star, and several positions in the shadow government were given to her.
In 1975, Thatcher was the first woman to be in charge of the Conservative Party. She became the first woman to be Prime Minister of the United Kingdom when her party won the general election in 1979.
During her time as Prime Minister, Thatcher put in place a number of controversial policies. These included the privatization of state-owned industries, the deregulation of financial markets, and the weakening of the power of trade unions.
The economy grew because of these policies, but they also led to a lot of unemployment and social unrest.
Thatcher was also a strong ally of the United States. During the Cold War, she worked closely with US President Ronald Reagan to strengthen the Western alliance against the Soviet Union.
After a fight for the top spot in the Conservative Party in 1990, Thatcher gave up her job as Prime Minister.
John Major took over after her. He had been her Chancellor of the Exchequer.