Winston Churchill

The son of Lord Randolph Churchill and an American mother, was educated at Harrow and Sand Hurst. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, (30 November 1874 Ð'- 24 January 1965) was an English statesman, soldier, and author, best known as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. Well-known as an orator, strategist, and politician, Churchill was one of the most important leaders in modern British and world history. He won the 1953 Nobel Prize in Literature for his many books on English and world history. Sir Winston Churchill was voted the greatest-ever Briton in the 2002 BBC Churchill's legal surname was Spencer-Churchill (he was related to the Spencer family), but starting with his father, Lord Randolph Churchill, his branch of the family used the name Churchill in their public life.

Winston Churchill was a descendant of the first famous member of the Churchill family, John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough. Winston's politician father, Lord Randolph Churchill, was the third son of the 7th Duke of Marlborough; Winston's mother was Lady Randolph Churchill (nÐ"©e Jennie Jerome), daughter of American millionaire Leonard Jerome

Winston Churchill was born in Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire on 30th November 1874.

As was typical for upper-class boys at that time, he spent much of his childhood at boarding schools. At Harrow School, he had an independent and rebellious nature and generally did poorly, for which he was punished. However, he did well in English and history. He was also the school's fencing champion. He was rarely visited by his mother (then known as Lady Randolph), whom he loved very dearly, and wrote letters begging her to either come or let his father permit him to come home. As an adult, Winston developed a closer, sibling-like relationship with his mother.

He followed his father's career keenly but had a distant relationship with him. His desolate, lonely childhood stayed with him throughout his life. On the other hand, as a child he was very close to his nanny, Elizabeth Anne Everest, whom he used to call "woom", probably for affection and attention. After three attempts, Churchill was finally accepted at and attended the Royal Military Academy Sand Hurst. According to William Manchester, while studying maps of various countries for the exam the night before he made chits with country names on them, picked at random the one for New Zealand and studied it. By an incredible stroke of luck he was asked to draw the map of the same country on the exam, which he passed. Upon his graduation at age 20, Churchill joined the army as a Subaltern of the IV (Queen's Own) Hussars Cavalry regiment. He dislocated and injured his shoulder while disembarking upon his arrival in India for his first posting, an injury that would cause him problems in later years. But even with this injury he was one of the best polo players in his regiment and had lead his team to many prestigious tournament victories.

Churchill as a young man

After returning from South Africa, Churchill again stood as a Conservative party candidate in Oldham, this time in the 1900 general election, or Khaki election.

He was duly elected, but rather than attending the opening of Parliament, he embarked on a speaking tour throughout Britain and the United States, by means of which he raised ten thousand pounds for himself. (Members of Parliament were unpaid in those days and Churchill was not rich by the standards of other MPs at that time.) While in the United States, one of his speeches was introduced by Mark