Winston Churchill
Birthday:
30 November 1874, Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, UK
Birth Name:
Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill
Height:
173 cm
Born in Blenheim Palace, the residence of his grandfather, the 7th Duke of Marlborough. His father was the Duke's third son, Lord Randolph Churchill. His mother, Jennie Jerome, was the daughter of an American financier.After passing through famous English public schools such as Harrow, he went on to fulfill his ambition for a life in the army....
Show more »
Born in Blenheim Palace, the residence of his grandfather, the 7th Duke of Marlborough. His father was the Duke's third son, Lord Randolph Churchill. His mother, Jennie Jerome, was the daughter of an American financier.After passing through famous English public schools such as Harrow, he went on to fulfill his ambition for a life in the army. He fought in various parts of the British Empire until in 1900 when he won the Conservative seat in Oldham in the general election. From here until 1929 he held various offices in British Parliament.The 1930s saw Adolf Hitler rise to power and dominate much of Europe. When war was declared between Britain and Germany in 1939, Neville Chamberlain was British Prime Minister. On May 10, 1940 Hitler's forces struck at Holland, Belgium, and France. Chamberlain was seen by many as a weak leader and they longed for a more forceful leader with whom Britain could feel safe. Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty, was chosen to become Prime Minister (at the age of 65). It could be said that Churchill's fiery energy had never been experienced before in British politics and suddenly it seemed as though Britain could face the Naz giant. He made a speech on 13 May: "You ask: 'What is our policy?' I will say: 'It is to wage war by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us: to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark lamentable catalog of human crime.' That is our policy. You ask: 'What is our aim?' I can answer in one word: 'Victory! Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival.'"The United States entered the war after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The US's participation was excellent news to Churchill and after success on D-Day and as the Nazi forces were gradually forced back, the war in Europe gradually drew to a close. He was re-elected as Prime Minister in 1951 but because of deteriorating health he left the public scene. He died at Hyde Park Gate, London, on January 24, 1965 at the age of 90. He had succeeded in the uniting of thought and deed. He had succeeded in uniting everyone in the common purpose, inspiring them with fortitude and strength to face whatever hardships that would have to be incurred in the process of first surviving and ultimately winning the war. His daughter Mary wrote to him on his death bed: "I owe you what every Englishman, woman, and child owes you -- liberty itself." Show less «
[commenting on the Battle of Britain] Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.
[commenting on the Battle of Britain] Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.
We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with g...Show more »
We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air. We shall defend our island whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing-grounds, we shall fight in the fields, we shall fight in the hills, we shall never surrender. Show less «
[(speech, 30 March 1940)] Although the fate of Poland stares them in the face, there are thoughtless dilettanti or purblind wordlings who so...Show more »
[(speech, 30 March 1940)] Although the fate of Poland stares them in the face, there are thoughtless dilettanti or purblind wordlings who sometimes ask us, "What is it that Britain and France are fighting for?" To this I answer, "If we left off fighting you would soon find out!" Show less «
Golf is a game whose aim it is to hit a very small ball into an even smaller hole with weapons singularly ill-designed for the purpose.
Golf is a game whose aim it is to hit a very small ball into an even smaller hole with weapons singularly ill-designed for the purpose.
I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.
I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.
When you have to kill a man, it costs nothing to be polite.
When you have to kill a man, it costs nothing to be polite.
Writing a book is an adventure: it begins as an amusement, then it becomes a mistress, then a master, and finally a tyrant.
Writing a book is an adventure: it begins as an amusement, then it becomes a mistress, then a master, and finally a tyrant.
Already by 1900 I could boast I had written as many books as Moses.
Already by 1900 I could boast I had written as many books as Moses.
We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.
We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.
Democracy is an awful way to run a country, but it's the best system we have.
Democracy is an awful way to run a country, but it's the best system we have.
[on the Soviet Union] It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.
[on the Soviet Union] It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.
[upon hearing of the love affair between Princess Margaret and Peter Townsend] What a delightful match. A lovely young royal lady married to...Show more »
[upon hearing of the love affair between Princess Margaret and Peter Townsend] What a delightful match. A lovely young royal lady married to a gallant young airman, safe from the perils and horrors of war. Show less «
A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.
A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.
[on his deathbed] I'm so bored with it all.
[on his deathbed] I'm so bored with it all.
It is impossible to obtain a conviction for sodomy from an English jury. Half of them don't believe that it can physically be done, and the ...Show more »
It is impossible to obtain a conviction for sodomy from an English jury. Half of them don't believe that it can physically be done, and the other half are doing it. Show less «
An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.
An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.
It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.
It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.
Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.
Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.
Some regard private enterprise as if it were a predatory tiger to be shot. Others look upon it as a cow that they can milk. Only a handful s...Show more »
Some regard private enterprise as if it were a predatory tiger to be shot. Others look upon it as a cow that they can milk. Only a handful see it for what it really is--the strong horse that pulls the whole cart. Show less «
The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.
The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.
We have our own dream and our own task. We are with Europe, but not of it. We are linked, but not comprised. We are interested and associate...Show more »
We have our own dream and our own task. We are with Europe, but not of it. We are linked, but not comprised. We are interested and associated, but not absorbed. Show less «
[his view on never finishing a sentence with a preposition] Up with this stupidity I will not put.
[his view on never finishing a sentence with a preposition] Up with this stupidity I will not put.
Some men change their party for the sake of their principles; others their principles for the sake of their party.
Some men change their party for the sake of their principles; others their principles for the sake of their party.
Politics are almost as exciting as war, and quite as dangerous. In war you can only be killed once, but in politics many times.
Politics are almost as exciting as war, and quite as dangerous. In war you can only be killed once, but in politics many times.
Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm.
Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm.
How I hated this school, and what a life of anxiety I lived there for more than two years. I made very little progress in my lessons, and no...Show more »
How I hated this school, and what a life of anxiety I lived there for more than two years. I made very little progress in my lessons, and none at all at games. I counted the days and the hours to the end of every term, when I should return home from this hateful servitude and range my soldiers in line of battle on the nursery floor. The greatest pleasure I had in those days was reading. When I was nine and a half my father gave me "Treasure Island", and I remember the delight with which I devoured it. My teachers saw me at once backward and precocious, reading books beyond my years and yet at the bottom of the form. They were offended. They had large resources of compulsion at their disposal, but I was stubborn. Where my reason, imagination or interest were not engaged, I would not or I could not learn. Show less «
A socialist policy is abhorrent to British ideas on freedom. A socialist state could not afford to suffer opposition--no socialist system ca...Show more »
A socialist policy is abhorrent to British ideas on freedom. A socialist state could not afford to suffer opposition--no socialist system can be established without a political police. Show less «
[responding to an accusation that he was conceived out of wedlock] Although present on the occasion, I have no recollection of the events le...Show more »
[responding to an accusation that he was conceived out of wedlock] Although present on the occasion, I have no recollection of the events leading up to it. Show less «
Success is not final; failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.
Success is not final; failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.
I like a man who grins when he fights.
I like a man who grins when he fights.
How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries! Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrop...Show more »
How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries! Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy. Improvident habits, slovenly systems of agriculture, sluggish methods of commerce, and insecurity of property exist wherever the followers of the Prophet rule or live. A degraded sensualism deprives this life of its grace and refinement; the next of its dignity and sanctity. Show less «
Create a list » User Lists Related lists from IMDb users British Knights a list of 276 people created 07 Oct 2012 ...Show more »
Create a list » User Lists Related lists from IMDb users British Knights a list of 276 people created 07 Oct 2012 1000 Iconic Figures a list of 8398 people created 22 Jan 2016 People featured in the book "Five Came Back: A Story of Hollywood and the Second World War" by Mark Harris a list of 61 people created 23 Mar 2016 The Celebritie Graveyard a list of 1293 people created 5 months ago Served In The Armed Forces a list of 28 people created 3 months ago See all related lists » Show less «
Winston Churchill's Photos
