“Never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”

—Winston Churchill

Winston Spencer Churchill was born Nov. 30, 1874, in England. As a young man, he served in the British Army and continued his military career in various capacities until 1924. Simultaneously, he began his long career in government in 1900.

Churchill was elected and appointed to various positions over the next several years, beginning with his appointment as First Lord of the Admiralty in 1911, a position to which he was re-appointed just after the outbreak of World War II in 1939. In early May 1940, the Prime Minister of England resigned, and King George VI appointed Churchill to the position.

Early in the war, England's army suffered many losses, and Churchill faced a great deal of criticism. Through it all, one of the major contributions he made to eventual victory was his ability to inspire the British people to greater effort with his timely public broadcasts. A brilliant orator, he was a tireless source of strength to people experiencing the sufferings of the German bombing campaign.

On Oct. 29, 1941, Churchill made a speech at Harrow School, which he had attended as a youth. Part of the speech included the line, "Never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy." He also used the phrase, "Never, never, never give up" in his personal writing and correspondence.

Churchill lost his bid for re-election in 1945. Shortly thereafter, he suffered his first stroke. Yet he remained active in politics, returning to the Prime Minister position in 1951, until his health forced him to retire in 1956. Throughout his life he was an avid writer, even winning the Nobel Prize for Literature before his death on Jan. 24, 1965, and today he remains admired by many for his writings and speeches inspiring people to staunchly stand by their beliefs, against any odds.

Commitment. Pass It On!

This billboard about Commitment features Winston Churchill (1874-1965); British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War.