Pierre Trudeau

prime minister of Canada from 1968 to 1979 and 1980 to 1984

Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau PC CC CH QC FRSC (October 18, 1919 in Montreal, Canada – September 28, 2000 in Montreal, Canada) was the 15th Canadian Prime Minister during the 1970s (1968 - 1979), and then again from 1980 - 1984. He is thought by many Canadian citizens today as having been the greatest Canadian Prime Minister ever. His son is the 23rd and current Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.


Pierre Elliott Trudeau

Trudeau in 1975
15th Prime Minister of Canada
In office
March 3, 1980 – June 30, 1984
MonarchElizabeth II
Governor General
DeputyAllan MacEachen
Preceded byJoe Clark
Succeeded byJohn Turner
In office
April 20, 1968 – June 4, 1979
MonarchElizabeth II
Governor General
DeputyAllan MacEachen (1977–79)
Preceded byLester B. Pearson
Succeeded byJoe Clark
Leader of the Opposition
In office
June 4, 1979 – March 3, 1980
Prime MinisterJoe Clark
Preceded byJoe Clark
Succeeded byJoe Clark
Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
In office
April 6, 1968 – June 16, 1984
Preceded byLester B. Pearson
Succeeded byJohn Turner
Personal details
Born
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau

(1919-10-18)October 18, 1919
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
DiedSeptember 28, 2000(2000-09-28) (aged 80)
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Resting placeSaint-Rémi Cemetery, Saint-Rémi, Quebec
Political partyLiberal
Spouse(s)
Margaret Sinclair
(m. 1971; div. 1984)
Children4, including
Parents
  • Charles-Émile Trudeau (father)
  • Grace Elliott (mother)
EducationLaw (LL.B., 1943)
Political economy (M.A., 1945)
Alma mater
Occupation

As Prime Minister change

He had many challenges during the 1970s, including the October Crisis, and in 1980 held the country together by defeating the referendum on Quebec sovereignty (the province of Quebec wanted to leave Canada and become its own country), and keeping Quebec a member of the Canadian state. Another popular event associated with Pierre Trudeau is Trudeaumania, which referred to how much he was liked by the Canadian people. As a relatively young man, he was very close to the youth of the time, as well as funny, and he appealed to everyone by being so understanding and just like a normal person. This kind of Prime Minister had never been seen before, and it made people feel like he was a good, friendly person.

Retirement and death change

Trudeau retired from being the Prime Minister in 1984, after which he did not speak to the public very much. He died of prostate cancer and Parkinson's disease in Montreal on September 28, 2000. After he died, his son, Justin Trudeau, spoke at his funeral, which was shown all over the country. He said je t'aime (French for "I love you") and cried on his father's coffin. After this moving eulogy (a speech at a funeral about the dead person), many Canadian people thought Justin would have a future in politics; Justin is the 23 Prime Minister of Canada, elected in 2015.