The most dominant British prime minister since Winston Churchill in 1940 has died. She was the first woman ever to serve as prime minister of Great Britain and the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century. Thatcher battled the country’s recession by initially raising interest rates to control inflation. She was best known for her destruction of Britain’s traditional industries through her attacks on labor organizations such as the miner’s union, and for the massive privatization of social housing and public transport. One of her staunchest allies was U.S. President Ronald Reagan, a fellow conservative. Thatcher was born Margaret Hilda Roberts on Oct. 13, 1925 in Grantham, England. She attended Somerville College, Oxford, where she studied chemistry, and later, in 1953, qualified as a barrister, specializing in tax issues. She married Denis Thatcher on Dec. 13, 1951, and their marriage lasted for nearly 52 years until his death in June 2003. The couple had twins, Mark and Carol, in 1953.
Biography:
Born: October 13, 1925, Grantham
Died: April 8, 2013, London
Full name: Margaret Hilda Roberts
Nicknames: Iron Lady, Thatcher, the Milk Snatcher, Maggie, Attilla the Hen
Children: Mark Thatcher, Carol Thatcher
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