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Birth
Winston Churchill was born in the Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, on November 30, 1874. His father was Lord Randolph Churchill, who was a well-known figure in Tory politics in the 1870s and 1880s. Winston Churchill's mother, Jennie Jerome, was an American heiress whose father was a stock speculator and part owner of the New York Times. (¨Winston Churchill,¨ 2009) -
Living in Ireland
Queen Victoria appointed Churchill's grandfather, the Seventh Duke of Marlborough, Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland. Churchill's father served as the Duke's secretary. As a result, Winston Churchill and his family moved to Dublin, Ireland for four years. The Irish connections Winston has had in his early life, led to him helping out in political affairs. When Winston Churchill got older, he became a supporter of the Irish Free State. (Nathan, 19) (¨Winston Churchill: The Irish Connections,¨ 2012) -
Military School
In 1893, Winston Churchill attended military school at the Royal Military Academy. Military school did not go well for Churchill at first, as it took him three tries to pass the exam for the Royal Military Academy College. Despite his struggles, Winston was able to graduate 20th in his class of 130. While Churchill was away, he wrote letters to his family to try to stay in touch with them. His father died while he was at school when he was 21. (¨Winston Churchill Biography,¨ 2014) -
Military Career
Winston Churchill began his military career by enrolling in the Fourth Queens Own Hussars in 1895. He also served in the Indian northwest frontier and the Sudan. Churchill saw action in the Battle of Omdurman in 1898. While in the army, Churchill wrote military reports for the Pioneer Mail and the Daily Telegraph, and wrote two books on his experiences. In 1899, Winston left the army and worked as a war correspondent for the Morning Post. (¨Winston Churchill Biography,¨ 2014 ) -
Parliament and the Cabinet
In 1908, Winston Churchill was elected a member of Parliament, and was appointed to the Prime Minister's cabinet as President of the Board of Trade. As president, Churchill introduced reforms for the prison system, introduced the first minimum wage, and helped set up labor exchanges and unemployment insurance. Churchill also assisted in the passing of the People's Budget, which introduced new taxes on the wealthy to pay for new social welfare programs. (¨Winston Churchill Biography,¨ 2014) -
Lord of the Admirality
In 1911, Winston Churchill became the first Lord of the Admiralty. As lord, Churchill modernized the British Navy and ordered newly built warships. He also was one of the first people to promote military aircraft, and set up the Royal Navy Air service. With the help of Winston Churchill, England became a powerful nation during World War I. (¨Winston Churchill Biography,¨ 2014) -
Technology Moves Forward
The first transcontinental airline flight was begun in New York by C.P. Rodgers. It would complete its journey in Pasadena, California after numerous stops on the way. There was a total of 82 hours and 4 minutes in the air. The flight ended on November 5. The plane had covered 4,231 miles in total, and had been a huge accomplishment in American history. (¨U.S. Timeline - The 1910s, 2017¨) -
An Advance in Communication
On January 25, 1915, the first transcontinental telephone call was made between Alexander Graham Bell in New York, and Dr. Thomas A. Watson in San Francisco. The distance of the call was over 3,400 miles long. This was an important milestone in the development of telecommunications technology. This event was revolutionary. The technology allowed business, industry, and government to communicate instantly across long distances. (Grun, p. 469) (¨1915: First Transcontinental Telephone Call,¨ 2013) -
The Formation of the Soviet Union
The many different nationalities in Russia were causing problems with national unity. Vladimir Lenin began organizing Russia into several self-governing republics under the central government. In December, 1922, the country was named the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, known as the U.S.S.R. or the Soviet Union, in honor of the councils that helped launch the Bolshevik Revolution. Moscow became the new capital of Russia. The Soviet Union turned Russia into a Communist government. (Beck,774) -
Continuation of the Soviet Union
With the addition of the Soviet Union in Russia, the country was able to be rehabilitated. By 1928, the country's farms and factories produced as much as they had before World War I. Lenin's dictatorship in the Communist Party led to Russia becoming a powerful country again, and fixed Russia's problems with the wars they had fought in for the last fifteen years. (Beck,p. 774) -
The World's First Electronic Television
The world's first electronic television was invented by Philo Taylor Farnsworth in 1927. Farnsworth was able to make the first television that did not work mechanically. The machine would take images, turn them into code, then move the images along radio waves to different devices. The invention of the first electronic television was huge for the world. This device was revolutionary in the next step of technology. (¨History of the Television,¨ 2017) -
Japan's Expansion as a Pacific Empire
Japan's expansion of an empire began in 1931. Japan started to invade China, and took over the city of Manchuria. The war dragged on between Japan and China, hurting Japan's economy. Japan also started targeting rich European colonies of Southeast Asia for supplies. During World War II, Japan took over the Pacific Theater between years 1942 and 1945, conquering more than 1 million square miles of land with 150 million people. Japan became a very powerful country in the war. (Beck,p 827-828) -
Hitler Comes to Power
On January 1933, President Paul von Hindenburg named Adolf Hitler chancellor of Germany. Hitler strengthened his position by calling new elections against the Communist group. His Nazi party won majority of votes. As chancellor, Hitler put millions of Germans to work, dropping down the rates of unemployment in 1936. Hitler brought Germany to becoming a powerful country again after suffering their losses form World War I, and became a dominant force in World War II. (Beck,p.809-810) -
Lord of the Admiralty in World War II
On September 3, 1939, Winston Churchill was appointed Lord of the Admiralty on the day Britain declared war on Germany. As Lord of the Admiralty, Churchill was a member of the war cabinet, and helped make early decisions for Britain during the war. The accomplishments of Winston Churchill is what eventually promoted him to higher rank later in World War II. (¨Winston Churchill Biography,¨ 2014) -
Prime Minister of England
On May 5, 1940, Winston Churchill was appointed Prime Minister of England by King George VI. As minister, Churchill created an alliance with the United States and the Soviet Union. Churchill worked with the Allied forces and came up with strategies to win the war in Europe. It was Churchill's leadership that helped the Allies win World War II. As Prime Minister of Britain, he did not only help with war but improved the economics and government of Britain. (¨Winston Churchill Biography,¨ 2014) -
Prime Minister in 1951
In October, 1951, Churchill was elected as Prime Minister for the second time in his life. While in his position, Churchill went on to introduce reforms such as the Mines and Quarries Act of 1954, which improved working conditions in mines. He also introduced the Housing Repairs and Rent Act of 1955, which established standards for housing. Overall, Churchill's position in office helped improve the quality of life in Britain, and fixed problems they had. (¨Winston Churchill Biography,¨ 2014) -
Death
On January 24, 1965, Winston Churchill died from a severe stroke in London. Churchill was 90 years old when he died. Although the people of Britain were sad about his death, Winston Churchill had left a lasting legacy in England. He was able to bring the country through World War II, build relations with the United States as well as other countries, and helped with Britain's social, political, and economical issues. (¨Winston Churchill Biography,¨ 2014)
