| 25 Oct 13 Tu: |
Born in Grantham as second child to Alfred & Beatrice Roberts |
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| 43 Oct: |
MT began her chemistry degree at Somerville College, Oxford |
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| 46 Oct: |
MT elected President of Oxford University Conservative Association |
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| 47 Jun: |
MT completed Part II of her chemistry degree |
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| 49 Jan 31 Mo: |
MT selected Conservative candidate for Dartford |
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| 50 Feb 23 Th: |
General Election: Labour Government formed (5 majority); MT defeated at Dartford |
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| 51 Oct 25 Th: |
General Election: Conservative Government (13 majority); MT defeated at Dartford |
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| 51 Dec 13 Th: |
Marriage of Margaret Roberts and Denis Thatcher |
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| 52 Jan-Apr: |
MT began legal training; resigned as candidate for Dartford |
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| 53 Aug 15 Sa: |
Birth of Carol & Mark Thatcher |
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| 53 Dec 01 Tu: |
MT qualified as a barrister |
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| 55 May 26 Th: |
General Election: Conservative Government formed (58 majority); MT did not run |
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| 58 Jul 31 Th: |
MT adopted Conservative candidate for Finchley |
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| 59 Oct 08 Th: |
General Election: Conservative Government formed (100 majority) MT elected an MP |
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| 61 Jul 31 Mo: |
Macmillan announced British application for EEC membership |
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| 61 Aug 13 Su: |
Berlin Wall begun |
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| 61 Oct 09 Mo: |
MT appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary (Pensions & National Insurance) |
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| 62 Jul 13 Fr: |
'Night of the Long Knives' - 7 of 21 Cabinet Ministers sacked |
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| 62 Oct 28 Su: |
Cuban Missile Crisis resolved |
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| 62 Dec 19 We: |
Macmillan-Kennedy Nassau Summit - US agreed to supply Polaris to Britain |
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| 63 Jan 14 Mo: |
De Gaulle vetoed British entry to EEC |
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| 63 Jun 04 Tu: |
Profumo resigned |
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| 63 Oct 10 Fr: |
Macmillan resigned as Prime Minister; Douglas-Home succeeded him |
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| 64 Oct 15 Th: |
General Election: Labour Government formed (4 majority); MT shadowing pensions |
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| 65 Jul 25 Su: |
Home resigned as Conservative leader; Heath elected successor (28 Jul) |
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| 65 Oct 18 Mo: |
MT moved to shadow Housing and Land |
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| 65 Nov 11 Th: |
Rhodesia declared UDI |
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| 66 Mar 31 Th: |
General Election: Labour Government formed (98 majority) |
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| 66 Apr 19 Tu: |
MT moved to shadow Treasury as deputy to Iain Macleod |
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| 67 Jun 05 Mo: |
Middle East: Six Day War (ended 10 Jun) |
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| 67 Oct 10 Tu: |
MT appointed to Shadow Cabinet, responsible for Fuel and Power |
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| 67 Nov 18 Sa: |
Sterling devalued from $2.80 to $2.40 |
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| 68 Apr 20 Sa: |
Enoch Powell's 'River Tiber' speech |
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| 68 Apr 21 Su: |
Heath dismissed Powell from Shadow Cabinet |
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| 68 Aug 20 Tu: |
Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia |
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| 68 Nov 14 Th: |
MT reshuffled to shadow Transport |
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| 69 Aug 14 Th: |
Northern Ireland: British Army deployed in Belfast |
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| 69 Oct 21 Tu: |
MT appointed shadow Education spokesman |
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| 70 Jan 30 Fr: |
Selsdon Park Shadow Cabinet (manifesto meeting); ended 1 Feb |
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| 70 Jun 18 Th: |
General Election: Conservative Government formed (majority 31) |
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| 70 Jun 19 Fr: |
MT became Secretary of State for Education and Science |
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| 70 Jun 30 Tu: |
Circular 10/70, withdrawing compulsion to go comprehensive |
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| 71 Feb 04 Th: |
Nationalisation of Rolls-Royce announced |
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| 71 Oct 28 Th: |
House of Commons voted in favour of EEC entry (356:244) |
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| 71 Oct-Nov: |
MT most bitterly attacked as 'milk snatcher' in the press |
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| 72 Jan 09 Su: |
Miners' strike began (National Union of Mineworkers, NUM) |
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| 72 Jan 12 We: |
MT met Heath at Chequers with her senior officials; reinforced her authority |
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| 72 Jan 20 Th: |
Unemployment passed 1 million |
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| 72 Jan 30 Su: |
'Bloody Sunday': British troops killed 13 in Londonderry |
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| 72 Feb 10 Th: |
Saltley Coke depot closed by NUM 'flying pickets' |
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| 72 Feb 19 Sa: |
Heath conceded miners' demands |
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| 72 Feb 28 We: |
'U turn' (1): Upper Clyde Shipbuilders given £35m aid |
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| 72 Mar 21 Tu: |
'U turn' (2): Budget: full scale reflation began |
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| 72 Mar 22 We: |
'U turn' (3): Industry White Paper (basis of interventionist 1972 Industry Act) |
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| 72 Mar 24 We: |
Northern Ireland: Stormont Parliament suspended; direct rule began |
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| 72 Jun 23 Th: |
Sterling floated: left European 'snake' and unpegged from dollar |
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| 72 Nov 06 Mo: |
'U turn' (4): Statutory control of pay, prices, dividends and rents ('Phase I') |
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| 72 Dec 06 We: |
MT's White Paper published: Education: A Framework for Expansion |
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| 73 Jan 01 Mo: |
Britain acceded to the European Community |
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| 73 Oct 06 Sa: |
Arab-Israeli War (ended 24 Oct); oil price increased 70 per cent |
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| 73 Oct 08 Mo: |
'Phase III' of pay policy: £2.25 or 7 per cent; inflation linked 'threshold' payments |
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| 73 Nov 12 Mo: |
NUM overtime ban began; State of Emergency following day |
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| 73 Dec 09 Su: |
Sunningdale Agreement (north-south Council of Ireland to be formed) |
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| 73 Dec 13 Th: |
Three day week announced |
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| 74 Feb 07 Th: |
General Election called for 28 Feb |
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| 74 Feb 10 Su: |
Miners' strike began (ended 11 Mar) |
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| 74 Feb 28 Th: |
General Election: no party won an overall majority |
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| 74 Mar 02 Sa: |
Heath offered Liberals seats in coalition; offer rejected, he resigned as PM (4 Mar) |
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| 74 Mar 11 Mo: |
Shadow cabinet formed: MT shadowing Environment; Keith Joseph setting up CPS |
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| 74 May 15 We: |
Northern Ireland: Loyalist strike began; executive resigned (28 May) |
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| 74 Jun 22 Sa: |
Keith Joseph's Upminster speech |
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| 74 Sep 05 Th: |
Keith Joseph's Preston speech: fundamental attack on post-war political consensus |
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| 74 Oct 10 Th: |
General Election: Labour Government formed with majority of three |
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| 74 Oct 19 Sa: |
Keith Joseph's Edgbaston speech: damaged his chances of winning Cons leadership |
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| 74 Nov 07 Th: |
Shadow cabinet reshuffle: MT to assist Carr on Treasury questions |
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| 74 Nov 21 Th: |
Keith Joseph told MT he would not stand for the leadership; MT decided she would |
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| 75 Feb 04 Tu: |
MT defeated Heath in first ballot for Conservative leadership; Heath resigned |
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| 75 Feb 11 Tu: |
MT elected Conservative leader on second ballot |
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| 75 Jun 05 Th: |
European Referendum: 67.2 per cent for; 32.8 per cent against (64 per cent turnout) |
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| 75 Jul 01 Tu: |
Government proposed pay policy; White Paper (11 Jul) |
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| 75 Sep 13 Sa: |
MT visited USA and Canada (returned 26 Sep) |
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| 75 Nov 27 Th: |
Ross McWhirter murdered by IRA; MT given 24-hour police protection for first time |
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| 76 Mar 16 Tu: |
Harold Wilson announced his resignation as Prime Minister |
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| 76 Apr 05 Mo: |
James Callaghan elected Labour leader; became Prime Minister |
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| 76 Apr 07 We: |
Government lost its majority |
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| 76 Sep 28 Tu: |
Sterling crisis resumed: Healey turned back from Heathrow |
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| 76 Oct 04 Mo: |
The Right Approach published (key Conservative policy document) |
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| 76 Dec 15 We: |
Budget: Letter of Intent to IMF published (loan granted 3 Jan 77) |
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| 77 Feb 22 Tu: |
House of Commons (HC): devolution guillotine defeated 312:283 |
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| 77 Mar 23 We: |
Lib-Lab Pact kept Labour Government in office |
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| 78 Jul 21 Fr: |
Stage 3 White Paper: 5 per cent pay guideline |
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| 78 Sep 07 Th: |
Callaghan broadcast: surprise announcement of no autumn General Election |
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| 79 Jan 03 We: |
Lorry drivers' strike began |
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| 79 Jan-Feb: |
'Winter of Discontent' at its worst; Labour Government in deep difficulties |
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| 79 Mar 28 We: |
HC: Labour Government fell (defeated in confidence motion) |
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| 79 Mar 29 Th: |
General Election announced for 3 May |
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| 79 Mar 30 Fr: |
Airey Neave murdered by Irish terrorists (INLA) |
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| 79 May 03 Th: |
General Election: Conservative Government formed (43 majority) |
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| 79 May 04 Fr: |
MT appointed Prime Minister |
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| 79 Jun 07 Th: |
European Elections |
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| 79 Jul 31 Tu: |
Lusaka Commonwealth Meeting began (ended 8 Aug) |
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| 79 Aug 27 Mo: |
IRA murdered Mountbatten and 18 soldiers (Warrenpoint) |
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| 79 Oct 23 Tu: |
Exchange controls abolished |
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| 79 Nov 29-30: |
Dublin European Council: budget row beginning |
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| 79 Dec 25 Tu: |
USSR invaded Afghanistan |
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| 80 Jan 02 We: |
Steel strike began (ended 3 Apr) |
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| 80 Jun 02 Mo: |
Cabinet agreed European budget proposal; short-term settlement |
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| 80 Sep 22 Mo: |
Iran-Iraq war began |
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| 80 Nov 04 Tu: |
Reagan elected US President |
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| 81 Feb 10 Tu: |
NCB announced pit closures (abandoned 18 Feb) |
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| 81 Mar 01 Su: |
Second Republican hunger strike began (ended 3 Oct) |
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| 81 Mar 10 Tu: |
Budget: counter-Keynesian - increased taxes at bottom of depression |
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| 81 Mar 26 Th: |
Social Democratic Party (SDP) formed ('Alliance' of SDP & Liberals, 16 Jun) |
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| 81 Nov 26 Th: |
Crosby by-election: Shirley Williams won Conservative seat for SDP |
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| 82 Apr 02 Fr: |
Falklands: Argentina invaded |
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| 82 Apr 03 Sa: |
Falklands: UN SCR 502 demanding Argentine withdrawal; British Task Force sailed |
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| 82 Apr 25 Su: |
Falklands: South Georgia recaptured |
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| 82 Apr 30 Fr: |
Falklands: US 'tilt' in favour of Britain; Total Exclusion Zone put in force |
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| 82 May 02 Su: |
Falklands: Argentine cruiser General Belgrano sunk by British sub HMS Conqueror |
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| 82 May 04 Tu: |
Falklands: HMS Sheffield hit by Argentine Exocet missile |
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| 82 May 21 Fr: |
Falklands: British Forces landed at San Carlos Bay |
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| 82 Jun 14 Mo: |
Falklands: Argentine surrender |
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| 83 Mar 23 We: |
Reagan announced 'Star Wars' (Strategic Defence Initiative); MT supports |
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| 83 Jun 09 Th: |
General Election: Conservative Government formed (144 majority) |
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| 83 Nov 25 Tu: |
US invasion of Grenada |
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| 84 Mar 12 Mo: |
Miners' strike began |
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| 84 Jun 25-26: |
Fontainebleau European Council; long-term European budget settlement |
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| 84 Oct 12 Fr: |
Brighton bomb: failed IRA attempt to assassinate MT and her cabinet |
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| 84 Nov 06 Tu: |
Reagan reelected US President |
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| 84 Nov 20 Tu: |
Flotation of British Telecom: key privatisation measure |
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| 84 Dec 16 Su: |
Gorbachev visited Chequers: MT described him as a man she could do business with |
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| 84 Dec 19 We: |
Hong Kong: MT signed Joint Agreement with China |
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| 85 Mar 03 Su: |
NUM voted to end coal strike |
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| 85 Nov 15 Fr: |
Anglo-Irish Agreement signed at Hillsborough: consultative role for Republic |
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| 85 Dec 02 Mo: |
Luxembourg European Council; Single European Act agreed (ended 3 Dec) |
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| 86 Jan 09 Th: |
Westland: Heseltine walked out of cabinet; replaced at Defence by George Younger |
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| 86 Jan 24 Fr: |
Westland: Brittan resigned; Channon replaced him at DTI |
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| 86 Jan 27 Mo: |
Westland: emergency debate, ending the crisis |
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| 86 Apr 15 Tu: |
US air raids on Libya, mainly from British bases; MT attacked for allowing them |
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| 86 Oct 11-12: |
Reykjavik (Reagan-Gorbachev) Summit; talk of abolishing nuclear weapons |
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| 86 Nov 15 Sa: |
Anglo-US Summit at Camp David: MT and Reagan issued arms control statement |
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| 87 Feb 22 Su: |
'Louvre Accord' to halt decline in $; Lawson secretly began shadowing DM |
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| 87 Mar 28 Sa: |
MT visited USSR (ended 1 Apr) |
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| 87 Jun 11 Th: |
General Election: Conservative Government formed (101 majority) |
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| 87 Oct 19 Mo: |
'Black Monday': Dow Jones fell 23 per cent |
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| 87 Nov 8 Su: |
'Poppy Day Massacre': IRA bomb killed 11 at Enniskillen remembrance day service |
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| 88 Feb 08 Mo: |
Gorbachev announced Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan from May |
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| 88 Mar 07 Mo: |
Sterling 'uncapped' on MT's insistence and rose above 3DM |
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| 88 Mar 15 Tu: |
Budget: highest rate of income tax cut to 40 per cent |
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| 88 May 17 Tu: |
Interest rates cut to 7.5 per cent (lowest 1979-90); MT publicly supported Lawson |
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| 89 Jan 31 Tu: |
NHS White Paper published (Working for Patients) |
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| 89 Jun 03 Sa: |
China: Tiananmen Square massacre |
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| 89 Jun 20 Tu: |
MT clash with Howe and Lawson on ERM line at Madrid Council (met again 25 Jun) |
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| 89 Jun 26 Mo: |
MT set conditions for ERM entry ('Madrid conditions'); rejected Social Charter |
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| 89 Oct 26 Th: |
Lawson resigned as Chancellor of the Exchequer; Major replaced him |
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| 89 Dec 10 Su: |
Czechoslovakia: end of Communist rule (Havel President 29 Dec) |
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| 89 Dec 22 Fr: |
Romania: dictator Ceausescu overthrown (killed 25 Dec) |
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| 90 Feb 10 Sa: |
Kohl in Moscow: Gorbachev agreed German reunification |
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| 90 Mar 11 Su: |
Lithuania declared independence of USSR |
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| 90 Mar 31 Sa: |
Trafalgar Square riot against Community Charge or 'poll tax' |
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| 90 Apr 01 Su: |
Strangeways prison siege (ended 25 Apr); disturbances in other gaols |
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| 90 Jul 14 Sa: |
Ridley resigned over comments on Germany |
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| 90 Aug 02 Th: |
Iraq invaded Kuwait; MT with Bush in Aspen |
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| 90 Aug 09 Th: |
UK announced commitment of forces to the Gulf |
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| 90 Oct 03 We: |
German reunification |
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| 90 Oct 05 Fr: |
Britain joined ERM; interest rates cut by one per cent to 14 per cent |
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| 90 Nov 01 Th: |
Howe resigned |
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| 90 Nov 13 Tu: |
HC: Howe's resignation speech bitterly critical of MT |
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| 90 Nov 14 We: |
Heseltine stood for Conservative leadership |
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| 90 Nov 20 Tu: |
Conservative leadership election first ballot (MT 204:152 Heseltine) |
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| 90 Nov 22 Th: |
MT announced decision not to contest second ballot |
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| 90 Nov 27 Tu: |
Conservative leadership election second ballot; Major became leader |
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| 90 Nov 28 We: |
MT resigned as Prime Minister; John Major succeeded her |
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