In which year was Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female Prime Minister, elected to Parliament?

Margaret Thatcher's journey to becoming Britain's first female Prime Minister was a gradual climb, starting long before she held the highest office. While 1979 is famously the year she became Prime Minister, her political career began much earlier. To understand why 1959 is the key year here, you need to think about when she first entered Parliament as a Member of Parliament, or MP. She successfully ran for and won the seat for Finchley in 1959. This was her entry point into national politics, the foundation upon which her future leadership was built. The other dates are significant in different ways: 1979 marks her ascent to Prime Minister, and 1986 falls within her time *as* Prime Minister. But it was 1959 that marked the beginning of her parliamentary career, making it the correct answer to the question of when she was first elected to Parliament.