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David Cameron | Biography, Brexit, & Facts | Britannica

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border-right-sm border-left-sm open"> <div class="drawer d-flex flex-column open"> <div class="left-rail-section-content"> <div class="topic-left-rail-header text-truncate bg-gray-50 position-relative text-right d-flex align-items-center"> <div class="tlr-title px-20 py-15 text-left"> <em class="material-icons text-gray-400 d-lg-none" data-icon="toc"></em> <a class="font-serif font-weight-bold text-black link-blue" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/David-Cameron">David Cameron</a> </div> <button aria-label="Close" class="js-sections-close-button btn-link btn-sm btn d-lg-none position-absolute top-0 p-10 right-0" > <em class="material-icons font-26" data-icon="close"></em> </button> </div> <div class="section-content pl-10 pr-20 pl-sm-50 pr-sm-60 pl-lg-5 pr-lg-10 pt-10 pt-lg-0 bg-gray-50 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="toc mb-20"> <div class="font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-15 mb-15 mt-20"> Table of Contents </div> <ul class="list-unstyled my-0" data-level="h1"><li data-target="#ref1"><div class="pl-25"><a class="link-gray-900 w-100" href="/biography/David-Cameron">Introduction</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref321364"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/biography/David-Cameron#ref321364">Early life and start in politics</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref321365"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/biography/David-Cameron#ref321365">Cameron’s revitalization of the Conservatives</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref321366"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/biography/David-Cameron/Prime-ministership">Prime ministership</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref321367"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/biography/David-Cameron/Prime-ministership#ref321367">The Conservative–Liberal Democratic coalition government</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref321368"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/biography/David-Cameron/Rift-in-the-coalition">Rift in the coalition</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref321369"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/biography/David-Cameron/Staying-out-of-Syria">Staying out of Syria</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref332803"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/biography/David-Cameron/The-Scottish-independence-referendum-2015-general-election-and-Brexit">The Scottish independence referendum, 2015 general election, and “Brexit”</a></li></ul></div></li></ul> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/David-Cameron/additional-info">References &amp; Edit History</a> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="/facts/David-Cameron">Quick Facts & Related Topics</a> </div> <div class="tlr-media-slider pb-10 mb-30"> <a class="section-header link-gray-900 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mb-10 mx-10" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/David-Cameron/images-videos">Images</a> <div class="slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100 "> <div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex overflow-hidden text-nowrap ml-15"> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/92/99692-050-463DC699/David-Cameron.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1104639/99830" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/92/99692-004-2E6E4F93/David-Cameron.jpg" alt="Cameron, David" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/87/149187-050-2F4DB131/Nick-Clegg-David-Cameron-May-12-2010.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1104639/156327" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/87/149187-004-CE9361F3/Nick-Clegg-David-Cameron-May-12-2010.jpg" alt="Nick Clegg and David Cameron" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/32/173132-050-DA3B1441/David-Cameron-British-workers-power-plant-Hinkley-2013.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1104639/186430" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/32/173132-004-B0AE0177/David-Cameron-British-workers-power-plant-Hinkley-2013.jpg" alt="Cameron, David" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/99/163799-050-70906116/David-Cameron-Rupert-Murdoch-British-Justice-Leveson-2012.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1104639/177445" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img 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They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link font-12 "> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2024-11-27T00:00:00CST" >Nov 27, 2024</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/David-Cameron/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm 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line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Born: </dt> <dd>October 9, 1966, <a href="/place/London">London</a>, <a href="/place/England">England</a> (age 58)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show&nbsp;more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Also Known As: </dt> <dd>David William Donald Cameron</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show&nbsp;more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Title / Office: </dt> <dd><a href="/topic/prime-minister">prime minister (2010-2016)</a>, <a href="/place/United-Kingdom">United Kingdom</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Parliament">Parliament (2001-2016)</a>, <a href="/place/United-Kingdom">United Kingdom</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/parliament-government">parliament (2001-2016)</a>, <a href="/place/United-Kingdom">United Kingdom</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show&nbsp;more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Political Affiliation: </dt> <dd><a href="/topic/Conservative-Party-political-party-United-Kingdom">Conservative Party</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show&nbsp;more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Role In: </dt> <dd><a href="/topic/Brexit">Brexit</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show&nbsp;more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/David-Cameron"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> <button class="facts-list-show-more-btn mt-15 p-0 mx-auto btn font-14 d-block font-weight-normal"> <span class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></span> <span class="show-more-label">Show More</span> </button> </div><div class="bg-gray-50 p-15 rounded module-spacing recent-news d-flex flex-column float-false"> <div> <h2 class="font-weight-bold font-14 m-0 d-inline"> News <span class="text-gray-600">&#8226;</span> </h2> <div class="recent-news-item first-recent-news-item d-inline"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/1104639/0b4733c43d9628fd925d058799463b15" rel="nofollow">Germany's Merkel recalls Putin's 'power games' and contrasting US presidents in her memoirs</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>&#8226;</span> Nov. 27, 2024, 7:38 AM ET (AP) </span> </div> </div> <div class="rest-of-recent-news-items"> <button class="js-toggle-recent-news d-flex btn btn-unstyled font-14 pr-10 rounded-sm mt-10" aria-label="Toggle additional news items"> Show less <em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_less"></em> </button> </div> </div><!--[BEFORE-ARTICLE]--><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><!--[PREMOD1]--><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref924390"></span>David Cameron</strong> (born October 9, 1966, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/London" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">London</a>, England) is a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Great-Britain-island-Europe" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">British</a> <span id="ref924391"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Conservative-Party-political-party-United-Kingdom" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Conservative Party</a> leader who served as <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/prime-minister" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">prime minister</a> of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/United-Kingdom" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">United Kingdom</a> (2010–16).</p><!--[MOD1]--><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span></section> <!--[H2]--><span class="marker h2"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref321364"> <h2 class="h1">Early life and start in politics</h2> <!--[PREMOD2]--><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Cameron, a descendant of King <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-IV-king-of-Great-Britain" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">William IV</a>, was born into a family with both wealth and an aristocratic pedigree. He attended <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Eton-College" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Eton College</a> and Brasenose College, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/University-of-Oxford" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Oxford</a>, from which he graduated (1988) with a first-class degree in philosophy, politics, and economics. After Oxford he joined the <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="Conservative" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Conservative" data-type="MW">Conservative</a> Party Research Department. In 1992 he became a special adviser to Norman Lamont, then chancellor of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/money/Exchequer" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Exchequer</a>, and the following year he undertook the same role for <span id="ref929852"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michael-Howard" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Michael Howard</a>, then home secretary. Cameron joined the media company <span id="ref929851"></span>Carlton Communications in 1994 as director of corporate affairs. He stayed at Carlton until he entered <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Parliament" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Parliament</a> in 2001 as MP for Witney, northwest of London.</p><!--[MOD2]--><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span> <!--[PREMOD3]--><span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Cameron—young, moderate, and charismatic—quickly attracted attention as the leading member of a new generation of <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="Conservatives" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Conservatives" data-type="MW">Conservatives</a>. He was widely compared to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Labour-Party-political-party" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Labour</a> Prime Minister <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tony-Blair" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Tony Blair</a>, who had acquired a similar reputation when he entered Parliament 18 years earlier. After just two years as an MP, Cameron was appointed to his party’s “front bench”—making him a leading Conservative spokesman in the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/House-of-Commons-British-government" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">House of Commons</a>. In 2004 Howard, by then party leader, appointed his young protégé to the post of head of policy coordination, which put Cameron in charge of preparing the Conservatives’ 2005 election <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/manifesto" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">manifesto</a>. The party, however, suffered a heavy defeat at the polls, provoking Howard’s resignation. Cameron’s self-assured speech at the party’s annual <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="conference" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/conference" data-type="EB">conference</a> in October 2005 transformed his reputation, and he was subsequently elected Conservative leader.</p><!--[MOD3]--><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span> </section> <!--[H3]--><span class="marker h3"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref321365"> <h2 class="h1">Cameron’s revitalization of the Conservatives</h2> <!--[PREMOD4]--><span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Cameron sought to modernize the party and shed its right-wing image. He announced that economic stability and strong public services would take priority over tax cuts in the next Conservative government. Under his leadership the party grew in popularity and placed first in the 2006 local elections; it was the Conservatives’ best showing at the polls in some 15 years.</p><!--[MOD4]--><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span> <!--[PREMOD5]--><span class="marker PREMOD5 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">In the immediate aftermath of <span id="ref1070795"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gordon-Brown" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Gordon Brown’s</a> succeeding Blair as Labour leader and prime minister in 2007, the Conservatives began to trail in the polls, encouraging the prime minister to consider calling a snap election to <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="capitalize" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/capitalize" data-type="EB">capitalize</a> on Labour’s momentum. By the time Labour held its party conference in September, it had taken a double-digit lead over the Conservatives. But, at the Conservative Party conference in early October, Cameron made an impressive speech, talking for more than an hour without a script. In reference to the upcoming <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/European-Union" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">European Union</a> summit in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Lisbon" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Lisbon</a> to negotiate a treaty on reform, Cameron lambasted Brown for ruling out a referendum on an agreement (contrary to the prime minister’s commitment to hold one on a European constitution). In addition to other issues, Cameron also was critical of Labour’s performance on crime and with regard to the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/National-Health-Service" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">National Health Service</a> (NHS). Most daringly, despite trailing in the polls, he <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="goaded" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/goaded" data-type="EB">goaded</a> the prime minister to call an election:</p><div class="module-spacing"> </div><!--[MOD5]--><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span> <blockquote> <p>So, Mr Brown, what’s it going to be? Why don’t you go ahead and call that election? Let the people pass judgement on 10 years of broken promises. Let people decide who’s really making the arguments about the future of our <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/nation-state" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">country</a>. Let people decide who can make the changes that we really need in our country. Call that election. We will fight. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/United-Kingdom" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Britain</a> will win.</p> </blockquote> <!--[PREMOD7]--><span class="marker PREMOD7 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The performance won wide praise, and in its aftermath Brown announced that there would be no general election before 2009. Later that month, after Brown had attended the EU summit in <span id="ref1070796"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Lisbon-Treaty" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Lisbon</a>, at which the 27 member countries agreed on the detailed wording of the treaty, Cameron followed up with his earlier <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="criticism" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/criticism" data-type="MW">criticism</a>, arguing that Brown had “absolutely no democratic <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="mandate" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mandate" data-type="MW">mandate</a> to sign this without a referendum.” By December the Conservatives had taken a clear lead in the opinion polls, ahead of Labour by up to 13 percent—the biggest lead for the Conservatives since 1989.</p><div class="module-spacing"> <DIV class="marketing-INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION marketing-content" data-marketing-id="INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION"><style> .student-promo-banner-wrapper { container-type: inline-size; margin-bottom: 15px; } @container (min-width: 475px) { .student-promo-banner { flex-direction: row; } .student-promo-banner-img-wrapper { margin-bottom: 0; margin-right: 10px; justify-content: flex-start; } .student-promo-banner-text-wrapper { text-align: left; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 10px; } .student-promo-banner-button-wrapper { margin-right: 0; } }</style> <div class="student-promo-banner-wrapper"> <div class="student-promo-banner d-flex flex-column align-items-center bg-blue rounded p-20"> <div class="student-promo-banner-img-wrapper mb-20 mr-0 d-flex justify-content-center"> <img class="rounded" style="max-width: 100px; min-width: 80px" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/BlueThistle.webp" /> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-text-wrapper ml-0 mb-10 text-center text-white"> <div class="h2 mb-10">Get Unlimited Access</div> <div class="h4 font-weight-semi-bold">Try Britannica Premium for free and discover more.</div> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-button-wrapper d-flex justify-content-center align-items-center ml-auto mr-auto"> <a class="btn btn-m btn-orange" href="https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=black-friday-2024">Subscribe</a> </div> </div> </div> </DIV></div><!--[MOD7]--><span class="marker MOD7 mod-inline"></span> <!--[PREMOD8]--><span class="marker PREMOD8 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The <a href="https://www.britannica.com/money/great-recession" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">global economic crisis in 2008</a> helped Cameron solidify the Conservatives’ position. Though Brown was widely praised outside of Britain for his approach to the crisis, his promise in 1997 that the days of economic “boom and bust” were over played to Cameron’s advantage, as did an internal revolt by Labour ministers in 2008. In March 2009 Cameron made good on a promise to remove the Conservatives from the <span id="ref1070797"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/European-Peoples-Party" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">European People’s Party</a>, a mainstream alliance of conservative parties in the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/European-Parliament" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">European Parliament</a>. On June 4 the Conservatives topped the poll in the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/European-Parliament" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">European Parliament</a> elections, and Cameron had the Conservatives enter the legislative body as members of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group.</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><!--[MOD8]--><span class="marker MOD8 mod-inline"></span> <!--[PREMOD9]--><span class="marker PREMOD9 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">A parliamentary-expenses scandal, which had been brewing since 2007, broke in May 2009 when the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Daily-Telegraph" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"><em>Daily Telegraph</em></a> reported on <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="widespread" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/widespread" data-type="EB">widespread</a> abuse by members of Parliament of expense accounts meant to offset the cost of having to maintain a second residence (the so-called Additional Costs Allowance). The scandal cut across party lines, but Labour suffered the brunt of public criticism, and Cameron responded by arguing that the public had a “right to be angry.” Although the polling numbers for Cameron and the Conservatives showed a decline from peaks in early 2009, he and the party appeared to be well positioned for the <span id="ref1078868"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/British-general-election-of-2010" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">general election on May 6, 2010</a>.</p><!--[MOD9]--><span class="marker MOD9 mod-inline"></span> </section> <!--[END-OF-CONTENT]--><span class="marker end-of-content"></span><!--[AFTER-ARTICLE]--><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script> <!-- Ortto ebmwprod capture code --> <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":5,"pageId":1104639,"pageLength":891,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"C","adLeg":"C","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"BIO_PAGINATED","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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