27 Interesting Facts About Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill, an extraordinary and fascinating figure, is often regarded as the greatest Briton in history. He lived a long and eventful life, despite frequently putting himself at risk and not being overly concerned about his health. Perhaps he is the exception that proves the rule.

Facts from Churchill’s Biography:

1. Churchill never quit smoking, even until his death. He developed this habit while serving as a war correspondent in Cuba.
2. During a military conflict in Africa, Churchill was captured and imprisoned but managed to escape.
3. In 2002, a BBC poll named Winston Churchill the “Greatest Briton in History.”
4. The famous politician excelled in many endeavors, including writing. He even won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
5. During the Anglo-Boer War in present-day South Africa, the Boers placed a bounty of £25 on Churchill’s head, which insulted him as his salary was ten times that amount.
6. Churchill had a preference for strong Cuban cigars. Knowing this, people often gifted him cigars, and he regularly purchased them, keeping a stock of several thousand.
7. A lesser-known fact is that Churchill was also a talented painter, with his works exhibited in the Louvre. To maintain anonymity, he signed his paintings with the pseudonym “Charles Morin.”
8. Churchill had a great sense of humor. Once, at an official event, a waiter accidentally spilled champagne on his balding head. Instead of getting angry, Churchill calmly asked the waiter if he was sure this would help him stop balding.
9. Churchill had a phenomenal memory and knew most of William Shakespeare’s works by heart.
10. Pablo Picasso once stated that Churchill could have become one of the world’s greatest painters if he had not “wasted his talent by choosing politics over painting.”
11. Despite being born two months premature, Churchill rarely suffered from health problems and lived to be 90 years old.
12. His full name was Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill.
13. He was an honorary member of the British Academy of Sciences.
14. Churchill built his country home with his own hands. He was knowledgeable in construction and was a skilled and hardworking bricklayer.
15. Churchill highly valued cognac, particularly preferring those produced in Armenia.
16. He wrote more works than both famous British authors, Scott and Dickens, combined.
17. Churchill built a military career, reaching the rank of colonel, and served in almost every part of the world except North America and Australia.
18. In his autobiography, Churchill mentioned that the closest person in his family was his nanny, who raised him, as his parents never gave him much attention.
19. In the late 19th century, British schools still used corporal punishment for unruly students, and young Winston often found himself on the receiving end due to his lack of discipline.
20. Churchill’s father was of noble descent, while his mother was an American from the United States.
21. During his school years, Churchill achieved no academic success, leading his parents to believe he would amount to nothing.
22. After lunch, Churchill always took a nap. He acquired this habit, along with his cigar habit, while in Cuba.
23. In his final school assessment, Churchill ranked last in his class.
24. Churchill was a staunch opponent of Bolshevism throughout his life and advocated against the spread of this ideology.
25. The Cold War between the USSR and the USA began in 1946 after Churchill’s speech in the United States, where he openly criticized communism.
26. Churchill personally wrote the script for his funeral, which was carried out as planned. His funeral was the largest in British history.
27. Once, during a public speech, Churchill supported his arguments with a large number of statistics. After the speech, a close friend remarked that it must have taken at least six months to gather such detailed information. Churchill laughed and replied that it would indeed take his political opponents that long to realize he had made it all up.