We already brought you part one of our list of 15 things you probably did not know about Margaret Thatcher, and now we’re back with part two! Check out eight more fascinating facts about the late British politician that you definitely (probably) did not know below. You might be surprised by what you find out!
Number Eight: She Was Britain’s Longest-Serving Prime Minister of the 20th Century. Thatcher was first elected as Prime Minister in 1979, and she was re-elected in both 1983 and 1987. When Thatcher stepped down in 1990, she had served for 11 years and 209 days, solidifying her as Britain’s longest-serving Prime Minister of the century.
Number Seven: She Was Almost Assassinated. Thatcher was nearly assassinated by the Irish Republican Army on October 12, 1984. The IRA planted a time bomb through the Grand Hotel in England, and it went off while the Conservative Party was there for its annual conference. Though the bomb damaged the bathroom in her suite, Thatcher came away unscathed.
Number Six: She Has Her Own Day. The people inhabiting the South Atlantic’s Falkland Islands celebrate Margaret Thatcher day in an effort to celebrate the anniversary of her visit to the colony in 1983.
Number Five: She Never Needed Those Karate Ladies. When Thatcher attended an economic summit in Japan in 1979, her hosts were afraid that she would not be received very well since she was a female Prime Minister. To protect her, Japan’s government offered her 20 “karate ladies.” However, Thatcher never wanted the “karate ladies,” and she was adamant about being treated the same as any other government leader.
Number Four: Her Husband Was Very Private. Thatcher’s husband, Denis Thatcher, never gave interviews or made public appearances. However, when he did go out in public, he was a bit of a ham. He enjoyed pandering to the public’s perception of him as a nutcase and boozehound, and he would sometimes refer to himself as “the most shadowy husband of all time.”
Number Three: She Was Close With Reagan. During her tenure as Prime Minister, Thatcher grew close with president Ronald Reagan, and the two shared many conservative beliefs.
Number Two: Her Favorite Color Was Turquoise. Thatcher revealed in an interview with Kenneth Harris that her favorite color was turquoise. An excellent choice!
Number One: She Loved Whiskey. Though Thatcher enjoyed drinking Cointreau on fancy occasions, her everyday go-to was whiskey. She would often sit down and have a scotch and soda after a long day at work.