John Major was born on 29 March 1943 in London. A British Conservative politician, Major succeeded Margaret Thatcher as prime minister in 1990 and led the country until 1997. A former bank clerk who left school at sixteen, he rose quickly in the party, serving as foreign secretary and chancellor of the exchequer. He led Britain through the Gulf War, signed the Maastricht Treaty with an opt-out from the single currency, and took part in the peace process in Northern Ireland, starting with the Downing Street Declaration. His government was damaged by Black Wednesday in 1992, when sterling left the European exchange rate mechanism, and by divisions over Europe. He lost to Tony Blair in a landslide.
Before and after
- 22 February 1943Birth of Horst Köhler
- 25 February 1943Birth of George Harrison
- 6 March 1943Battle of Blackett Strait
- 9 March 1943Birth of Bobby Fischer
- 29 March 1943Birth of John Major
- April 1943Construction of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
- 6 April 1943Publication of The Little Prince
- from 19 April 1943 to 16 May 1943Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
- from 11 May 1943 to 30 May 1943Battle of Attu
More in Wars, politics & history
- 1917Russian Revolution
- from 25 October 1917 to 26 October 1917October Revolution
- from 7 November 1917 to 25 October 1922Russian Civil War
- 23 August 1939Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact
- from 30 November 1939 to 13 March 1940Winter War
- from 22 June 1941 to 5 December 1941Operation Barbarossa
The era
This moment belongs to the Modern era (1914 CE to 1945 CE), world wars and a changing world. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.