英語名人堂：瑪格麗特·希爾達(dá)·撒切爾

Margaret Thatcher (nee Margaret Roberts) was born in 1925 in England. Her father owned two local grocery stores, which is where she first developed her business sense. The young Margaret had a strict religious upbringing. She studied chemistry and then law at university. She was Britain’s Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990. Her tough style earned her the nickname “The Iron Lady”.

Thatcher became a politician after winning an election in London in 1959. She served as Britain's Education Secretary from 1970 to 1974. Thatcher became Britain’s first female Prime Minister in 1979. She privatised many of Britain’s state-owned companies and had long battles with labour unions. She lowered taxes and inflation and greatly cut government spending.

She was very busy with her foreign policy. Britain fought and won the Falklands War against Argentina in 1982. She forged close ties with the USA and had a warm relationship with President Ronald Reagan. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, she became friends with ex-Soviet leader Mikael Gorbachev. She escaped assassination in 1984 when a bomb exploded at a hotel she was staying in.

In 1987, Thatcher won a third term in office. However, she was becoming unpopular. Unemployment was high and there were street riots after she announced a Community Tax. Her opposition to closer integration with Europe led to a leadership challenge and in 1990, she resigned. Sheretired from public speaking in 2002, aged 77. She died on April 8th 2013, aged 87. “Thatcherism” is still a word commonly used in Britain.