Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (née Roberts; 13 October 1925 – 8 April 2013), was a prominent British stateswoman and Conservative politician. Serving as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990, she was the longest-serving prime minister of the 20th century and the first woman to hold the position. Her economic policies, known as Thatcherism, and her firm leadership style earned her the nickname "Iron Lady," coined by a Soviet journalist. Thatcher studied chemistry at Somerville College, Oxford, and briefly worked as a research chemist before qualifying as a barrister. She entered Parliament in 1959 as MP for Finchley and became secretary of state for education and science under Edward Heath in 1970. After defeating Heath in the 1975 Conservative Party leadership election, she became the first woman to lead a major UK political party and, subsequently, leader of the opposition. Upon winning the 1979 general election, Thatcher implemented policies to combat high inflation and economic stagnation following the Winter of Discontent. Her reforms emphasized privatization, reducing trade union power, and promoting individual liberty. Early unpopularity due to a recession and rising unemployment was offset by her success in the 1982 Falklands War and subsequent economic recovery, leading to a landslide re-election in 1983. Thatcher's tenure saw significant events, including surviving an assassination attempt in the 1984 Brighton hotel bombing and defeating the National Union of Mineworkers during the 1984–85 miners' strike. In 1986, she oversaw financial deregulation, which spurred an economic boom known as the Big Bang. Despite winning a third term in 1987, her support for the poll tax and Eurosceptic views led to diminished support within her party. She resigned in 1990 and was succeeded by John Major. Upon retiring from the Commons in 1992, Thatcher was made a life peer, becoming Baroness Thatcher. She passed away in 2013 at the age of 87. A divisive figure in British politics, Thatcher remains influential in historical assessments, with her neoliberal policies continuing to shape debates in the 21st century.

Margaret Thatcher - Wikipedia