Happy Birthday Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

Arguably, the outstanding historical figure of the 20th century, Churchill served in the British army, daringly escaped captivity during the Boer War, modernized the British Navy as First Lord of the Admiralty, gave artful speeches as a Member of Parliament, served in various cabinet positions and twice as Prime Minister of England (the first time when it mattered most, during World War II), proved himself a reckless military strategist, whom subordinates often had to work around, but an excellent leader of his people. Churchill was also an exceptionally gifted writer, who earned the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953. And he had a rapier wit. Of all the bon mots attributed to Churchill, my own favorite took place at a cocktail party, where a woman said to him: "If you were my husband, I would put poison in your wine." Churchill's response: "Madame, if you were my wife, I would drink it."