Margaret Hilda Thatcher

Thatcher, Margaret Hilda (1925– ), English prime minister(1979–90).She entered Parliament in 1959 and served (1970–74) as secretary of state for education and science. In 1975 she was elected Conservative Party leader, and in 1979, when the Conservatives won a parliamentary majority, Mrs. Thatcher became Britain's first female prime minister. To fight inflation she introduced austerity measures, but this kept unemployment high and contributed to domestic unrest. She took a firm line against the hunger strikes and terrorist tactics of the Irish Republican Army. Her vigorous defense of the Falkland Islands against Argentina in 1982 contributed to her party's solid electoral victory in 1983. She resigned in 1990 after failing to win the Conservative Party's leadership election.

See also: United Kingdom.