(1874-1965)
Who Was Winston Churchill?
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill was a British politician, military officer and writer who served as the prime minister of Great Britain from 1940 to 1945 and from 1951 to 1955. After becoming prime minister in 1940, Churchill helped lead a successful Allied strategy with the U.S. and Soviet Union during World War II to defeat the Axis powers and craft postwar peace.
Early Years
Churchill was born on November 30, 1874, at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, England.
From an early age, young Churchill displayed the traits of his father, Lord Randolph Churchill, a British statesman from an established English family, and his mother, Jeanette "Jennie" Jerome, an independent-minded New York socialite.
Churchill grew up in Dublin, Ireland, where his father was employed by his grandfather, the 7th Duke of Marlborough, John Spencer-Churchill.
Churchill proved to be an independent and rebellious student; after performing poorly at his first two schools, Churchill in April 1888 began attending Harrow School, a
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Growing Pains 1874-1895
Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill was born 30 November 1874 at Blenheim Palace, the ancestral home of the Dukes of Marlborough. His father, second son of the 7th Duke of Marlborough, inherited neither title nor property. Winston grew up with social status, privilege, and a keen sense of heritage, but little money. In the custom of the day, he was raised by a nanny and sent to boarding schools. It was a lonely and hard life for a sensitive and imaginative child.
Winston's Parents
Prominent Parents
Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill's ancestors were both British and American. Winston's father was the British Lord Randolph Churchill, the youngest son of John, the 7th Duke of Marlborough. Lord Randolph's ancestor John Churchill made history by winning many successful military campaigns in Europe for Queen Anne almost 200 years earlier.
His mother was the American Jennie Jerome. The Jeromes fought for the independence of the American colonies in George Washington's armies.
Winston's father and mother were both socially active and politically prominent. The