| “The Roaring Lion” by Yousuf Karsh (December 23, 1908 – July 13, 2002). Karsh said: “I was invited by the late Prime Minster of Canada, William Lyon Mackenzie King [(December 17, 1874 – July 22, 1950)], to come and listen to Mister Churchill first…. where I can watch his expressions, and ultimately that supreme moment came when he gave confidence to all his listeners. And when the great man came with the Prime Minster, I switched the light on and he immediately said, ‘What is going on’, I said, ‘Sir, I hope I would be fortunate enough to make a worthy photograph of you of this historic occasion. He banged at the table and said ‘Why was I not told!’…The main thing was that the night before, I was already here, prepared my camera and lights right there. Now how to get Mr. Churchill to walk all the distances, and to me it seemed like a very long distances….To date I still think it’s my greatest diplomatic triumph.” United Kingdom Prime Minister Winston Churchill (November 30, 1874 – January 24, 1965) was asked by King George VI (December 14, 1895 – February 6, 1952) to form a government as it became clear that Norway was going to fall in May 1940. In his 1st address to the House of Commons, on May 13, 1940, he said, “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.” Throughout the war, Churchill’s oratory lifted the nation’s spirits, and his ability to forge a close alliance with the United States was a key factor in the defeat of Germany. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0285.jpg |
| Image Size | 1.47 MB |
| Image Dimensions | 6036 x 7504 |
| Photographer | Yousuf Karsh |
| Photographer Title | |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | December 30, 1941 |
| Location | |
| City | Ottawa |
| State or Province | Ontario |
| Country | Canada |
| Archive | Library and Archives of Canada |
| Record Number | e010751643 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
Author of the World War II Multimedia Database