Winston Churchill Timeline of Events

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Winston Churchill

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...

Timeline of Events

1874

11.30.1874

Winston Churchill is born at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, Great Britain.

1901

2.18.1901

Winston Churchill makes his maiden speech in the House of Commons.

1906

1.12.1906

Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman's cabinet (which included amongst its members H. H. Asquith, David Lloyd George, and Winston Churchill) embarks on sweeping social reforms after a Liberal landslide in the British general election.

1911

Churchill is elected First Lord of the Admiralty for the first time.

1940

5.10.1940

World War II: Winston Churchill is appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

5.13.1940

World War II: Germany's conquest of France begins as the German army crosses the Meuse. Winston Churchill makes his "blood, toil, tears, and sweat" speech to the House of Commons.

6.18.1940

"Finest Hour" speech by Winston Churchill.

1943

1.14.1943

World War II: Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill begin the Casablanca Conference to discuss strategy and study the next phase of the war.

1.14.1943

World War II: Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes the first President of the United States to travel via airplane while in office when he travels from Miami, Florida to Morocco to meet with Winston Churchill.

1.24.1943

World War II: Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill conclude a conference in Casablanca.

5.19.1943

World War II: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt set Monday, May 1, 1944 as the date for the Normandy landings ("D-Day"). It would later be delayed over a month due to bad weather.

6.1.1943

British Overseas Airways Corporation Flight 777 is shot down over the Bay of Biscay by German Junkers Ju 88s, killing actor Leslie Howard and leading to speculation the downing was an attempt to kill British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

8.17.1943

World War II: First Québec Conference of Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and William Lyon Mackenzie King begins.

1944

9.15.1944

Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill meet in Quebec as part of the Octagon Conference to discuss strategy.

1945

2.4.1945

World War II: The Yalta Conference between the "Big Three" (Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin) opens at the Livadia Palace in the Crimea.

7.16.1945

World War II: the leaders of the three Allied nations, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Winston Churchill, President of the United States Harry S Truman and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin, meet in the German city of Potsdam to decide the future of a defeated Germany.

7.26.1945

The Labour Party wins the United Kingdom general election of July 5 by a landslide, removing Winston Churchill from power.

1946

3.5.1946

Winston Churchill uses the phrase "Iron Curtain" in his speech at Westminster College, Missouri.

9.19.1946

The Council of Europe is founded following a speech by Winston Churchill at the University of Zurich.

1952

2.21.1952

The British government, under Winston Churchill, abolishes identity cards in the UK to "set the people free".

2.26.1952

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill announces that his nation has an atomic bomb.

1953

4.24.1953

Winston Churchill is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

1955

4.5.1955

Winston Churchill resigns as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom amid indications of failing health.

1965

2.1.1965

The Hamilton River in Labrador, Canada is renamed the Churchill River in honour of Winston Churchill.