(A)

She was born Margaret Roberts in Grantham, England on October 13, 1925. Her father was a local businessman and shop owner. She had an older sister, Muriel, and the family lived above her father’s grocery shop. Margaret learned early on about politics from her father Alfred who served as Mayor of Grantham. Margaret attended Oxford University where she graduated with a degree in Chemistry.

(B)

While attending Oxford, Thatcher became interested in politics. She became a strong believer in a Conservative government where the government has a limited effect on intervention in business. She served as president of the Oxford University Conservative Association. After graduating in 1947 she got a job working as a chemist.

(C)

A few years later Thatcher tried running for office for the first time. She ran for the parliamentary seat in Dartford twice, losing both times. Being a Conservative, she had little chance to win, but it was good experience for her. She then went back to school and earned her law degree. Then, in 1959 Thatcher won a seat in the House of Commons representing Finchley. She would serve there in many ways for the next 30 years.

(D)

In 1970 Margaret was appointed to the position of Education Secretary. Her position in the Conservative Party continued to rise over the next few years. In 1975 when the Conservative Party lost its majority, she took over the leadership of the party and was the first woman to become Leader of the Opposition.

(E)

Thatcher became Prime Minister on May 4, 1979. One of the most important events during Thatcher’s term was the Falklands War. On April 2, 1982 Argentina invaded the British Falkland Islands. Thatcher quickly sent British armed forces to retake the island. Although it was a difficult task, the British troops were able to take back the Falklands in a few short months and on June 14, 1982 the Islands were once again under British control.

“The Aloha State” became the 50 state of the USA in 1959, but the history of Hawaii goes back centuries earlier. Around 1,500 years ago, Polynesians from the Marquesas Islands first set foot on Hawaii Island. With only the stars to guide them, they sailed over 2,000 miles in canoes.

In 1778, Captain James Cook, landed on Kauai, naming the group of islands the “Sandwich Islands” in honor of the Earl of Sandwich, opened the doors to the west. James Cook was killed only a year later in Kealakekua Bay on Hawaii Island. 1791, the chief Kamehameha united the warring groups on Hawaii Island and went on to unify all of the Hawaiian Islands into one kingdom in 1810.

In 1820, the first Protestant missionaries arrived on Hawaii Island. Hawaii became a port for seamen, traders and whalers. The developing whaling industry in Lahaina Harbor in Maui was also very successful. Throughout these years of growth, the Native Hawaiian population was greatly decreased by western diseases.

Western influence continued to grow and in 1893, American colonists, who controlled much of Hawaii’s economy, forced the Hawaiian Kingdom out of power. In 1898, Hawaii became a territory of the United States.

In the 20 century, sugarcane and pineapple plantations fueled Hawaii’s economy. Many Japanese, Chinese and Portuguese immigrants worked on them. Lanai, under the leadership of James Dole, became known as “Pineapple Island” after becoming the world’s leading exporter of pineapples.

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Four years later, on September 2, 1945, Japan signed its unconditional surrender on the battleship USS Missouri, which is still in Pearl Harbor today.