Margaret Thatcher Dies: The "Iron Lady" Helped End the Cold War

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One of the Britain's most prominent politicians, Margaret Thatcher, has died from a stroke at the age of 87.

Thatcher was Great Britains only female prime minister. She led the Conservatives to three election victories, governing from 1979 to 1990, the longest continuous period in office by a British prime minister since the early 19th century. Thatcher was known for her firm political stances even when unpopular, a philosophy captured in one of her most famous quotes: "You turn if you want to. The lady’s not for turning." 

She was known as the “Iron Lady,” a nickname coined by former Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev. During the tail end of the Cold War, the Soviets used this "Iron Lady" moniker, which reflected her involvement and assistance in ending the Cold War. 

Thatcher, also given life peerage as Baroness Thatcher, notably survived an assassination attempt in 1984.

Right-wingers in her country hailed her as having hauled Britain out of the economic doldrums, but liberals accused her of dismantling traditional industry, claiming her reforms helped unpick the fabric of society.

On the world stage, she built a close "special relationship" with U.S. president Ronald Reagan, helping bring the iron curtain down on Soviet Communism. She also fiercely opposed closer ties between Britain and mainland Europe, especially as the European Union first began to take deep root.

In 2002, she suffered from a stroke and had several strokes thereafter. Before Christmas last year, Thatcher was admitted to a hospital to remove a growth from her bladder. In the years leading up to her death, she suffered from dementia and her public appearances were far and few in between. 

Her spokesman, Lord Bell said, "It is with great sadness that Mark and Carol Thatcher announced that their mother Baroness Thatcher died peacefully following a stroke this morning."

More information is expected to be provided later.