Who they were
After a long career as soldier, writer, and minister, Churchill became prime minister in May 1940 as France fell. He rallied Britain to fight on alone against Nazi Germany through the Battle of Britain and the Blitz, forged the alliance with the United States and the Soviet Union, and led the country to victory in 1945. Voted out that year, he served again as prime minister from 1951 to 1955.
What they did
His speeches and refusal to negotiate with Hitler in 1940 are widely credited with steadying British resolve at its most dangerous moment.
Legacy
Churchill won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953 and is consistently ranked among the greatest Britons, though aspects of his record — including his views on empire and India — are increasingly debated. His 1940 stand remains his defining legacy.