About
Edward Heath (1916-2005) was a British statesman and member of the Conservative Party. Born in Broadstairs, Kent, he studied at Oxford and served in the Royal Artillery during World War II. He was MP for Bexley from 1950 to 2001 and held several ministerial posts before becoming Prime Minister in 1970. His tenure was marked by the UK's entry into the European Economic Community in 1973, the crisis in Northern Ireland, and industrial unrest. Defeated in 1974, he was replaced by Margaret Thatcher in 1975. A lover of music and sailing, he was also an author.
* 1916-07-09 — † 2005-07-17
Major works
- Sailing: A Course of My Life (1975)autobiography
- Music: A Joy for Life (1976)essay
- The Course of My Life (1998)autobiography
Key milestones
- 1965Elected leader of the Conservative Party, the first to be chosen by MPs.
- 1973The United Kingdom joins the European Economic Community.
- 1992Knighted with the Order of the Garter.
Themes
European integrationIndustrial unrestNorthern IrelandMusicSailing
Sources: gov.uk · parliament.uk · britannica.com