Happy Winston Churchill Day!

April 9th is Winston Churchill Day, an annual celebration of the great Brit and his becoming a US citizen. The man who led us to victory in World War II, his unshakeable resolve and stiff upper lip has come to represent a great deal about what it is to be British.

An immense public speaker, he was as well-known for his sharp wit as his profound intelligence and became famed for his quotes. To show our love, in no particular order, here are our favorite words of wisdom from the great man.

8. Nancy Astor: “Sir, if you were my husband, I would give you poison.” Churchill: “If I were your husband I would take it.”

7. A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.

6. Once in a while you will stumble upon the truth but most of us manage to pick ourselves up and hurry along as if nothing had happened.

5. If you are going to go through hell, keep going.

4. You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.

3. I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the ordeal of meeting me is another matter.

2. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.

1. Bessie Braddock: “Sir, you are drunk.” Churchill: “Madam, you are ugly. In the morning, I shall be sober.”