Gordon Brown

Gordon Brown was born on February 20, 1951, in Giffnock, Renfrewshire, Scotland. He served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2007 to 2010 

His father, John Ebenezer Brown, was a Church of Scotland minister, and his mother, Jessie Elizabeth Souter, was the daughter of a timber merchant. Brown was influenced by his father's role as a minister in the Church of Scotland. This upbringing instilled in him the values of hard work, education, and public service.

Brown's childhood was spent in the Scottish town of Kirkcaldy. He excelled academically, entering the University of Edinburgh at the young age of 16. His time at the university was distinguished by his election as the youngest ever Rector of Edinburgh University in 1972.

Gordon Brown's first name is actually James and he should not be confused with the godfather of soul.

James Gordon Brown was one of several UK prime ministers that chose to be known by their middle names, along with Ramsay MacDonald, Neville Chamberlain, Anthony Eden and Harold Macmillan.

Brown lost the sight in his left eye during a rugby match between Kirkcaldy High School First 11 and the Old Boys in 1967. He was playing wing forward. He was kicked in the head in a scrum and his retina was detached.

Brown had three operations and other treatments, including lying in a darkened room for some weeks. When all failed, he was left permanently blind in his left eye. Then a few months later, while playing tennis, he noticed the same symptoms in his right eye. Dr Hector Chawia saved his sight with surgery at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

He is not able to read newsprint easily and  has to rely on others to keep him informed about what's in the papers.

Brown is a devoted supporter of his local football team, Raith Rovers

After university, Brown worked briefly as a lecturer and a television journalist before entering parliament in 1983, the same year as Tony Blair. The two of them shared an office.

Brown was the longest-serving chancellor in 200 years. His first act as minister was to hand independence to the Bank of England, putting it in charge of interest rates, a move lauded by financial markets.

Gordon Brown succeeded Tony Blair as the leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister on June 27, 2007, 

Gordon Brown resigned as Prime Minister on May 11, 2010, following the general election. His resignation came after it became clear that the Labour Party would not be able to form a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats. 

At the age of 49, Gordon Brown married Sarah Macaulay in a private ceremony at his home in North Queensferry, Fife, on August 3, 2000.

Brown's first child with his wife Sarah died 10 days after her premature birth in 2001. The couple have since had two children, the second of whom has been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.

Brown tried to get Andrew Lloyd Webber to join his government as a cultural ambassador.

Brown received a Christmas card from David Cameron saying "Merry Christmas from me and 'the props'" after Brown accused Cameron of using his children as props in his 2008 conference speech.

Sources The Guardian, Daily Mail,  Uk.reuters.com