Charles Moore, Baron Moore of Etchingham
A commanding voice of British conservatism, he shaped the Telegraph's editorial thunder and penned the definitive Thatcher biography.
Born 1956 (age 70)·English journalist and newspaper editor·Birthday: October 31·Baby Boomers
Biography
Charles Moore authored the official biography of Margaret Thatcher, a three-volume, deeply researched portrait that became the standard account of her life. As a young journalist, his sharp, traditionalist conservative views found a home at The Daily Telegraph, where he later served as editor, shaping its voice into a critic of the European Union. His tenure at The Spectator, as editor and later chairman, made him a ringmaster of right-wing intellectual debate. His elevation to the House of Lords in 2020 capped a career spent influencing the corridors of power he now formally inhabits.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Charles was born in 1956, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Charles Was Born
The biggest hits of 1956
#1 Movie
The Ten Commandments
Best Picture
Around the World in 80 Days
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Charles's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1956Born
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1961Started school
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1969Became a teenager
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Could drive
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1974Could vote
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Turned 21
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1986Turned 30
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 40
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 50
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 60
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 70
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Authored the three-volume authorized biography of Margaret Thatcher, published between 2013 and 2019, widely regarded as the definitive work.
- Served as editor of The Daily Telegraph from 1995 to 2003, during a period of significant political influence for the paper.
- Edited The Spectator magazine twice (1984-1990 and 1992-1995), shaping a key platform for British conservative thought.
- Was appointed a life peer in 2020, becoming Baron Moore of Etchingham and a member of the House of Lords.
Did You Know?
He is a noted critic of climate change activism and served as a trustee of the Global Warming Policy Foundation.
Moore is a dedicated fox hunter and has written extensively in defense of the practice.
He once stated he would not pay the BBC license fee as a protest, leading to several court appearances.
His biography of Margaret Thatcher won the Elizabeth Longford Prize for Historical Biography in 2014.
“The point of good journalism is to be interesting, and the point of being interesting is to be read.”
