she was born on October 13, 1925, in Grantham, England, Margaret Thatcher became Britain's Conservative Party leader and in 1979 was elected prime minister, the first woman to hold the position. During her three terms, she cut social welfare programs, reduced trade union power and privatized certain industries. Thatcher resigned in 1991 due to unpopular policy and power struggles in her party. She died on April 8, 2013, at age 87
Early Life
Politician and former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher was born as Margaret Hilda Roberts on October 13, 1925, in Grantham, England. Nicknamed the "Iron Lady," Thatcher served as the prime minister of England from 1979 to 1990.
In 1952, Thatcher put politics aside for a time to study law. She and her husband welcomed twins Carol and Mark the next year. After completing her training, Thatcher qualified as a barrister, a type of lawyer, in 1953. But she didn't stay away from the political arena for too long. Thatcher won a seat in the House of Commons in 1959, representing Finchley
• Thatcher faced a military challenge during her first term. In April 1982, Argentina invaded the Falkland islands. This British territory had long been a source of conflict between the two nations, as the islands are located off the coast of Argentina. Taking swift action, Thatcher sent British troops to the territory to retake the islands in what became known as the Falklands War. Argentina surrendered in June 1982.
• Life After Politics
Not long after leaving office, Thatcher was appointed to the House of Lords, as Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven, in 1992. She wrote about her experiences as a world leader and a pioneering woman in the field of politics in two books: The Downing Street Years (1993) and The Path to Power (1995). In 2002, she published the book Statecraft, in which she offered her views on international politics.
In 2005, Thatcher celebrated her 80th birthday. A huge event was held in her honor and was attended by Queen Elizabeth II, Tony Blair and nearly 600 other friends, family members and former colleagues. Two years later, a sculpture of the strong conservative leader was unveiled in the House of Commons.
• Margaret Thatcher's health made headlines in 2010, when she missed a celebration at 10 Downing Street, held in honor of her 85th birthday by David Cameron. Later, in November 2010, Thatcher spent two weeks in the hospital for a condition that was later revealed to cause painful muscle inflammation.
• In 2011, she sat out such a number of major events, including the wedding of Prince William in April, and the unveiling of the Ronald Reagan sculpture in London in July. Additionally, in July 2011, Thatcher's office in the House of Lords was permanently closed. The closure has been seen by some to mark the end of her public life.
• Margaret Thatcher died on April 8, 2013, at the age of 87. She was survived by her two children, daughter Carol and son Sir Mark. Thatcher's policies and actions continue to be debated by detractors and supporters alike, illustrating the indelible impression that she has left on Britain and nations worldwide.
• Rooted Beliefs
• Margaret Thatcher’s upbringing taught her the importance of self-help, charitable work and personal authenticity. Through the course of her decisions over the years, she was able to lean on those values as a moral and foundational compass. Leaders who understand their core values find success more painlessly.
• Confidence
• Once rooted in beliefs and having developed informed opinions, leaders develop instinctual confidence, which transmits to others as transformational leadership. This was the case for Margaret Thatcher as described by the Margaret Thatcher Foundation “Unlike many Conservatives at that time, she had little difficulty getting a hearing from any audience and she spoke easily, with force and confidence, on issues that mattered to the voters.”
• Collaboration
• Leaders who think they’ve got all the answers cannot to be trusted. Fortunately, Margaret Thatcher knew the importance of listening to the opinions of others. “I love argument. I love debate. I don’t expect anyone just to sit there and agree with me – that’s not their job” is perhaps one of her most memorable quotes. Every leader must understand this principle.
• Resilience
• Every true leader needs to rise from the ashes in order to inspire hope for others. This kind of resilience is illustrated in Margaret’s well known words “The fact that we are gathered here, now — shocked but composed and determined – is a sign not only that this attack has failed but that all attempts to destroy democracy will fail.”
• Determination
• Thatcher’s determination is ultimately what enabled her to set goals and see them through, including reducing the influence of trade unions.
• Strong relationship building
• The former British prime minister made sure to forge strong political alliances, most notably with then-US president Ronald Reagan.
• Sharing many political, financial and ideological approaches, the pair also supported each other’s military aims. These included Britain’s battle against the Argentine armed forces during the Falklands War in 1983 and the US bombing of Libya a year later.
• Generations to come will be analyzing and emulating many more lessons learned from Margaret Thatcher. As the world travels down the paths she built, they are extended by leaders carrying on and holding on to similar principals.