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Birth - Winston Churchill was born on November 30, 1874. His father was Lord Randolph Churchill, a British noble and statesman.

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American mom? - According to the Daily Mail, Jennie Jerome was born in the United States. At the end of the 19th century it was common for members of the British aristocracy to marry American heiresses, and was the case of Jennie Jerome and Lord Randolph Churchill.

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Ginger? - The Express states that Churchill had red hair and freckles up until adolescence.

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He almost didn't go to military school - An article by History states that Churchill failed the entry exams to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst twice. He had to resort to the help of a military tutor to get into the academy, where he was admitted to the Cavalry.

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Bottles 'to go' - The Daily Star said that when Churchill traveled to fight in the Boer War, he took 60 bottles of alcohol with him.

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Escape from prison - Churchill was a prisoner of war during the Boer War in South Africa. He was taken to a prisoner of war camp but managed to escape from it one night.

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Marriage - Churchill married Clementine Ogilvy Hozier in 1908, and the couple had five children.

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Mahatma Gandhi - The Guardian relates that for the majority of his life, Churchill opposed any form of Indian autonomy. He once referred to Gandhi as a revolutionary lawyer who was passing himself off as a fakir.

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Stirring speeches - One of Churchill's strengths was his public speaking. Of his 10 most influential speeches, six were given in the space of just a few months, according to The Telegraph.

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Against the dry law -

According to Slate magazine, when prohibition came into effect in the United States, Churchill called the act an affront to the history of humanity.

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Car accident - On a visit to New York in 1931, Churchill was hit by a car. This was because he was unused to which side of the road traffic drove on, and had looked right instead of left when crossing the street, according to The New York Times.

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Drink of choice -

Drinking Champagne was one of Churchill's biggest vices.

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Not punctual - National Geographic reported that Winston Churchill hated wasting time, yet always arrived late.

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Lost elections - After the German surrender in 1945, Churchill's conservative party lost the general election. This meant he had to leave his post as prime minister before the Second World War had officially ended.

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Honorary citizenship - He is the only British prime minister to have been given honorary citizenship of the United States.

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'Operation Unthinkable' - Churchill planned an operation to launch a surprise attack on the Soviet Union. It was called 'Operation Unthinkable' and would have mobilized thousands of soldiers who had previously fought for the Nazis.

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The Iron Curtain - It was in a speech given in 1946 that Churchill first used the term "Iron Curtain," according to an article published by Business Insider. From then on afterwards the term came to be used by many politicians in reference to the Soviet Union.

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A many monarch man - Winston Churchill served six monarchs during his life, from Queen Victoria to Queen Elizabeth II.

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Tough guy - An article published by Time revealed that Churchill let millions of Indians die from hunger in 1943, when he refused to export food to the country.

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Pressurized cabin - During the Second World War, Churchill had a special pressure chamber where he could rest during long flights. According to Flashbak, a specialist history site, the chamber had its own telephone, ash tray, and air circulation system.

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Talented writer - Churchill wrote approximately 20 books throughout his lifetime. In 1953, he received the Nobel Prize for Literature, whilst in his second term of office as prime minister.

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Nobel prize - Churchill is the only British prime minister ever to have received the accolade.

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Death -

Winston Churchill died on January 24, 1965, at the age of 90. He had suffered a brain hemorrhage some days before.

See also: The best novels written by British politicians

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