London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jul 03, 2026

Boris Johnson Fast Facts

Boris Johnson Fast Facts

Fast Facts on Boris Johnson to learn more about the prime minister of the United Kingdom.
Personal


Birth date: June 19, 1964

Birth place: New York, New York

Birth name: Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson

Father: Stanley Johnson, environmentalist, writer, former politician

Mother: Charlotte Johnson Wahl, painter

Marriages: Marina Wheeler (1993-present, separated); Allegra Mostyn-Owen (1987-1993, divorced)

Children: with Marina Wheeler: Lara, Milo, Cassia and Theodore; with Helen Macintyre: Stephanie; with Carrie Symonds: Wilfred

Education: Balliol College, University of Oxford, B.A., 1987

Other Facts


Johnson is engaged to Carrie Symonds, a former communications official for the Conservative Party.

Brother Jo Johnson is also a Conservative politician.

Johnson was the fourth prime minister to study at Balliol College. The other three were H.H. Asquith, Edward Heath, and Harold Macmillan.

Johnson has written books on politics, history and British culture, such as "The Churchill Factor: How One Man Made History" and "The Dream of Rome."

Timeline


1973 - The Johnson family moves to Belgium.

1987 - Becomes a trainee reporter for The Times.

1988 - Fired from The Times for making up a quote.

1989 - Appointed Brussels correspondent for the Daily Telegraph.

1999-2005 - Editor for the weekly magazine The Spectator.

2001 - Johnson is elected a member of the House of Commons in Parliament, winning the seat in Henley for the Conservative Party.

2003-2004 - Vice chairman of the Conservative Party.

2004 - Serves as shadow minister for the arts. Fired over allegations of an affair with journalist Petronella Wyatt.

December 2005-July 2007 - Serves as the shadow minister for higher education.

May 2008 - Johnson is elected mayor of London. He is reelected in 2012.

August 2012 - Johnson gets stuck on a zip line during a Summer Olympics event in London's Victoria Park.

May 2015 - Reelected to Parliament, representing a seat for Uxbridge and South Ruislip.

July 13, 2016 - Johnson is appointed foreign secretary by Prime Minister Theresa May, and serves for two years.

February 21, 2016 - Johnson announces he supports the Brexit campaign.

July 9, 2018 - Johnson resigns as foreign secretary due to his disagreement with May's approach to Brexit.

September 2018 - Johnson and Marina Wheeler announce their separation and pending divorce.

July 23, 2019 - Boris Johnson is elected leader of the United Kingdom's Conservative party, and will take over for May as prime minister, pending approval of the Queen.

August 28, 2019 - Queen Elizabeth approves Johnson's request to suspend UK parliament from mid-September, shortening the time available to lawmakers to block a no-deal Brexit. The news is met with opposition from politicians who denounce it as potentially unconstitutional and undemocratic. In a televised interview, Johnson denies that he was seeking to prevent Parliament from limiting his Brexit plans.

September 4, 2019 - Johnson suffers a defeat after lawmakers in the House of Commons approve a bill to block a no-deal Brexit., 327 votes to 299. It instructs Johnson to request another Brexit extension if he cannot secure a deal with the European Union by the October 31 deadline. Hours after, the House of Commons dismiss demands for an election, falling short of the required 434 supermajority to pass.

September 5, 2019 - During a speech in Wakefield, in northern England, Johnson says he'd rather be "dead in the ditch" than ask Europe to delay Brexit. The same day Johnson's brother, Jo Johnson, announces he will step down as MP because he is "torn between family loyalty and the national interest."

September 25, 2019 - Lawmakers return to work after the UK Supreme Court rules Johnson's decision to unilaterally suspend Parliament until mid-October -- just two weeks before the UK is due to leave the European Union -- was "unlawful, void and of no effect," a huge defeat for the prime minister.

October 17, 2019 - Johnson announces that UK negotiators have struck a Brexit deal with their European counterparts, setting the stage for a vote on the proposal in Parliament.

October 19, 2019 - UK lawmakers withhold approval of Johnson's Brexit deal, voting for an amendment to delay ratification. The amendment required Johnson to send a letter requesting an extension from the European Union and Downing Street later confirms the letter was sent.

December 12, 2019 - Johnson's conservative party wins in a landslide election, securing 365 of the 650 seats in the House of Parliament, well ahead of Labour's 203 seats. The election gives Johnson a comfortable majority in the House of Commons and paves the way for Brexit to take place at the end of January.

January 31, 2020 - Britain formally leaves the European Union, entering a transition period until the end of 2020 during which the United Kingdom must negotiate its future relationship with Europe.

February 29, 2020 - Johnson and Symonds announce they are expecting a baby and are engaged to be married.

March 27, 2020 - Johnson announces that he has tested positive for coronavirus.

April 5, 2020 - Johnson is admitted to St Thomas' Hospital in London for tests as part of a "precautionary step" due to Johnson's lingering coronavirus symptoms, the Prime Minister's Office says in a statement.

April 6, 2020 - Johnson is moved to an intensive care unit after his condition with coronavirus symptoms "worsened," according to a Downing Street spokesperson.

April 12, 2020 - A Downing Street spokesman announces Johnson has been discharged from the hospital.

April 29, 2020 - Johnson and Symonds announce the birth of a baby boy.

May 2, 2020 - Johnson and Symonds announce the name of their newborn son, Wilfred Lawrie Nicholas Johnson. He was given the middle name Nicholas in honor of two doctors who treated Johnson while he suffered from coronavirus.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Luxury bags take over the World Cup: style, status symbol, or just showing off?
National Productivity Institute Highlights Weak Business Investment Outside Southern England
UK High Court Orders Reassessment of Environmental Impact in Major Highway Project
UK Cyber Security Centre Warns of Rising Threat From State-Sponsored Digital Espionage
UK Education Secretary Launches National Reform of Apprenticeships and Vocational Training
Financial Conduct Authority Tightens Climate Risk Disclosure Requirements for Listed Firms
Rail Union Suspends Planned Strike Action to Enter Formal Negotiations With Operators
Northern Ireland Businesses Seek Clarity Over Post-Brexit Trade Rules
Welsh Government Launches Regional Growth Plan Targeting Transport and Digital Infrastructure
North Sea Wind Sector Attracts £5 Billion Investment Amid Expansion of Offshore Capacity
Scotland and UK Governments Establish New Framework for Coordinated Investment in Energy and Infrastructure
UK Government Launches Major Immigration and Border Policy Overhaul Review
Bank of England Signals Interest Rates to Remain Elevated Despite Easing Inflation Pressures
National Health Service Warns of Severe Winter Capacity Strain Across Hospital Trusts
Chancellor Orders Urgent Treasury Review Amid Concerns Over Structural Public Finance Gap
Prime Minister Unveils Sweeping Legislative Programme Focused on Housing, Health Service Reform and State Energy Plan
UK Parliamentary Committee Launches Inquiry Into Falling Primary School Rolls and Public Service Impact
UK House of Lords Debates Electoral Commission Powers and Political Finance Reform
UK Parliament Considers Expanding Carbon Rules to International Aviation and Shipping Emissions
UK Traffic Commissioner Revokes Hampshire Haulage Operator Licence Over Regulatory Failures
UK Parliament Examines Risks in Public Contracts Awarded to Technology Firm Palantir
UK Competition Watchdog Moves Toward More Flexible Merger Rules to Support Efficiency and Growth
UK Government Seeks Approval for £1.15 Trillion Public Spending Plan Amid Scrutiny Over Department Budgets
UK Parliament Debates Sweeping National Security and Steel Industry Nationalisation Bills
UK Government Issues Formal Apology for Historic Forced Adoption Practices and Announces £4 Million Support Scheme
UK DEFENCE AND TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY TILTS TOWARD SOVEREIGN CAPABILITY AND INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT
UK ECONOMIC POLICY OUTLOOK SHAPED BY LEADERSHIP TRANSITION AND FISCAL SIGNALS
STERLING STRENGTHENS AMID SHIFTING MONETARY OUTLOOK AND GLOBAL LABOUR MARKET SIGNALS
UK HPV VACCINATION PROGRAM NEARLY ELIMINATES CERVICAL CANCER DEATH RISK IN YOUNG WOMEN
UK EXPANDS PRISON SAFETY REVIEW AS GOVERNMENT SEEKS WIDER SYSTEM REFORM
UK DRIVES DIGITAL ASSETS STRATEGY WITH NEW STABLECOIN REGULATORY MODEL
UK TO EXPAND AI INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH NEW EUROPEAN TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIP
UK LAUNCHES £15 BILLION DEFENCE TECH SHIFT TOWARD ADVANCED MILITARY SYSTEMS
CIVIL SERVICE FACES SHIFT IN POWER STRUCTURE AS REGIONAL GOVERNANCE PLANS EXPAND
WHITEHALL CONSIDERS MAJOR DECENTRALISATION PLAN WITH SECOND GOVERNMENT HUB IN MANCHESTER
UK TARGETS SERVICES EXPORT GROWTH IN TRADE TALKS WITH CHINA AMID GEOPOLITICAL TENSIONS
POLICE WATCHDOG PROBES OFFICERS OVER HANDCUFFING OF DYING TEENAGER IN HAMPSHIRE CASE
UK REGULATORS UNVEIL DUAL OVERSIGHT FRAMEWORK FOR STABLECOINS AND DIGITAL ASSETS
KEIR STARMER ANNOUNCES £15 BILLION DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY BOOST IN FINAL MAJOR POLICY MOVE
ANDY BURNHAM SIGNALS STRICT FISCAL RULES AS LABOUR LEADERSHIP RACE SHAPES MARKET OUTLOOK
POUND STERLING HITS ONE-YEAR HIGH AS BANK OF ENGLAND SIGNALS NO IMMINENT RATE CUTS
UK Government Confirms Rejected Asylum Seekers to Remain Amid Enforcement Challenges
UK-China Economic Talks Focus on Services Trade and High-Value Sectors
Buckingham Palace Revamp Plans Unveiled to Modernise Royal and Public Facilities
Two Dead After Light Aircraft Crash in Essex Field, Investigation Underway
Princess Diana Marked at 65 With UK Tributes Reflecting on Her Public Legacy
England Teachers Face New Pay Cap Rules for Academy School Leaders Under Education Reform
Dublin Security Alert Escalates After Stabbing and Reports of Transport Disruption
UK Government Faces Scrutiny Over £10,000 Asylum Living Cost Contribution Requirement
England Prepares World Cup Knockout Match Against Democratic Republic of Congo
×