Christopher Chataway facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable Sir Christopher Chataway
Chataway in 1972
Minister of Posts and Telecommunications
In office 24 June 1970 – 7 April 1972
Prime Minister	Edward Heath
Preceded by	John Stonehouse
Succeeded by	John Eden
Member of Parliament for Lewisham North
In office 8 October 1959 – 10 March 1966
Preceded by	Niall MacDermot
Succeeded by	Roland Moyle
Member of Parliament for Chichester
In office 22 May 1969 – 20 September 1974
Preceded by	Walter Loveys
Succeeded by	Anthony Nelson
Personal details
Born	(1931-01-31)31 January 1931 Chelsea, London, England
Died	19 January 2014(2014-01-19) (aged 82) St John's Wood, London, England
Political party	Conservative
Education	Sherborne School
Alma mater	Magdalen College, Oxford
Profession	Politician, athlete, broadcaster

Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Great Britain
European Championships
Silver	1954 Bern	5000 metres
Representing  England
British Empire and Commonwealth Games
Gold	1954 Vancouver	3 miles

Sir Christopher John Chataway (born January 31, 1931 – died January 19, 2014) was a famous British person. He was known for many things: a fast runner, a TV news reporter, and a politician for the Conservative Party.

Early Life and Education

Christopher Chataway was born in Chelsea, London, England. When he was a child, he lived in Sudan, a country in Africa. He went to Sherborne School, where he was good at sports like rugby and boxing. He didn't win a running race until he was 16 years old!

Later, he studied at Magdalen College, Oxford, part of Oxford University. He studied politics, philosophy, and economics. But he became even more famous for his amazing running skills while he was there.

A Star Athlete

Chataway had a short but very successful career as a runner. At the Helsinki Olympic Games in 1952, he was running in the 5000 metres final. Near the end of the race, he accidentally tripped and fell. Even after falling, he bravely finished the race in fifth place.

After university, he got a job at a company called Guinness. When Guinness decided to create the Guinness Book of Records, it was Chataway who suggested his friends, Norris and Ross McWhirter, to be the editors. He knew they loved collecting facts.

Chataway kept running and made history. On May 6, 1954, he helped his friend Roger Bannister achieve something amazing. Bannister ran the first mile in under four minutes, and Chataway was one of the "pacemakers" who helped him keep the right speed.

Two weeks later, Chataway set a new world record for the 5000 metres race. He finished in 13 minutes and 51.6 seconds. This race was shown on TV across Europe, making him a sports star. That December, he won the first-ever BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. After the 1956 Olympics, he stopped competing internationally, but he still ran for his local club.

From TV News to Parliament

After finishing his studies at Oxford, Christopher Chataway decided he wanted to work in politics. He thought working in television might help him. In 1955, he became one of the first news reporters for ITN, a new TV news channel. After a few months, he moved to the BBC and became a reporter for the show Panorama. He traveled a lot for his reports, both in the UK and other countries.

While working in TV, he also started his political journey. In 1958, he was elected to the London County Council as a Conservative. Then, he was chosen to run for Parliament in the same area, Lewisham North. He won the election, becoming a Member of Parliament (MP).

In Parliament, Chataway spoke about important issues. He was especially concerned about refugees, people who had to leave their homes because of war or other problems, especially in Africa. He worked very hard during "World Refugee Year" and received a special award called the Nansen Medal for his efforts.

Helping Others and Leading Education

In 1962, he became a junior minister in the Education department. This meant he helped make decisions about schools. In the 1966 election, he lost his seat in Parliament.

However, in 1967, he took on a new role. He became the leader of the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA). This group was in charge of schools in London. He helped guide his colleagues to make more balanced decisions about schools, avoiding big disagreements with the government.

Chataway wanted to return to Parliament. In 1969, he won an election in Chichester and became an MP again. When the Conservative Party won the general election in 1970, he was appointed Minister for Posts and Telecommunications. In this job, he brought commercial radio to the UK for the first time, ending the BBC's complete control over radio. He also removed rules that limited how many hours TV and radio could broadcast each day.

Later Career and Achievements

When the Conservative government lost the election in 1974, Christopher Chataway decided to leave politics at the age of 43. He then started a career in business. He worked for a bank called Orion Bank for 15 years. He also served on the boards of several other companies.

He was very interested in ActionAid, a charity that helps people in poorer countries. He became the chairman of ActionAid, and during his time, the charity grew a lot, helping many more people. His son, Adam, even started a water project in Ethiopia with ActionAid, which has helped 20,000 people get clean water.

In 1991, Chataway became the chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority, which looks after air travel in the UK. He was also the President of the Commonwealth Games Council for England for many years. In 1995, he was made a Knight by the Queen for his work in the aviation industry. This means he was given the title "Sir."

His stepson, Charles Walker, also became a Conservative MP in 2005.

Family Life

Sir Christopher Chataway was married twice and had children. His stepson, Charles Walker, is also a politician.

His Legacy

Sir Christopher Chataway passed away on January 19, 2014, after battling cancer. He was 82 years old. He is remembered as a talented athlete, a respected broadcaster, and a dedicated politician who worked to improve education and help refugees.

See also

In Spanish: Christopher Chataway para niños