Looking Back - Winston Churchill Dies

On this day in 1965 Winston Churchill died in his London home at Hyde Park Gate. He was 90 years of age. He suffered a stroke 15 days earlier from which he never recovered. Within an hour of the announcement of his death large crowds gathered outside his home to pay homage to Britain's greatest wartime leader. Lady Clementine Churchill and other members of his family were at his bedside. His political career began as a Conservative MP for Oldham in 1900 but he later joined the Liberals in 1906. He was Lord of the Admiralty during World War 1 and was later to hold the office of Chancellor of the Exchequer. He became wartime Prime Minster in May 1940 and held that office again at the age of 77 in 1951. He stood down as Prime Minister in 1955, due to ill health, but continued as a backbencher until 1964.