1874

Born, 30 November, eldest son of Rt. Hon. Lord Randolph Churchill, 3rd son of 7th Duke of Marlborough, and Jennie Jerome.

1888-93

Attendance at Harrow School

1893-94

Cavalry cadet at Sandhurst Royal Military Academy

1895

Death of Lord Randolph Churchill, 24 January

1904

Moved from Conservative Party to Liberal Party, 31 May

1907

Became Privy Councillor, 1 May

1908

Married, 12 September, to Clementine, daughter of Sir Henry Hozier and Lady Blanche (née Ogilvy)

1922

Bought Chartwell Manor, Kent

1924

Returned to Conservative Party from Liberal Party

1931

Lecture tour in the United States

1940-45

Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister of Defence

1946

"Iron Curtain" Speech, Fulton, Missouri, 5 March

1951-55

Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury

1953

Awarded Nobel Prize for Literature

1965

Died, 24 January

1895

Commissioned, 20 February, as Second Lieutenant, 4th Hussars. Served with Spanish forces in Cuba (1st Class [Spanish] Order of Military Merit)

1897

Malakand Field Force, 31st Punjab Infantry (despatches, medal with clasp)

1898

Orderly officer to Sir W. Lockhart with Tirah Expeditionary Force (clasp). Served, attached 21st Lancers with Nile Expeditionary force, present at Battle of Khartoum (medal, with clasp)

1899-1900

Acted as correspondent Morning Post South Africa; taken prisoner, but escaped; served as Lieutenant South African Light Horse; present at actions of Acton Homes, Venter's Spruit, Hussar Hill, Cingolo, Monte Cristo, and at battles of Spion Kop, Vaal Krantz, and Pieters, and at engagements of Johannesburg and Diamond Hill, and capture of Pretoria (medal with six clasps).

1900

Retired from Regular Army

1901

Commissioned as Captain, Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars, Territorial Army

1905

April, Promoted Major, and appointed in command of the Henley Squadron of the Queens' Own Oxfordshire Hussars, Territorial Army

1915-16

served western front with Grenadier Guards; appointed Lieutenant-Colonel, commanding 6th Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers, France (medals)

Sept 1916

Transferred to Territorial Reserves of Officers

July 1924

Awarded Territorial Decoration, resigned from Territorial Army

1899

Contested Oldham (Conservative)

1900-04

M.P. Oldham (Conservative)

1904-06

M.P. Oldham (Liberal)

1906-08

M.P. Manchester N.W. (Liberal)

1908-22

M.P. Dundee (Liberal)

1924-45

M.P. Epping Div. of Essex (Conservative)

1945-64

M.P. Woodford (Conservative)

Dec 1905 - Apr 1908

Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies

Apr 1908 - Feb 1910

President of the Board of Trade

Feb 1910 - Oct 1911

Home Secretary

Oct 1911 - May 1915

First Lord of the Admiralty

May 1915 - Nov 1915

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

Jul 1917 - Jan 1919

Minister of Munitions

Jan 1919 - Feb 1921

Secretary of State for War (and Air till Apr 1921)

Feb 1921 - Oct 1922

Secretary of State for the Colonies

Nov 1924 - Jun 1929

Chancellor of the Exchequer

Sep 1939 - May 1940

First Lord of the Admiralty

May 1940 - Jul 1945

Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister of Defence

Jul 1945 - Oct 1951

Leader of the Opposition

Oct 1951 - Apr 1955

Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury (also Minister of Defence Oct 1951 - Jan 1952)