介绍:
The greatest Briton
In 2002, a television programme decided to find out who British people thought was the greatest British person ever. Choices included William Shakespeare and Princess Diana, but the winner was the British Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill.
Early years
Winston Churchill was born in 1874 into a wealthy and famous family. His father was Lord Randolph Churchill, a successful politician, and his mother was an American heiress. Despite his family, Churchill did not do well at school. He had to take the army exam three times before he passed. His early career included some time as a soldier and a journalist, before he became a politician like his father.
The Second World War
After several other important jobs in politics, Churchill became British Prime Minister in 1940, early in World War Ⅱ. His refusal to give in to Nazi Germany and his powerful speeches inspired the country. One of his most memorable speeches came when it seemed that Britain would lose the war. “We shall fight on the beaches,” said Churchill. “We shall fight on the landing grounds; we shall fight in the fields and in the streets; we shall fight in the hills; and we shall never surrender.”
Other achievements
Churchill stopped being Prime Minster after the war, but he carried on being a politician for most of the rest of his life. In his free time, he was a writer, particularly on the subject of history, and wrote many works including A History of the English Speaking People. In 1953, he won the Nobel Prize in Literature for his writing. In later life, Churchill decided to take up painting and produced nearly 600 works.
International importance
It is a sign of his international importance that when Churchill died in 1965, his funeral was attended by representatives from 112 nations. Today, statues of him stand in many countries including the United States, Canada, France and, of course, Britain.
