Winston Churchill: The Real Man

"either the country will break the General Strike, or the General Strike will break the country and claimed that the fascism of Benito Mussolini had” – Winston Churchill

Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill who is also known for his short name as Winston Churchill was Born on 30^th day of November 1874 in a room in Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire. Winston was born two months prematurely. Winston Churchill was born into aristocratic Spencer family, similar to his father; Winston Churchill used Churchill as his surname in public life. In 1817, his ancestor George Spencer had transformed his surname to Spencer-Churchill when he became Duke of Marlborough to give emphasis to his descent from John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough. Winston's father was Lord Randolph Churchill, the third son of John Spencer-Churchill and was the 7th Duke of Marlborough. His father was a politician and his mother is Lady Randolph Churchill (née Jennie Jerome) was the daughter of American millionaire Leonard Jerome.

"Anyone can rat, but it takes a certain ingenuity to re-rat." – Winston Churchill

When Winston reached two to six year old, he lived in Dublin. His grandfather was chosen Viceroy and who had Churchill's father as his private secretary. During this time, his mother gives birth to his one and only brother, John Strange Spencer-Churchill in Ireland. When he was still young, Winston is fond of watching military parades pass in the Vice Regal Lodge which was now as Aras a Uachtaráin, the official residence of the President of Ireland, because of that he was fascinated in militarism. Winston's earliest endeavours at education happened in Dublin. An instructor tried to educate him reading, writing and arithmetic. 'Reading Without Tears' was the title of the first book Winston had read. His Nanny Mrs Everest was his confidante, nurse and mother and they used up many happy hours playing in the Phoenix Park.

His Love of his life and his Family

"I will not pretend that, if I had to choose between communism and Nazism, I would choose communism" – Winston Churchill

Churchill met Clementine Hozier, his wife now in 1904 at the ball in Crewe House, home of the Earl of Crewe. Crewe is the wife of Margaret Primrose, the daughter of Archibald Primrose, the 5th Earl of Rosebery. In the year 1908, Churchill and Clementine met again at a dinner party hosted by Lady St Helier. Churchill found himself seated beside Clementine and they soon began a lifetime romance. In the 10^th day of August 1908, Churchill proposed a marriage to Clementine during a house party at Blenheim Palace, in a small Temple of Diana.

In that the same year, 12^th day September, Churchill and Clementine got married in St. Margaret's, Westminster. The church was completed with the Bishop of St Asaph were conducted the service. The newly couple spent their honeymoon at Highgrove House in Eastcote. In March 1909, the couple moved to a house at 33 Eccleston Square. In 11^th day of July 1909, Winston and Clementine got their first child named Diana, she was born in London. After giving birth, Clementine went to Sussex for her recovery, while Diana stayed in London with her Nanny. On 28 May 1911, their second child was born named Randolph, who was born at 33 Eccleston Square.

Sarah was their third child; she was born on 7 October 1914 at Admiralty House. The birth was striking with nervousness for Clementine because Winston had been sent to Antwerp by the Cabinet to "stiffen the resistance of the beleaguered city" after news that the Belgians proposed to surrender in the town. On 15 November 1918, four days after the official end of the World War I, Clementine gave birth to her fourth child named Marigold Frances Churchill. August 1921, the Churchills' children were entrusted to a French nursery professor in Kent named Mlle Rose.

Clementine, in the meantime, travelled to Eaton Hall to play tennis with the 2nd Duke of Westminster Hugh Grosvenor and his family. While still under the care of Mlle Rose, their fourth child Marigold got sick and was reported to have recovered from the sickness. As the illness development with only just any notice, it crooked into septicaemia. With the advice from her landlady, Rose sent a report to Clementine. On the other hand, the illness wasn’t having improvement for Marigold. On 23 August 1921, the simple illness turned into fatal. And Marigold was died and buried in the Kensal Green Cemetery three days later after her death.

"Go down in history as the man who restored honour and peace of mind to the great Germanic nation and brought it back serene, helpful and strong to the forefront of the European family circle." – Winston Churchill

15^th day of September 1922, Clementine give birth for the last time with a little girl named Mary. Late month of 1965, the Churchills bought Chartwell, which would be Winston's home until his death.

His Favourite Friend

"She had been my dearest and most intimate friend during the whole of the twenty years I had lived." – Winston Churchill

Churchill truly has a mind of militarism, in fact in 1895; Churchill went to Cuba to observe the Spanish fight the Cuban guerrillas. He had found an assignment to write about the clash from the Daily Graphic. To his enthused, along his twenty-first birthday, he came under fire for the first time. He had warm-hearted reminiscences of Cuba as a "...large, rich, beautiful island..." While he was there, he soon obtained a taste for Havana cigars. Because of that, he smoked for the rest of his life. When he was in New York, he resided at the home of Bourke Cockran which was he knew that Bourke was an admirer of his mother. Bourke was a well-known American politician and a member of the House of Representatives there. He deeply influenced Churchill in his move towards oratory and politics and cheering a love of America.

As the time passed by, while spending time in America, he received a letter telling him that his Nanny Mrs Everest was dying. He immediately returned to England and stayed to his Nanny for a week until Mrs Everest died. Winston wrote in his journal saying “She was my favourite friend." "She had been my dearest and most intimate friend during the whole of the twenty years I had lived." He truly loves his Nanny, he never asks for more about her. He feel loved when he is with his Nanny.

The Protector

"You were given the choice between war and dishonour. You chose dishonour, and you will have war." – Winston Churchill

Even during the time Churchill was protesting against Indian independence, he received official and or else secret information. Year 1932, Churchill's fellow citizen which was Major Desmond Morton with Ramsay MacDonald's approval offer Churchill information on German air power. Since 1930 onwards, Morton headed a section of the Committee of Imperial Defence charged with investigating the defence attentiveness of other nations. The secretary of State for Air, Lord Swinton and with Baldwin's support, in 1934 gave Churchill access to official and otherwise secret information.

Swinton did so; knowing Churchill would remain a detractor of the government but believing that an informed detractor was better than one relying on rumour and hearsay. Churchill was a violent detractor of Neville Chamberlain's conciliation of Adolf Hitler and in a speech to the House of Commons. He frankly and prophetically stated, "You were given the choice between war and dishonour. You chose dishonour, and you will have war." He was a very militarism; he never turned back against his opponent, he was certified critic for the good of the Government and for his family.

John Wooden: A warrior of his Age

"Perform at your best when your best is required. Your best is required each day." – John Wooden

John Wooden or John Robert Wooden for his complete name was born in the town of Hall, Indiana in the 14^th day of October in the year 1910. He was an American Basketball player and at the same time he was coaching at his time. Wooden was given the title “The Indiana Rubber Man" for his depths of despair plummets on the hard-court. He took his college and graduated from Purdue in the year 1932 with a degree in English. John Wooden won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year time — seven in a rank— as a head coach at UCLA. Truly, John Wooden has an extraordinary achievement. Within this period, his teams won a record 88 successive games. For six times in history John Wooden was named national coach of the year. As a coach, he experienced being a demand for everybody. It comes to the point that his salary goes high but he did not abused it, the proof for this is the quoted written by Rick Reilly of ESPN "He never made more than $35,000 a year salary (not including camps and speaking engagements), including 1975, the year he won his 10th national championship, and never asked for a raise,".

Among all of the Basketball coaches, John Wooden was one of the most holy coaches and was befriended and loved by his previous players, between them Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bill Walton. Wooden was famous for his short, simple inspirational messages to his players, including his "Pyramid of Success." Because of this mind set, he put it in his mind that being pleasant is one way to be successful in life and in his career which is the basketball.

Pyramid of Success

"Great win coach, this makes up for letting us down last year" – John Wooden

In Kentucky, Wooden coached for two years in the Dayton High School. His first year at Dayton noticed the only time he was lose in a record of 6–11 as a coach. After in Dayton High School, he comes back to Indiana. He taught English and coached basketball at South Bend Central High School waiting to enter in the Armed Forces. After his eleven years of coaching in high school, two at Dayton and nine at Central, his record was 218–42.

After World War II, Wooden coached in Terre Haute, Indiana at the Indiana Sate Teacher’s College which was the Indiana State University now from the year 1946 to 1948 after his high school coach, Glenn Curtis. Wooden took his Master’s degree and served as Athletic Director. In addition to his duties as basketball coach, in 1947, Wooden's basketball team won the Indiana Intercollegiate Conference title and received an invitation to the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball (NAIB) National Tournament in Kansas City. Wooden declined the invitation, referring to that NAIB's policies were banning African American players. One of his players was Clarence Walker, an African-American from East Chicago, Indiana.

At that same year, Wooden was called by Purdue University which was his alma mater and wanted him to work as an assistant to then-head coach Mel Taube until the contract of Taube expires. Then, Wooden will replace him as head coach and take over the program. Referring his loyalty to Taube, Wooden declined because this would make Taube a lame duck coach.

In year 1948, Wooden once again led the Indiana state to the conference title. This time, the NAIB is allowing the African-American players to join the game and because of this Wooden and his team accepted the invitation. However, they lost to Louisville in the finals. This was the only championship game that Wooden lost. That same year, Walker was known as the first African-American basketball player to play in any post-season intercollegiate basketball tournament. In February 3, 1984, John Wooden was introduced to the Indiana State University Athletic Hall of Fame.

In 2008, the Indiana State named the court at Hulman Center ”The Nellie and John Wooden Court” named after John Wooden and his wife, Nelie. The event included recorded comments from Coach Wooden and the participation of members of his 1946-47 and 1947-48 teams. The Sycamores was the first to play in the newly-named floor by defeating the Albion College (MI) Britons in an exhibition game.

His Inspiration

"If I were ever prosecuted for my religion, I truly hope there would be enough evidence to convict me” –John Wooden

"I have always tried to make it clear that basketball is not the ultimate. It is of small importance in comparison to the total life we live. There is only one kind of life that truly wins, and that is the one that places faith in the hands of the Saviour”. –John Wooden

Wooden’s inspiration was his family and his faith to God. Wooden’s parents were Roxie Anna and Joshua Hugh Wooden. He had five siblings namely: Maurice, Daniel, and William and his two more sisters. His two sisters died before triumphing the age of three. The one was unnamed and died in infancy while his sister Cordelia died from diphtheria when she was two.

July 1926, when Wooden was scrolling to the carnival he met Nellie (Nell) his wife now. On August 1932, they decided to get married in a small ceremony in Indianapolis. Afterwards, they watched Mills Brothers concert at the Circle Theatre to celebrate. Before Nellie died on March 21, 1985 because of the cancer, John and Nell had a son named James Hugh Wooden, and a daughter, Nancy Anne Muehlhausen.

Wooden was very faithful to Nellie, even decades after her death until he died. He always kept to a monthly ritual since the death of his wife. On the 21^st, Wooden went to his wife’s grave and wrote a love letter. He placed his letter inside an envelope and added it to a collection of similar letters that was collected over the years of their relationship on his wife’s pillow. However, Wooden stopped writing letters because of failing eyesight.

In grief of Nellie's death, Wooden was eased by his faith. He was a religious Christian and basketball was not the most important thing in his life, it’s his belief. To prove this, he once said: "I have always tried to make it clear that basketball is not the ultimate. It is of small importance in comparison to the total life we live. There is only one kind of life that truly wins, and that is the one that places faith in the hands of the Savior." Wooden's devotion to his faith strongly influenced his life. He always read bible and attend the first mass. He hoped that others would notice his faith and serve it as an inspiration: "If I were ever prosecuted for my religion, I truly hope there would be enough evidence to convict me."

John Wooden showed evidences that having a job can become your career or a passion. But for Wooden, he treated it as his passion and live by it with joy and thankful. An example of that is when one of his players wasn’t able to play because of such difference, but still he chose to be a friend than to be a coach. Wooden also showed his love and care for his family, he is certified a “Warrior of his time” not only to his player, career and fans but also to his Personal Saviour which is his God.