Who was Pierre Trudeau and what did he do as prime minister of Canada?
Pierre Trudeau was the 15th prime minister of Canada, serving from 1968 to 1979 and again from 1980 to 1984, for a total of 15 years and 164 days. He introduced official bilingualism and multiculturalism, patriated the Constitution in 1982, established the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, created Petro-Canada, and decriminalized homosexuality as Minister of Justice in 1967-68.
What was Trudeaumania and when did it occur?
Trudeaumania was the wave of intense personal popularity surrounding Pierre Trudeau during the 1968 federal election campaign, in which crowds of youths mobbed him across the country. The phenomenon helped him win a strong majority government on the 25th of June 1968, the Liberals' first majority since 1953.
What did Pierre Trudeau do during the 1970 October Crisis?
During the October Crisis of 1970, Trudeau invoked the War Measures Act after the FLQ kidnapped British Trade Consul James Cross on the 5th of October and Quebec Labour Minister Pierre Laporte five days later. Laporte was found dead on the 17th of October; five FLQ members were flown to Cuba in exchange for Cross's release.
What was the result of the 1980 Quebec sovereignty referendum under Pierre Trudeau?
On the 20th of May 1980, sixty percent of Quebeckers voted to remain in Canada, defeating the sovereignty-association referendum called by Rene Levesque's Parti Quebecois government. Trudeau played an active role in the Non campaign and delivered a major speech a week before the vote promising constitutional renewal.
What was Pierre Trudeau's Canadian formula for relations with China?
Canada established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China in October 1970 using a formula in which Canada took note of China's position that Taiwan is an inalienable part of its territory, without endorsing it. This Canadian formula was subsequently copied by many countries, including the United States in 1979.
How long did Pierre Trudeau serve as prime minister and where does he rank historically?
Pierre Trudeau served 15 years and 164 days as prime minister across two non-consecutive terms, making him the third longest-serving prime minister in Canadian history, behind John A. Macdonald and William Lyon Mackenzie King. He won four federal elections, including three majority governments and one minority government.