Margaret Thatcher Publicity photo for the 1951 election campaign. Margaret Thatcher died today at 87. She'll be remembered as the first (and only) woman to be prime minister of Britain, but what's often missed or only glanced over in her biographies, and now her obituaries, is her career as a chemist. Thatcher graduated from Oxford in 1947 with an undergraduate degree in chemistry. Her fourth-year dissertation was on X-ray crystallography of the antibiotic cocktail gramicidin, and her supervisor, Dorothy Hodgkin, was working at the time on the structure of penicillin. In the years after, Thatcher worked as an industrial chemist at British Xylonite Plastics and at Lyons, with a probably apocryphal story circulating that she helped produce a form of soft-scoop ice cream . It's seldom discussed how much her degree might've affected her politics.

A paper by science and technology professor Jon Agar , written for Notes and Records of the Royal Society of London and published in 2010, took a look at that connection, first by examining her as a student: All of her biographers agree that the future Mrs Thatcher devoted her free time to politics rather than science, and even regretted her choice of undergraduate study. One repeated anecdote has her walking with a friend at graduation in 1947 saying, 'You know, I oughtn't to have read chemistry. I should have read law. That's what I need for politics. I shall have to go and read law now.' Another repeatedly recalled incident, at an unspecified date, but presumably during her undergraduate years, was a conversation between the young scientist and Norman Winning, the Recorder, or municipal clerk, of her hometown, who had a Cambridge natural sciences degree. Winning advised her to continue with chemistry as a means to getting into law as a patent lawyer. All these anecdotes serve to prepare the narrative for the next stage in Thatcher's career, her training and employment as a lawyer in the later 1950s.

But instead Thatcher took a position at British Xylonite (BX) Plastics in 1947, Agar writes. It's not clear exactly what her work entailed, but she, perhaps unexpectedly, joined a union there. In 1949, after gaining an opportunity as a parliamentary candidate, Thatcher became a food research chemist at "the cakes and teashop business J. Lyons & Co." She likely researched the chemical process saponification , but not much else can be confirmed about her work there. By 1951, Thactcher resigned from Lyons and switched career paths, studying tax law and passing the Bar in 1953. In 1959, she won a seat in Parliament. The popular theory, then, is that Thatcher studying chemistry was "incidental," Agar writes. It kept the lights on while she pursued politics. He quotes journalist Hugo Young's summary: These two jobs, lasting barely three years in all, constitute the totality of Margaret Thatcher's first-hand contact with the world of commerce and industry. . . . In any case, prime minister Thatcher never tried to make political capital out of these fugitive involvements.

They were incidental to her political ambition and she has never pretended otherwise. They made her a living, while she devoted most of her psychic energy to the greater and more glamorous task. But that doesn't mean her career as a chemist and politician never intertwined, Agar argues. In 1971, Lord Victor Rothschild proposed laws to make government funding of science closer to a business proposition: policy would be shaped by market forces. "Basic" research science (or just "cheap" science) wouldn't be affected, but other research would. Thatcher, then Education Secretary, strangely seemed to shift positions in a decisive meeting on the subject, ultimately agreeing that the market should play a role in government funding of science. It was a controversial decision--121 scientists and doctors signed letters of protest to _The Times_--but Agar marks this as a defining moment, when Thatcher's hard-line conservative policies first took shape.

It wasn't a coincidence that the battle was fought over science, either, Agar writes: "it was precisely because Thatcher knew what scientific research was like that made her impervious to claims that science was a special case, with special features and incapable of being understood by outsiders, and therefore that science policy should be left in the hands of scientists. Such a strategy of persuasion and protection might have considerable purchase on a science minister with no direct experience of the working life of a scientist, but not Thatcher." Agar sees that moment as the beginning of a slope toward more conservative policies. In effect, she used her chemistry background to test the political water: if she could pull off policies like that in the science sector, she could do it in other sectors, too. Agar writes that Thatcher was fond of this quote, about Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone and the physicist Michael Faraday: 'When Gladstone met Michael Faraday, he asked him whether his work on electricity would be of any use. "Yes, sir", remarked Faraday with prescience. "One day you will tax it."' Tags: Britain will have first female prime minister since Margaret Thatcher - The Washington Post Britain will have first female prime minister since Margaret Thatcher The inside track on Washington politics.

Be the first to know about new stories from PowerPost. Sign up to follow, and we’ll e-mail you free updates as they’re published. You’ll receive free e-mail news updates each time a new story is published. You’re all set! By Griff Witte By Griff Witte July 7, 2016 Follow @griffwitte LONDON — The race to be Britain’s next prime minister was whittled to two on Thursday, with Conservative Party lawmakers ensuring that the country will have a female head of government — the nation’s first since Margaret Thatcher stepped down more than a quarter-century ago. The contest will pit the home affairs secretary, Theresa May, against Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom in a race that features contenders who were on opposite sides of last month’s European Union referendum. In a vote among 330 Tory members of Parliament, May was on top, with 199 votes, compared with 84 for Leadsom. A third candidate, Justice Secretary Michael Gove, was knocked out after securing 46 votes.

[ Meet Theresa May and Andrea Leadsom, the two women vying to be Britain’s next prime minister ] Gove had upended British politics last week by jumping into the race for prime minister at the last possible moment. The move forced the favorite, former London mayor Boris Johnson, from the contest even before he had entered. But Gove’s unexpected betrayal also angered many Conservative lawmakers and prompted them to search for an alternative candidate to stand against the new front-runner, May. Speaking at the annual Conservative Party conference on Tuesday, Home Secretary Theresa May said Britain would not accept a European Union-wide immigration and asylum policy “in a thousand years.” (YouTube/Conservatives) That turned out to be Leadsom, a relative unknown in British politics who serves as a junior minister but has never been a member of the cabinet — normally a prerequisite for holding the nation’s top job. Leadsom begins the contest as a decided underdog against the better-known May, who dominated Thursday’s vote and an earlier round of balloting held Tuesday. [ Leadsom backers stage Britain’s most awkward political rally ] But May will need to persuade the party’s rank and file, who will take the summer to choose a winner.

She wasted no time Thursday making her case, which has focused on the notion that she is the only one who can bring together the party’s warring “remain” and “leave” factions. Leadsom draws her support principally from the leave camp. “We need proven leadership to negotiate the best deal for leaving the European Union, to unite our party and our country,” May said just moments after the vote. The winner will be announced Sept. 9 and will replace David Cameron. He announced his plans to step down late last month, just a day after he was unable to persuade the country to back the remain campaign in a referendum on Britain’s E.U. membership. U.K. Conservative Party leadership hopeful Andrea Leadsom told an audience in London July 7 that “no one needs to fear our decision to leave the E.U.” Leadsom is one of two candidates still in the running to be Britain’s next prime minister. (AP) Either Leadsom or May will be Britain’s first female prime minister since Thatcher, who led the country from 1979 to 1990, and the second in British history.

With Hillary Clinton topping presidential polls in the United States and Chancellor Angela Merkel continuing to govern Germany, three of the West’s leading countries could all be governed by women by January — a historic first. And in Scotland, a woman — First Minister Nicola Sturgeon — could become a chief antagonist for the new British prime minister. Scotland favored remaining in the European Union, and Sturgeon could lead Scottish efforts to seek another independence bid from the United Kingdom to stay in the E.U. fold. It is just one front in the tricky post-referendum aftermath facing May or Leadsom. Both candidates have vowed to follow through with a British exit from the European Union — popularly known as Brexit — by triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, the never-before-used mechanism by which countries can leave the 28-member bloc. [ A quick Brexit or a delayed departure? ] But they disagree about when to move. May has suggested that it will not happen this year. Leadsom has said she will act as quickly as possible, as European leaders have demanded. “We need to get on with it,” she recently told the BBC. Leadsom and May were on opposite sides of the E.U. debate.

Leadsom, a former bank executive, emerged from relative obscurity by taking a leading role in the leave campaign. May officially backed remain, but in practice she largely sat on the sidelines. She has long held strongly Euroskeptic views and has said there will be no rerun of the referendum if she becomes prime minister. “Brexit means Brexit,” she said last week when she announced her candidacy. Seeking to assuage any doubts among leave backers, she has at times even taken a harder line than her pro-Brexit rivals. This week, for instance, she refused to guarantee that E.U. citizens living in Britain will be allowed to stay once the country has left the bloc, saying the matter is up for negotiation. Other contenders, including Leadsom, took a more conciliatory line, saying that no one would be kicked out of the country because of Brexit. Despite May’s maneuvering, Leadsom has sought to raise questions about the home secretary’s dedication to the Brexit cause. Leadsom has argued that the country can trust only a true leave champion to drive the hard bargain with Brussels on cutting ties.

May, who has been responsible for the country’s internal security as home secretary since 2010, has suggested that Leadsom lacks the experience necessary for the country’s top job. May has pointed to her own record of negotiating tough security deals with her E.U. counterparts as evidence that she is uniquely prepared for the task ahead. Both Leadsom and May are to the political right of Cameron. May has taken a hard line on immigration, saying in a speech last year that mass arrivals threatened the country’s “cohesion.” Leadsom, meanwhile, opposed the country’s legalization of same-sex marriage — a move that Cameron championed. Of the two, Leadsom is considered more ideological, while May is seen as relatively pragmatic. Now that Conservative members of Parliament have picked the two finalists, it will be up to the party’s 150,000 rank-and-file members to select the leader to govern this nation of 65 million. Because the Conservatives won an absolute majority in Parliament in last year’s general election, they do not need to go back to the public to seek a mandate for a new prime minister. Instead, party members will vote by mail through the summer.

[ Immigrants feel caught in the middle after Britain’s E.U. snub ] Polls show that May is well ahead of Leadsom among Conservative members, just as she was among the party’s parliamentary delegation. The vote will come as the Brexit aftershocks continue to reverberate, with markets reeling and the pound down to its lowest level in three decades. Mohamed El-Erian, chief economic adviser to the investment giant Allianz, told Reuters on Thursday that the currency still has a long way to fall — and could reach parity with the dollar if British politicians do not move quickly to restore stability. Leadsom said Thursday that the pound’s plummet is not necessarily a cause for concern, noting that it will help British exporters. In a speech in central London, Leadsom said she wants to “banish the pessimists” and “spread prosperity to every corner of our country.” The speech was billed as a major economic policy address, but she gave few details of her plans. Leadsom stayed in the hunt for the prime minister’s post despite a flurry of scrutiny over apparent exaggerations on her résumé, which suggested that she had spent years working as a fund manager for a major investment firm.

Leadsom acknowledged Thursday that she had not managed funds, but she insisted that she had held a senior management job at Invesco Perpetual. Johnson, who backed Leadsom in a move widely perceived as revenge against Gove, issued a statement Wednesday calling her “well placed to win and replace the absurd gloom in some quarters with a positive, confident and optimistic approach.” He also celebrated the fact that the Tories will have been responsible for both of Britain’s female prime ministers, calling the center-right party “the most progressive party in Britain.” Karla Adam in London and Brian Murphy in Washington contributed to this report. Read more: Margaret Thatcher, Britain’s first female prime minister, dies - Apr 08, 2013 - HISTORY.com Margaret Thatcher, Britain’s first female prime minister, dies Share this: Margaret Thatcher, Britain’s first female prime minister, dies Author Margaret Thatcher, Britain’s first female prime minister, dies URL Publisher A+E Networks On this day in 2013, Margaret Thatcher, the first–and so far only–female prime minister of the United Kingdom, dies in London at age 87 from a stroke.

Serving from 1979 to 1990, Thatcher was the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century. She curbed the power of Britain’s labor unions, privatized state-owned industries, led her nation to victory in the Falklands War and as a close ally of U.S. President Ronald Reagan played a pivotal role in ending the Cold War. A polarizing figure, Thatcher, nicknamed the Iron Lady, was credited by her admirers with championing free-market, conservative policies that revitalized the British economy, while critics charged these initiatives hurt the nation’s lower classes. Margaret Hilda Roberts was born on October 23, 1925, in Grantham, a town in northeast England. Her family lived in an apartment above the grocery store owned by her father, who also was a local politician. After graduating from Oxford University in 1947, the future prime minister worked as a research chemist. In the early 1950s, she twice ran unsuccessfully for parliament as a Conservative Party candidate.

After marrying Denis Thatcher (1915-2003), a well-off businessman, in 1951, she studied law and gave birth to twins in 1953. That same year, she qualified as a barrister. In 1959, Thatcher was elected to the House of Commons from the Finchley district in north London. She rose through her party’s ranks, and when the Conservatives came to power under Edward Heath in 1970, she was named secretary for education. In that role, Thatcher was vilified by her Labour Party opponents as “Thatcher the Milk Snatcher” after she made cuts to a free-milk program for schoolchildren. In 1975, with Labour back in power, Thatcher, to the surprise of many, defeated Heath to become head of her party, as well as the first woman to serve as opposition leader in the House of Commons. In 1979, with Britain’s economy in poor health and labor union strikes rampant, the Conservatives returned to power and Thatcher was elected prime minister. Her government lowered income taxes but increased taxes on good and services, slashed or eliminated government subsidies to businesses and implemented other austerity measures.

Unemployment soared and Thatcher’s approval ratings plummeted. Then, after Argentina invaded the British-ruled Falkland Islands in April 1982, she sent troops there and by June the Falklands had been recaptured. The victory helped Thatcher win re-election as prime minister in 1983. During her second term, Thatcher’s government defeated a bitter, yearlong miner’s strike and passed legislation restricting the rights of trade unions, while also privatizing a number of state-owned enterprises, selling off public housing and de-regulating the financial industry. In 1984, Thatcher survived unscathed a bomb attack by the Irish Republican Army at a Conservative Party conference in Brighton, England; the blast killed five people and injured more than 30 others. In foreign affairs, Thatcher, an opponent of communism, had a close relationship with Ronald Reagan, who served in the White House from 1981 to 1989, and with whom she shared a number of conservative views. Yet she also forged ties with Mikhail Gorbachev, who led the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991. Thatcher famously said after meeting him, “I like Mr. Gorbachev.

We can do business together,” and her leadership played an important role in helping to end Cold War tensions between America and the Soviets. In other foreign policy issues, Thatcher, controversially, spoke out initially against international efforts to impose economic sanctions on apartheid South Africa, arguing such sanctions wouldn’t work. After being elected to an unprecedented third term in 1987, the hardheaded Thatcher experienced dissent in her own party over her opposition to further economic integration between Britain and the rest of Europe, and her introduction of a widely unpopular poll tax system. In November 1990, at the urging of her fellow party members, she resigned as prime minister and was succeeded by John Major. When she departed 10 Downing Street, Thatcher was the longest continuously serving prime minister in more than 150 years. She left the House of Commons in 1992, and was appointed to the House of Lords, with the title Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven. She went on to pen her memoirs and travel the world giving lectures. Following a series of minor strokes in the early 2000s, Thatcher largely retreated from public view.

Meryl Streep earned an Oscar for her portrayal of the former prime minister in the 2011 biopic “The Iron Lady,” which generated criticism from some Conservative politicians for its depiction of Thatcher’s decline into dementia during her later years. After Thatcher died in April 2013, more than 2,000 guests from around the world attended her funeral at London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral, which in 1965 was the site of Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s funeral. Related Videos Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female PM, dead at 87 - CNN.com Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female PM, dead at 87 By Richard Allen Greene, CNN Updated 9:49 PM ET, Mon April 8, 2013 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds.

JUST WATCHED The life and legacy of the 'Iron Lady' 03:40 Story highlights Thatcher, Britain's "Iron Lady," died after suffering a stroke Monday, her spokeswoman said She retired from public life in 2002 after a stroke As British PM from 1975 to 1990, she played a key role in ending the Cold War But Thatcher opposed reunification of Germany Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, a towering figure in postwar British and world politics and the only woman to become British prime minister, has died at the age of 87. She suffered a stroke Monday, her spokeswoman said. A British government source said she died at the Ritz Hotel in London. Thatcher's funeral will be at St. Paul's Cathedral, with full military honors, followed by a private cremation, the British prime minister's office announced. Thatcher served from 1975 to 1990 as leader of the Conservative Party. She was called the "Iron Lady" for her personal and political toughness. She retired from public life after a stroke in 2002 and suffered several strokes after that.

Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Margaret Thatcher , the first woman to become British prime minister, has died at 87 after a stroke, a spokeswoman said Monday, April 8. Known as the "Iron Lady," Thatcher, as Conservative Party leader, was prime minister from 1979 to 1990. Here she visits British Prime Minister David Cameron at 10 Downing Street in London in June 2010. Hide Caption 1 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Thatcher with her parents and sister Muriel in 1945. Thatcher, born Margaret Hilda Roberts in 1925, studied chemistry at Oxford University and worked as a research chemist before becoming a barrister in 1954. Hide Caption 2 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Conservative Party candidate Margaret Roberts, the youngest candidate for any party in the 1950 general election, works in a laboratory where she was a research chemist.

Hide Caption 3 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – The Conservative Party candidate for Dartford in Kent, England, meets some potential constituents in January 1950. Hide Caption 4 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Thatcher chats with a police officer outside the House of Commons, where she took a seat as a member of Parliament for Finchley in October 1959. Hide Caption Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Thatcher addresses a Conservative Party conference in October 1967. Hide Caption 6 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Thatcher in 1970. Within five years, she would become leader of the Conservatives. Hide Caption 7 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Prime Minister Edward Heath with 13 of 15 newly elected Conservative women members of Parliament outside the House of Commons in June 1970. Thatcher became secretary of state for education and science under Heath.

Hide Caption 8 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Thatcher plays the piano for her husband, Denis, and their twins, Mark and Carol, then 17, in September 1970. Hide Caption 9 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Thatcher takes over from Edward Heath as leader of the Conservative Party in 1975. Hide Caption 10 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Thatcher addresses Conservatives at the start of the 1979 election campaign. William Whitelaw, at her right, later became home secretary and deputy prime minister under Thatcher. Hide Caption 11 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Thatcher, becoming the first female prime minister of a European country, stands with her husband, Denis, outside 10 Downing Street in May 1979 after her party's success in the general election. Hide Caption Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Thatcher with her new Cabinet in June 1979.

Hide Caption 13 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping and Thatcher at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in September 1982. They were holding meetings leading up to the signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration on the future of Hong Kong in 1984. Hide Caption 14 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Thatcher meets personnel aboard the HMS Antrim during her trip to the Falkand Islands in January 1983. The United Kingdom fought a short war with Argentina over the Falklands in 1982, responding with force when Buenos Aires laid claim to the islands. Hide Caption 15 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Thatcher and her husband, Denis, left, visit a school in the Falkland Islands in 1983. Hide Caption 16 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Thatcher secures her second term of office in June 1983.

She won a landslide re-election on the heels of the Falklands victory, with her Conservative Party taking a majority of seats in Parliament with 42% of the vote. Hide Caption 17 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Thatcher and President Ronald Reagan share a joke in London in June 1984. The British politician enjoyed a close working relationship with Reagan, with whom she shared similar conservative views. Hide Caption 18 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Thatcher addresses a Conservative Party conference in Brighton, England, following an IRA bombing of the Grand Hotel, where many delegates were staying, in October 1984. Hide Caption Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Thatcher addresses the Conservative Party in May 1985. Hide Caption 20 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Thatcher receives Spain's King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia at 10 Downing Street in April 1986.

Hide Caption 21 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Thatcher and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev at the start of talks at the Kremlin in Moscow in March 1987. Hide Caption 22 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Thatcher and her husband, Denis, wave to the crowd at a London polling station in June 1987. She was re-elected to another term as prime minister that year with a slightly reduced majority. Hide Caption 23 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Thatcher dances with Reagan in November 1988 following a state dinner given in her honor at the White House. Hide Caption 24 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Thatcher greets Nelson Mandela on the steps of 10 Downing Street in July 1990. The anti-apartheid activist and future South African president had been freed that year after more than 25 years as political prisoner.

Hide Caption 25 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Thatcher, flanked by her husband Denis, addresses the press for the last time at 10 Downing Street before her resignation as prime minister in November 1990 after an internal leadership struggle among Conservatives. Hide Caption 26 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – The former prime minister chats with President George H.W. Bush in March 1991 in the White House Oval Office before receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The award is the highest civilian honor bestowed in the United States. Hide Caption 27 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Thatcher, with her son, Mark, and her daughter, Carol, watches the coffin of her husband, Denis, during his funeral in July 2003 in London. Denis Thatcher died at age 88. Hide Caption 28 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Thatcher touches the flag-draped coffin of Reagan as he lies in state in the U.S.

Capitol Rotunda in June 2004. In a prerecorded video at his funeral, she called Reagan "a great president, a great American and a great man." "And I have lost a dear friend," she said. Hide Caption 29 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Thatcher, from left, Cherie Blair, Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Tony Blair attend a church service at Pangbourne College in June 2007 to mark the 25th anniversary of victory in the Falklands War. Hide Caption 30 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – An usher helps Thatcher, now a baroness, to her seat during the state opening of Parliament in November 2009. Hide Caption 31 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – The ex-prime minister helps unveil a portrait of herself at the opening of the Margaret Thatcher Infirmary at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London in March 2009.

Hide Caption 32 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Pope Benedict XVI greets Thatcher in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican in May 2009. Hide Caption 33 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Thatcher attends the House of Lords during the state opening of Parliament in May 2010. Hide Caption 34 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Thatcher waves from the door of her London home after a hospital stay to operate on a broken arm in June 2009. She had a pin placed in her shoulder after suffering a fall. Hide Caption 35 of 36 Photos: Photos: Thatcher through the years Margaret Thatcher through the years – Thatcher waves to journalists from her London home after another hospital visit -- this time with a bout of flu -- in November 2010. Hide Caption 1 of 13 Photos: Photos: Thatcher and Reagan's friendship Thatcher and Reagan's friendship – Thatcher and Reagan chat at a British Embassy dinner in Washington in February 1981.

Hide Caption 2 of 13 Photos: Photos: Thatcher and Reagan's friendship Thatcher and Reagan's friendship – Thatcher, right, and Reagan at the summit of the seven industrialized powers at Versailles in Paris in 1982. Hide Caption 3 of 13 Photos: Photos: Thatcher and Reagan's friendship Thatcher and Reagan's friendship – Thatcher reads a joint declaration in the Guildhall as Reagan and French President Francois Mitterand listen after a summit conference in London in May 1984. Hide Caption 4 of 13 Photos: Photos: Thatcher and Reagan's friendship Thatcher and Reagan's friendship – Thatcher and Reagan listen to the American national anthem at Kensington Palace Gardens after Reagan's arrival from Ireland for a summit in London in June 1984. Hide Caption 5 of 13 Photos: Photos: Thatcher and Reagan's friendship Thatcher and Reagan's friendship – Thatcher and Reagan share a joke at her residence, No. 10 Downing St., in London in June 1984. Hide Caption 6 of 13 Photos: Photos: Thatcher and Reagan's friendship Thatcher and Reagan's friendship – Reagan and Thatcher take a golf cart around Camp David in December 1984.

Hide Caption 7 of 13 Photos: Photos: Thatcher and Reagan's friendship Thatcher and Reagan's friendship – First lady Nancy Reagan meets Thatcher at No. 10 Downing St. in July 1986. Hide Caption 8 of 13 Photos: Photos: Thatcher and Reagan's friendship Thatcher and Reagan's friendship – Thatcher and Reagan meet in the garden of the Cipriani Hotel in Venice, Italy, during an economic summit in June 1987. Hide Caption 9 of 13 Photos: Photos: Thatcher and Reagan's friendship Thatcher and Reagan's friendship – The two world leaders dance during a White House state dinner in November 1988. Hide Caption Photos: Photos: Thatcher and Reagan's friendship Thatcher and Reagan's friendship – Thatcher and Reagan attend a formal event in January 1989. Hide Caption 11 of 13 Photos: Photos: Thatcher and Reagan's friendship Thatcher and Reagan's friendship – Thatcher pays her respects at Reagan's casket during his viewing at the Capitol in June 2004.

Hide Caption 12 of 13 Photos: Photos: Thatcher and Reagan's friendship Thatcher and Reagan's friendship – Thatcher sits behind Ronald Prescott Reagan as he comforts his mother, Nancy Reagan, during the late president's interment ceremony in Simi Valley, California, in June 2004. Hide Caption BBC - iWonder - Margaret Thatcher: From grocer’s daughter to Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher: From grocer’s daughter to Iron Lady 13 October 1925 8 April 2013Margaret Thatcher dies Loved and loathed Margaret Thatcher, Britain’s first female prime minister, used her cast iron will to help change the face of Britain. She epitomised a particular school of right-wing politics: Thatcherism – laissez-faire economics and individual self-determination. Even after her death, she remains a controversial figure. Some see her as having saved Britain from economic decline, others believe she destroyed the livelihoods of millions of workers. Yet this powerful woman began her life in a quiet market town. 13 October 1925 Born a grocer’s daughter You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Margaret Thatcher talks about her upbringing in Grantham.

Panorama (BBC One, 1960). Margaret Thatcher was born Margaret Roberts in 1925. She grew up in Grantham in Lincolnshire above the family’s corner grocery store. Margaret’s father Alfred Roberts had a huge influence on her. He was an austere man, a devout Methodist and served as a Conservative councillor. Alfred instilled in Margaret the values of hard work and public service. During World War Two she was inspired by Winston Churchill’s defiant speeches and his refusal to give in to Nazism. She saw Churchill as a heroic figure. His uncompromising attitude had a huge influence on her politics and personality. I wasn’t lucky. I deserved it. Margaret Thatcher on receiving her school prize at the age of nine 1943 A man [has a] right to work as he will, to spend what he earns, to own property, to have the state as servant and not as master. Thatcher puts forward her idea of the British inheritance in her first conference speech 1980 "The Lady’s Not For Turning" You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Thatcher answers her critics. Conservative Party Conference (BBC One, 1981).

Despite Thatcher's promises to sort out the nation’s finances, the UK fell into recession. Critics called for a U-turn, but she was defiant. Margaret Thatcher’s economic policies did not bring inflation under control and increased unemployment which rose to two million. That summer riots broke out in British cities. Polls showed she was the most unpopular prime minister since records began. Thatcher sacked the more moderate Tory ‘wets’ and at the 1980 Conservative party conference vowed to hold firm to her policies. However, when the miners threatened a strike in early 1981, the government did back down. You turn if you want to. The lady's not for turning. Margaret Thatcher at the Conservative Party Conference 1981 1982 There's no such thing as society. There are individual men and women and there are families. Thatcher in an interview in Women's Own, 1987 March 1984 The Miner’s Strike: Thatcher defeats "the enemy within" You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Thatcher battles the unions. Andrew Marr's History of Modern Britain (BBC One, 2011). Warning: contains some violent scenes.

In response to planned pit closures, miners union leader Arthur Scargill ordered a strike, threatening Britain's power supply. Thatcher stood firm. The biggest clash was a pitched battle at Orgreave near Sheffield, where 7,000 police fought 5,000 strikers. Mrs Thatcher refused to bow under pressure. She stockpiled coal at power stations and deployed the police to break picket lines. After 12 months the miners were defeated and returned to work. The trade union movement was greatly weakened. Thatcher’s actions were supported by her party and the British Establishment. However she became a hate figure among many working class communities. She hated the English poor and did nothing at all to help them. Morrissey, formerly of 1980s band The Smiths criticises Thatcher in 2012 12 October 1984 Escapes IRA assassination Getty Margaret and her husband Denis leave the Grand Hotel in Brighton, after a bomb attack by the IRA. In 1984, at the Conservative Party Conference in Brighton, Margaret Thatcher narrowly survived the IRA bombing of her hotel. Five people died and 34 were injured. Mrs Thatcher was adamant the conference should carry on.

The next morning she condemned the bombers in her conference speech. Yet later in the Troubles, she was willing to compromise and she played an important part in the 1985 Anglo-Irish Peace agreement. This attack has failed. All attempts to destroy democracy by terrorism will fail. Thatcher's speech to the 1984 Tory Party Conference 1984 Thatcher and Reagan: A special relationship Getty Margaret Thatcher shares a joke with American President Ronald Reagan in 1984. During the 1980s Thatcher saw the USA as Britain’s most important strategic ally. She admired American enterprise and society. Like her hero Churchill, Margaret Thatcher sought to forge a "special relationship" with the US. She was on famously good terms with US President Ronald Reagan and supported his defence policies by permitting the stationing of US nuclear missiles in Britain. She later acted as a go-between for Soviet leader Gorbachev and Reagan, paving the way for nuclear disarmament talks. The fall of the Soviet Union in 1990 was seen by many as vindication of the political philosophy she epitomised. I like Mr Gorbachev. We can do business together.

Margaret Thatcher talks about her meeting with the Soviet leader in 1984 20 September 1988 We have not... rolled back the frontiers of the state in Britain, only to see them re-imposed at a European level with a European super-state… Margaret Thatcher's speech to the College of Europe - "The Bruges Speech" March 1990 The Poll Tax You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Thatcher's biggest political mistake? Portillo on Thatcher: The Lady's Not for Spurning (BBC Two 2009). Warning: contains some violent scenes. After winning a third General election in 1987, Thatcher introduced the Poll Tax. This proved a huge political mistake. Local council rates were replaced with a flat Community Charge that everyone paid regardless of income. Margaret Thatcher drove the policy through without consulting her colleagues. Riots and marches erupted across the UK. In March around 100,000 protestors descended on London under the slogan “Can't pay, won't pay”; 340 people were arrested and 113 injured. The policy was unpopular with the public and caused many Tory MPs to lose faith in their prime minister.

Again, she refused to give in. Margaret Thatcher's downfall You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Thatcher steps down. Andrew Marr's History of Modern Britain (BBC Two, 2009). Warning: contains flashing lights. The Poll Tax, disputes over Europe and an overbearing attitude lost Margaret Thatcher support within her own party. Former Defence Secretary Michael Heseltine stood against her in a leadership election. Thatcher felt betrayed. Facing a leadership vote she called in members of her cabinet one by one to try to win their support. She wrote later “Almost to a man they used the same formula. This was that they themselves would back me, of course, but that regretfully they did not believe I could win.” Margaret Thatcher resigned and left Downing Street as Prime Minister for the last time on 28 November 1990. It was treachery with a smile on its face. Margaret Thatcher describes feeling betrayed by her cabinet 2007 Legend in her own lifetime You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Thatcher's legacy. Newsnight (BBC Two, 2007). Warning: contains violent images and flashing lights.

After resigning as prime minister, Margaret Thatcher wrote her memoirs and continued to make speeches around the world. In 1992 she was given a life peerage and became Baroness Thatcher. She continued to be politically active and became a figurehead for anti-European sentiment in the Conservative party. In June 2003, Margaret Thatcher's husband Denis died and her public appearances became more infrequent. In 2007 she became the first living prime minister to be honoured with a statue in the Houses of Parliament. It stands opposite a statue of her hero Winston Churchill. Theresa May will be Britain's next prime minister FacebookEmail Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest Theresa May will be Britain's next prime minister Prime Minister David Cameron will resign his position by Wednesday. The move paves the way for Theresa May to succeed him as British leader. Post to Facebook Theresa May will be Britain's next prime minister Prime Minister David Cameron will resign his position by Wednesday. The move paves the way for Theresa May to succeed him as British leader. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: CancelSend A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.

21 To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs Theresa May will be Britain's next prime minister Jane Onyanga-Omara , USA TODAY Published 7:17 a.m. ET July 11, 2016 | Updated 5:26 p.m. ET July 11, 2016 CLOSE x Share Theresa May is set to be the new Prime Minister of the U.K. Here are a few facts about her. Chelsea Land, USA TODAY British Home Secretary Theresa May waves to members of the media outside of The Houses of Parliament in London, Britain, July 7, 2016. (Photo: HANNAH MCKAY, EPA) 2175 CONNECT TWEET 8 LINKEDIN 21 COMMENTEMAILMORE LONDON — British Prime Minister David Cameron said Monday that he will resign by Wednesday, paving the way for Home Secretary Theresa May to succeed him as the United Kingdom's second female leader. Cameron's announcement came just hours after May's only competitor for Conservative Party leader and prime minister — Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom — dropped out of the running.

U.K.'s next prime minister, Theresa May, formidable like 'Iron Lady' Thatcher Graham Brady, who leads the committee overseeing the election of the new Conservative leader, said May was confirmed by the panel. Speaking to supporters after the latest political twists and turns, May said she is “honored and humbled” to be chosen as the new leader. Leadsom said she did not believe she had sufficient support within the party to lead a strong and stable government. Party lawmakers last week narrowed the choice of candidates for leader to May and Leadsom. Cameron had announced he would resign by October shortly after the June 23 referendum supported a U.K. exit, or Brexit, from the 28-nation European Union. Cameron led the campaign to remain in the EU. May, who also supported remaining in the EU, won 199 votes Thursday from party lawmakers, while Leadsom, who backed the campaign to leave, had 84. “Brexit means Brexit, and we’re going to make a success of it,” May said Monday, as she promised to deliver “a strong, new positive vision for the future of our country.” Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.

British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks outside 10 Downing Street on July 13, 2016 in London, England. Carl Court, Getty Images Britain's new Prime Minister Theresa May waves outside 10 Downing Street in central London on July 13, 2016. Justin Tallis, AFP/Getty Images British Prime Minister Theresa May and husband Philip May outside 10 Downing St. Carl Court, Getty Images Staff applaud as new British Prime Minister Theresa May and her husband Philip John walk into 10 Downing St. in London. Stefan Rousseau, AFP/Getty Images Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Theresa May, left, at the start of an audience in Buckingham Palace, London, where she invited the former home secretary to become prime minister and form a new government on July 13, 2016. Dominic Lipinski, AP Fullscreen Britain's outgoing Prime Minister David Cameron, left, speaks at the dispatch box with new leader of the Conservative Party and incoming prime minister Theresa May, center, and British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, right, on the front bench during his last Prime Minister's Questions at the House of Commons in central London on July 13, 2016.

PRU, AFP/Getty Images Britain's new leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May arrives at 10 Downing Street in London on July 12, 2016, as she prepares to attend Prime Minister David Cameron's last Cabinet meeting. Chris J. Ratcliffe, AFP/Getty Images Theresa May will become the U.K.'s new prime minister on Wednesday evening after David Cameron holds his final PMQs and visits the Queen to officially resign his position. Carl Court, Getty Images Britain's new Conservative Party leader Theresa May, center, flanked by her supporters, speaks to members of the media at the Palace of Westminster in London on July 11, 2016. Daniel Leal-Olivas, AFP/Getty Images British Home Secretary Theresa May waves with her husband Philip John May as he kisses her head before she makes a statement on July 11, 2016 in London, England. Christopher Furlong, Getty Images Andrea Leadsom makes her announcement to withdraw from the prime minister race, in London, on July 11, 2016. AP British Home Secretary Theresa May walking in Downing Street to attend a cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in central London.

Leon Neal, AFP/Getty Images This Oct. 12, 2007 file photo shows David Cameron and Theresa May. Andrew Parsons, AP Theresa May waves to members of the media outside of The Houses of Parliament in London, on July 7, 2016. Hannah McKay, EPA Like this topic? You may also like these photo galleries: Replay

Question: Who was the first chemist to be Britain's Prime Minister?
Answer: Margaret Thatcher