Margaret Thatcher, who has died aged 87, was a political phenomenon. She was the first woman elected to lead a major western power; the longest serving British prime minister for 150 years; the most dominant and the most divisive force in British politics in the second half of the th 20 century. She was also a global figure, a star in the U.S., a heroine in the former Soviet republics of central Europe, a point of reference for politicians in France, Germany, Italy and Spain. In Britain, the Thatcher years were a turning point. In the 1979 general election, Thatcher was the first, and the only so far, woman to become British prime minister. She was an advocate of privatizing state-owned industries, reforming trade unions, lowering taxes and reducing the government’s expenses. Thatcher’s policies succeeded in reducing inflation, but unemployment dramatically increased during her years in power. In foreign affairs, victory in the Falklands War in 1982 helped Thatcher win a landslide victory in the 1983 general election. Besides, Thatcher cultivated a close political and personal relationship with U.S. president Ronald Reagan, because they shared a common mistrust of communism and strong confidence in free-market economy. Thatcher also warmly welcomed the rise of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, and she was nicknamed the “Iron Lady” by the Soviets. In the 1987 general election, Thatcher won an unprecedented third term in office. But controversial policies, including the poll tax and her opposition to any closer integration with Europe, produced divisions within the Conservative Party which led to a leadership challenge by some people who did not agree to her policies. In November 1990, she agreed to resign from party leader and prime minister, replaced by John Major. She retired from public life after a stroke in 2002 and suffered several strokes after that. She died of a stroke on April 8, 2013.