Lamplighter

The scrawny fellow above is one Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey Fallodon, born this day 1862 in London, England. Our boy above shares his birthday with another shallow chested Englishman of our present time who is the limey bastard that got me into blogging, and while he probably not longer read this blog, I thought I would give him a honourable mention in this post. After a typical English schoolboy education, he went to Oxford to read Greats. He was apparently a very idle student, and used his idle time to become a champion in tennis. At the age of 20, his grandfather died, and he became Sir Edward Grey inheriting a 2,000 acre estate, and a private income. Just what an idler needs a private income. After eventually graduating from Oxford, he became even more of an idler, and eventually asked a friend of his to find him serious and unpaid employment. Must be nice what a private income and a 2,000 acre estate can do for you. I prefer the non-serious, paying employment myself, but then again I am a prole. This unpaid employment eventually led to an interest in politics, and at 23 (in 1885) he became a Member of Parliament (the youngest on in Parliament at the time). It was the beginning of a long, and very successful political career that would led him to the being the Foreign Secretary in 1906. It was this post he was to hold for eleven years, and during his tenure he was to see the coming of the great war. His remark on the eve of that war is now very famous, and it is a reason he is on our hero podium of the day. He remarked that "the lamps are going out all over Europe. We shall not see them lit again in our time." It was a dark statement, and England was headed for a dark time. He would eventually become the leader of the Liberal party in Parliament until his retirement. So, for steering England through some dark time, Sir Edward Grey (April 25th, 1862-September 7th, 1933, at the age of 71), you are my (241st) hero of the day.