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Foreign. This is Angela Odell, and you are listening to Real Cool History for Kids, a podcast show featuring history told from a distinctly biblical worldview perspective. Welcome to an adventure. Welcome to episode 161 of Real Cool History for Kids. This episode is for Pearl and Eleanor Sprenger, who wanted me to tell the story of Winston Churchill. Hey, girls, this one's for you. You guys, I'm so excited to tell you all this story because Winston Churchill is one of my most favorite people in history. I know, I know, I know. I always say that, right? But it's true. His leadership and bravery during World War II, well, it just stood like a cinder block wall in the way of Hitler's rampage through Europe. But wait a minute. I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start at the beginning of his story, way back in 1874, because that's when he was born. Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill was born on November 30, 1874, in beautiful Blenheim palace in England. His dad, Lord Randolph Churchill, was a politician, and his mom, Jenny Jerome, was a bold and brilliant American from New York City. Ginnie had married Randolph as part of a common trend of the time. Wealthy American women were sometimes called dollar princesses because their family's money helped support Britain's old noble families who had titles and land, but often not enough money to keep them up. For the Americans side, this marriage also offered something valuable. Prestige. In the United States, wealthy new money families were often looked down on by the older, more established old money families. But marrying into an ancient British family gave these American heiresses and their families a proud connection to history and honor. And often respectable titles like lady or countess came along with the deal. Jenny's charm and energy brought not only wealth, but excitement and sparkle into the Churchill family. As a kid, Winston was bursting with imagination. He loved climbing trees and exploring the fields and making up all kinds of grand adventures. School wasn't his favorite place, though. He had messy handwriting and he had a hard time paying attention because he'd rather daydream or read about battles and heroes than memorize and recite lists of facts. Winston was also pretty stubborn and a little outspoken. He often said exactly what he thought, even to adults, something his teachers probably didn't appreciate too much. His teachers probably never guessed that this lively boy would one day lead his country through some of the darkest times in history. When Winston grew older, he attended Harrow, a famous boarding school. And then he went to military college at Sandhurst. He joined the British army and traveled to faraway places. Like India, Sudan, and South Africa. During the Boer War, he was captured as a prisoner. But instead of giving up, Winston made a daring escape. Sneaking away at night, he traveled across dangerous territory until he finally reached safety. This brave act made him a hero back home in Britain. Although Winston became a politician, he was not your average politician. He still marched to the beat of his own drum. He loved wearing bow ties and wide brimmed hats, and he was almost always seen with a cigar in his hand. In his spare time, he painted beautiful landscapes. Winston could be very funny. He cracked jokes even when times were serious. But when he had an idea, he could be pretty intense. He often paced and waved his arms and boomed his words until everyone in the room understood just what he thought about something. By the late 1930s, many people thought Winston's career was over. He had switched political parties more than once, and many leaders didn't like his warnings about the growing danger coming from Nazi Germany. But 1940, when Neville Chamberlain resigned as prime minister, Winston was chosen to lead Britain. At first, some people weren't sure if he was the right choice. But soon it was clear that his courage and fiery spirit were exactly what the nation needed. That year, the Nazi army trapped thousands of British and Allied soldiers on the beaches of Dunkirk in France. Things looked pretty hopeless. But then something absolutely amazing happened. A fleet of small civilian boats, fishing vessels, yachts, even rowboats crossed the English Channel to help rescue the soldiers stranded at Dunkirk. Imagine standing on the shore and seeing hundreds of little boats bobbing on the waves, their lanterns flickering in the night as they headed into danger. Fishermen and shopkeepers and even fathers with their sons risked their lives to bring those soldiers home to safety. More than 338,000 men were saved in what people called the miracle of Dunkirk. Winston Churchill praised their courage, but reminded the nation that evacuations weren't victories. Wars are not won by evacuations, he said firmly. He knew the hardest days were still ahead. He knew it was up to him to lead England in standing like a wall, blocking Hitler's dreams of taking over the free world. Hey, guys, I'm going to take a quick break right here in the middle of our story about Winston Churchill to give a shout out to a family of recent podcast reviewers who say this about Real Cool History for kids. It's been a year of listening to the show. We listen from Puerto Rico. Sawyer, Maddie, and Elliot are your biggest fans. Ms. Angela, thank you for sharing such inspiring stories. Car rides are so fun. Little listening to Real Cool History for Kids. Thank you guys for your awesome review I am so happy that you are enjoying the podcast show. I love hearing from children like you from all over the world. Thank you guys. I want to remind everyone that we have a Patreon platform for just $8 a month. You get all kinds of great resources to go along with the podcast episodes and a printable packet of activities to go with the weekly this Week in American History blog post that we are producing each week in 2025. Also, everyone make sure you stick around to hear this episode's birthday shout outs. This episode is made possible in part by the World Story Series I audiobooks written and narrated by Angela o' Dell and published by Master Books, a leader in homeschool curriculum for real life, written from a distinctly Biblical worldview perspective. Now let's get back to our story about Winston Churchill. Soon after Winston warned everyone that there would be more war coming, the Blitz came. Night after night, German planes roared overhead and dropped bombs on London and other cities. Families huddled in underground shelters while explosions thundered above them. The air outside smelled of smoke and dust, and the sky glowed red from the fires. But every day the people of London bravely came out of hiding and went about their lives. This spirit of courage became known as the Blitz Spirit. I've created several episodes about this event called the Blitz. You might want to check out episodes 32 and 33. In episode 32, I tell the story about Churchill's secret war offices and hidden under the streets of London, those underground rooms where Churchill made war plans are now a museum. Also in that episode, I tell the story of how thousands of Londoners took refuge in a massive system of chalk mine tunnels far below the surface. It is a fascinating story, so make sure you listen to that. At the heart of the spirit of everybody facing the Blitz was Church Hill's words to his people in Parliament. He declared, we shall go on to the end. We shall fight on the beaches. We shall never surrender. His speeches didn't promise that the road would be easy, but they gave people the courage to stand tall when fear surrounded them. You know what his words remind me of? Joshua 1:9, one of my favorite verses in the Bible. It says, be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Churchill understood that words could give strength. Even when the bombs fell and the future looked uncertain, people clung to his words, knowing that courage mattered more than fear. Churchill worked tirelessly, often staying up late into the night and holding meetings in his bathrobe. He read reports carefully. He called his generals at all hours and he wanted to know every detail so he could make the best decisions. And he didn't work alone. He built friendships with President Franklin D. Roosevelt of the United States and Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union. Together, they formed a powerful alliance that helped lead the world to victory over Nazi Germany. You know, you guys, back in episode 71, I told you the story of D Day, the incredible invasion of Normandy. Winston Churchill was one of the leaders who helped plan that bold invasion. The war was also filled with clever tricks to fool the enemy. Back in episode 38, I told you the story of the Ghost army, the group of artists and tricksters who fooled the Nazis with inflatable tanks. Churchill loved clever ideas like this. He knew it wasn't just weapons that won wars, but that brains and courage were just as important. Also in episode 105, I told you the story of the brave Norwegian saboteurs who skied down a snowy mountain in the dark of night to blow up the heavy water plant that the Nazis were using to try to build an atomic bomb. You guys, if you haven't listened to that one, you need to go listen. Churchill himself had helped form the group that made missions like this possible. He created the Special Operations Executive, which was sometimes called the Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, and told them to set Europe ablaze. These secret warriors carried out sabotage and resistance missions all across Europe. And Churchill was actually behind a lot of their daring work. Well, when the war was finally over in 1945, Britain celebrated with joy. But in a twist of politics, Churchill's party lost the election. Still, he didn't give up. In 1951, he became Prime Minister again and led the nation for four more years before retiring. In his later years, he painted and he wrote books, and he even won the Nobel Prize in Literature for his writings on history. Churchill's life shows us that sometimes the most unlikely person can be exactly the right one for the job. Winston Churchill went down in history as the leader who never surrendered, who lifted a nation with his words, and who showed that courage and perseverance can change the course of history. And now it's time for this episode's birthday shout outs. Happy Birthday to Clyde McCall, who turned 2 on Aug. 14. Happy birthday to Grayson Novak, who turned 10 on Aug. 17. Happy birthday to Dorothy Corvamaker, who turned 6 on Aug. 21. Happy birthday to Zoe Pope, who turned 4 on Aug. 22. Happy birthday to Avery Bernard, who turned 11 on Aug. 23. Happy birthday to James Foley, who turned 6 on Aug. 23. Happy birthday To Ezra, who turned 5 on Aug. 23. Happy birthday, Megan Cook, who is turning 8 on Aug. 26. Happy birthday to Vinnie Marquez, who is turning 9 on Aug. 26. Happy birthday To Isla Moynihan, who is turning 6 on Aug. 30. And happy birthday to Alex Yoder, who is turning 12 on Aug. 30. Happy birthday to each of you from the Real Cool History for Kids family. You guys remember to keep exploring, keep asking questions, and never forget. History is full of real people, real adventures, and real cool stories. I'll meet you here soon for our next episode of Real Cool History for Kids. Until then, with the help and grace of Jesus our Savior, be the best you ever.