Person in history

Paddy Ashdown

Paddy Ashdown, British politician (born 1941)

Life at a glance

Died
2018 · December 22

Their story

Who they were

Jeremy John Durham Ashdown, Baron Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon, better known as Paddy Ashdown, was a British politician and diplomat who served as Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 1988 to 1999. Internationally, he is recognised for his role as High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2002 to 2006, following his vigorous lobbying for military action against Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

Early life

Early life and career Ashdown was the eldest of seven children: four brothers and two sisters. [ 1 ] He was born in New Delhi, British India , [ 2 ] on 27 February 1941 [ 3 ] [ 4 ] to a family of soldiers and colonial administrators who spent their lives in India. [ 5 ] His father was a lapsed Catholic , and his mother a Protestant . His mother (née Hudson) was a nurse in the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps . [ 6 ] [ full citation needed ]

Why this date

Paddy Ashdown appears on our December 22 calendar for 2018 as a death entry.

Sources

Cite this page

“Paddy Ashdown”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/people/paddy-ashdown, accessed October 27, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about Paddy Ashdown

When did Paddy Ashdown die?

December 22 2018.

Who else was born on this day?

The date page lists everyone we hold for that calendar day.

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