NICKNAMED the Iron Lady, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had a remarkable political career.
Mrs Thatcher achieved many firsts as leader of Britain. She was the first female Prime Minister, the first leader to win three consecutive terms and the longest-serving PM of the 20th century.
How old was Margaret Thatcher when she became Prime Minister?
Mrs Thatcher entered the Cabinet as Education Secretary in 1970.
She famously scrapped a free milk programme for schoolchildren, which led to her being dubbed “Thatcher the milk snatcher” by her opponents.
She competed for the role of Conservative leader against Ted Heath in 1975 and, to the surprise of many, was victorious.
Then, in 1979 the Conservative Party won the General Election with a 44-seat majority in the House of Commons, and Thatcher became PM aged 54, taking over from James Callaghan.
Mrs Thatcher was born to Methodist parents in the town of Grantham, where she attended her local grammar school.
The talented student went on to study Chemistry at Oxford University, and it was here that her true passion for Conservative politics developed.
She won the role of president of Oxford’s Conservative Association.
Who was her husband Denis Thatcher?
Denis Thatcher was a wealthy British businessman and was awarded an MBE in his own right in 1944.
He met Margaret at a trade show in 1949 when she was just a parliamentary candidate.
The pair married in 1951 at Wesley’s Chapel in City Road.
