Facts about Winston Churchill

1. 12

   Appointed Prime Minister at age 65 in May 1940, Churchill led Britain through World War II and served a second term as Prime Minister from 1951 until his resignation in April 1955.

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2. 11

   Twenty-one years before winning the Nobel Prize in Literature, Churchill received the Medal of Honour from the Royal Humane Society in 1932 for rescuing a drowning child from the Paddington Swimming Bath at age 57.

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3. 10

   Over five decades, Churchill painted approximately 500 oil paintings as a devoted hobby, beginning in 1915 and continuing throughout his life to manage stress and creative expression.

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4. 09

   Following his stroke in 1953, Churchill's speech became slurred and his left side weakened, yet he remained Prime Minister for two additional years before resigning in April 1955.

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5. 08

   Before entering politics, Churchill worked as a journalist and soldier in four different countries across three continents between 1896 and 1901.

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6. 07

   Churchill served as a war correspondent in Sudan in 1898, earning £5 per letter while simultaneously pursuing a military career as a young subaltern.

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7. 06

   As Home Secretary in 1911, Churchill authorized deployment of 200 troops and two tanks to suppress a miners' strike in Tonypandy, Wales, an act that earned him lasting enmity among the working class.

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8. 05

   Churchill's literary output included six major volumes of The Second World War between 1948 and 1953, earning him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953 for his historical writings and oratory.

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9. 04

   Profoundly deaf in his later years, Churchill relied on a hearing aid during his final decade as Prime Minister from 1951 to 1955.

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10. 03

    At age 22, Churchill failed the entrance exam to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst twice before passing on his third attempt in 1896.

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11. 02

    In 1899, Churchill was captured by Boer forces in South Africa, escaped after 21 days of captivity, and became a celebrated war correspondent at age 24.

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12. 01

    During World War II, Churchill consumed an average of eight cigars daily and drank champagne regularly, yet lived to age 90 and died in January 1965.

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