John Diefenbaker Prime Minister of Canada Date of Birth: 18.09.1895 Country: Canada

Biography of John Diefenbaker

John Diefenbaker, the former Prime Minister of Canada, was born on September 18, 1895, in Grey County, Ontario. He completed his education at the University of Saskatchewan in 1915 and obtained a master's degree in 1916. During the First World War, he served in the Canadian Expeditionary Forces and returned to Canada after being wounded. In 1919, he started his career as a lawyer in Saskatchewan. From 1937 to 1940, he led the Conservative Party of Saskatchewan. In 1940, he was elected to the House of Commons representing the Lake Centre district in Saskatchewan and remained a Member of Parliament until 1953.

In December 1956, Diefenbaker became the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party. In the federal elections held in June 1957, he defeated the Liberal candidate and became the Prime Minister. His party won 208 out of 265 seats in Parliament in the elections on March 31, 1958. He proved himself to be a skilled and tough politician, and his reputation among the voters remained impeccable until the rise in unemployment and worsening economic situation in 1960 brought liberals and socialists to the forefront of politics. Diefenbaker was unable to resolve the issue of financial distribution between the federal budget and provincial budgets, but he successfully nurtured his brainchild - the Bill of Rights, which received parliamentary approval. In February 1963, Diefenbaker faced a vote of no confidence due to delays in fulfilling the commitments of the 1959 agreement with the United States on the placement of American nuclear forces in the country. Diefenbaker dissolved Parliament, and general elections were held in April. Diefenbaker's election campaign took an anti-American tone. The Conservatives lost their parliamentary majority, and Diefenbaker stepped down as Prime Minister but remained the leader of the party. In 1965, he successfully defended his leadership in the party and retired in 1967. He was elected Chancellor of the University of Saskatchewan in 1969. Diefenbaker passed away on August 16, 1979, in Ottawa.