Here’s a look at the life of Sir John Major, former prime minister of the United Kingdom.
Personal:
Birth date: March 29, 1943
Birth place: Carshalton, Surrey
Birth name: John Major
Father: Abraham Thomas Ball, stage name – Tom Major, performer
Mother: Gwen (Coates) Major, dancer
Marriage: Norma (Johnson) Major (1970-present)
Children: James and Elizabeth
Other Facts:
Left school at age 16.
Worked at a bank prior to entering politics.
Was appointed financial guardian of Prince William and Prince Harry after Princess Diana’s death.
Timeline:
1968-1971 – Member of the Lambeth Borough Council.
1974 – Unsuccessfully runs for a seat in parliament.
1979 – Wins a seat in parliament, representing Huntingdonshire.
1983 – Becomes assistant government whip.
1984 – Becomes treasury whip.
1985-1986 – Serves as undersecretary state for social security.
1986 – Is appointed minister of state for social security.
1987-1989 – Serves as chief secretary to the Treasury.
July 1989 – Is appointed foreign secretary.
October 1989 – Is appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer.
November 28, 1990 – Becomes prime minister of the United Kingdom.
1990-1997 – Serves as prime minister of the United Kingdom.
June 1995 – Resigns as the head of the Conservative Party and calls for a parliamentary election to establish leadership of the party. He wins the election.
May 1, 1997 – Loses election to the Labor Party and Tony Blair.
1999 – “John Major: The Autobiography” is published.
2001 – Retires from Parliament.
2002 – Admits to having a four-year affair with Edwina Currie, a fellow MP, during the 1980s.
2005 – Is made a Knight of the Garter by Queen Elizabeth II.
2007 – Major’s book, “More Than A Game: The Story of Cricket’s Early Years,” is published.
2012 – Major’s book, “My Old Man: A Personal History of Music Hall,” is published.
December 2015 – According to the BBC, Major states that “flirting with leaving the European Union at a time when the whole world is coming together is very dangerous and against our national interests.”
February 27, 2017 – During a speech at Chatham House, Major encourages the UK to avoid what he calls a “hard Brexit” as people in the UK “have been led to expect a future that seems to be unreal and over-optimistic.”
