Today is Michael Gove’s birthday. Huzzah!

To celebrate, here are some facts you might not know…

1. Michael Gove turns 46 today. This is young by Ed Sec standards. The average age on entry is 50.
2. The only other Ed Sec to turn 46 while in post is….. Margaret Thatcher.
3. Gove is currently the 7th longest-serving Education Secretary having recently overtaken Kenneth Baker.
4. He has another ~160 days before he steals 6th place (from Thatcher).
5. He is the first Ed Sec in 46 years to have previously been President of the Oxford Union. Four other Ed Secs have held that role (Quintin Hogg, Michael Stewart, Edward Boyle & Anthony Crosland).
6. He is the second Education Secretary to be born in Edinburgh. The first was Florence Horsbrugh, born in 1889 (79 years before Gove).
7. He is the only Ed Sec known to have been raised from birth by adoptive parents.
8. The most common degree subject for an Ed Sec is History. Second is Politics. Gove is unique in having studied English.
9. He shares his birthday week with past-Ed Secs Anthony Crosland and Edward Boyle (both also past-Ox Union Presidents)
10. Gove has said he shall never stand as leader of the Conservative Party.