Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, DL, FRS, RA, was born on this day, November 30, in 1874. He was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from 1951 to 1955.

This portrait is used by the Bank of England on their five pound note. It will appear as usual in the reprint of TIME 100 Photographs: The Most Influential Images of All Time. On Wikimedia it is “considered one of the finest images.” And the story of Karsh snatching the cigar from Churchill’s mouth during this 1941 surprise (for Churchill) portrait session is all true. Watch Karsh recreate this portrait with Morley Safer standing in for Churchill.