John Diefenbaker Biography
(Former Prime Minister of Canada)
Birthday: September 18, 1895 (Virgo)
Born In: Neustadt, Canada
John Diefenbaker was the 13th prime minister of Canada who served in this post from 1957 to 1963. He was the one to appoint the first female minister in Canadian history to the cabinet. The son of a teacher, he developed interest in politics at a very young age. Following his service in the First World War, Diefenbaker studied law and became a criminal defense lawyer. In 1936, he became the chief of the Saskatchewan Conservative Party and held the post until 1940. His talent got him elected to the House of Commons in 1940. Diefenbaker then went on to become leader of the Progressive Conservative Party in 1956. After becoming the prime minister, he granted the vote to the Inuit peoples and First Nations. On an international level, his position against apartheid resulted in South Africa departing from the Commonwealth of Nations. His government eventually suffered a downfall after his indecision regarding the acceptance of Bomarc nuclear missiles from US. After the end of his tenure as the prime minister, Diefenbaker served as a member of parliament until his death in 1979. On a personal level, he was twice married but didn’t have any children.