Margaret Thatcher wins the United Kingdom general election. The following day, she becomes the first female British Prime Minister.

Margaret Thatcher

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1979 to 1990 (b 1925, d 2013)

Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century and the first…

1979 United Kingdom general election

The 1979 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the House of Commons. The election was held following the defeat of the Labour government in a no-confidence motion on 28 March 1979, six months before the Parliament was due for…

May 3

Day of the year

May 3 is the 123rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 242 days remain until the end of the year.

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Head of government of the United Kingdom

The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet, and selects its ministers. Modern prime ministers hold office by virtue of…