1 / 20 photos Margaret Thatcher

Born Margaret Roberts, the future British Prime minister is seen here as a toddler held by her father, Aldred.

A young Margaret Roberts (right) stands for a portrait with her parents and sister, Muriel. Margaret later changed her last name after marrying British businessman Denis Thatcher in 1951.

Thatcher received her bachelor of science degree in chemistry from Oxford in 1947. During her first run for political office in 1950, she supported herself by working as a research chemist.

In the 1950 and 1951 general elections, Thatcher ran as the Conservative candidate for the safe Labour seat of Dartford. Although she lost both races, Thatcher gained attention as the youngest and only woman in the race.

Always one to lead the boys, Thatcher plays the piano during a sing-along in this 1950s photo taken at the Bull Inn in Dartford.

In a sea of suits and ties, future prime minister Margaret Thatcher shines from her seat in the House of Commons during the State Opening of Parliament in London, 1970.

This poster from the 1975 General Election depicts Thatcher as the leader of the Conservative Party. She was elected as the first woman prime minister of England in 1979.

British prime minister Margaret Thatcher sits for a 1976 portrait with her husband, Denis, and their children, Carol and Mark.

Never one to shy away from the unknown, Thatcher tries on a display helmet at the Marconi Avionics plant in Kent, 1978.

British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher engages with the personnel aboard the HMS Antrim in 1983 during a five-day visit to the Falkand Islands.

Poised even while airborne, Thatcher swings on a harness during a visit to the Royal Navy in 1983.

Prime Minister Thatcher waves to a crowd alongside President Ronald Reagan, one of her staunchest allies, after their arrival at Camp David in 1984.

Politics gets fishy. On the campaign trail in 1987, British prime minister Thatcher meets potential voters at a fishing town in Kent.

Prime Minister Thatcher sits alongside Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev after talks at the Kremlin in Moscow, 1987.

British Prime Minister Thatcher attempts to use a breathalyzer during a campaign tour in the Midlands during the 1987 general election. Too much celebratory wine, perhaps?

On December 22, 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 crashed en route from Heathrow to JFK airport in New York when a bomb was detonated in the cargo hold. All 259 people on board were killed, as well as 11 people on the ground in Lockerbie, Scottland. Prime Minister Thatcher is shown here leaving the wreckage.

Prime Minister Thatcher and her husband, Denis, have a chat with Prince Charles and Princess Diana at 10 Downing Street in 1989.

Five days after her resignation from office, British Prime Minister Thatcher leaves the 10 Downing Street residence in 1990.

A leader with her red coats. Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher poses with Chelsea pensioners during a ceremony at the Royal Chelsea Hospital on February 14, 2008, in London.

Cheers. Shown here in 1980, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher left behind a political legacy that spanned over a decade, 1979 to 1990. She's credited to have revitalized the British economy and re-established it as a world power.