1979, Joe Clark is sworn in as the Youngest Prime Minister in Canada
On this day on June 04, 1979, Joe Clark is sworn in as the youngest Prime Minister in Canada. He became the youngest Prime Minister in Canadian history at age 39. However, he taking office the day before his 40th birthday.
On the other hand, he was a businessman, writer, and politician who served as the 16th prime minister of Canada, from June 4, 1979, to March 3, 1980 (273 days).
Meanwhile, Clark came to power, defeating the Liberal government of Pierre Trudeau and ending sixteen years of continuous Liberal rule. However, Clark’s Progressive Conservative Party lost the 1980 election and at that time he also lost the leadership of the party in 1983. He is born June 5, 1939, in High River, Alberta.
Prime ministers of Canada
The oldest person to become Prime Minister was Charles Tupper (6th PM) at the age of 74 years, 304 days. Sir John A. Macdonald, became the first prime minister of Canada (1867–1873, 1878–1891). Justin Trudeau is the 23rd and current prime minister since November 4, 2015 and the second-youngest prime minister at the moment.
List of Prime ministers of Canada
| # | Prime Minister | Date of birth | Start date of (first) term | Age at beginning of (first) term | End date of (final) term | Total time in office | Length of retirement | Date of death | Lifespan |
| 1 | John A. Macdonald | January 11, 1815 | July 1, 1867 | 52 years, 171 days | June 6, 1891 | 6,934 days | N/A | June 6, 1891 | 76 years, 146 days |
| 2 | Alexander Mackenzie | January 28, 1822 | November 7, 1873 | 51 years, 283 days | October 9, 1878 | 1,797 days | 13 years, 191 days | April 17, 1892 | 70 years, 80 days |
| 3 | John Abbott | March 12, 1821 | June 16, 1891 | 70 years, 96 days | November 24, 1892 | 527 days | 340 days | October 30, 1893 | 72 years, 232 days |
| 4 | John Thompson | November 10, 1845 | December 5, 1892 | 47 years, 25 days | December 12, 1894 | 737 days | N/A | December 12, 1894 | 49 years, 32 days |
| 5 | Mackenzie Bowell | December 27, 1823 | December 21, 1894 | 70 years, 359 days | April 27, 1896 | 493 days | 21 years, 227 days | December 10, 1917 | 93 years, 348 days |
| 6 | Charles Tupper | July 2, 1821 | May 1, 1896 | 74 years, 304 days | July 8, 1896 | 68 days | 19 years, 114 days | October 30, 1915 | 94 years, 120 days |
| 7 | Wilfrid Laurier | November 20, 1841 | July 11, 1896 | 54 years, 234 days | October 5, 1911 | 5,563 days | 7 years, 135 days | February 17, 1919 | 77 years, 89 days |
| 8 | Robert Borden | June 26, 1854 | October 10, 1911 | 57 years, 106 days | July 10, 1920 | 3,196 days | 16 years, 335 days | June 10, 1937 | 82 years, 349 days |
| 9 | Arthur Meighen | June 16, 1874 | July 10, 1920 | 46 years, 24 days | September 25, 1926 | 625 days | 33 years, 315 days | August 5, 1960 | 86 years, 50 days |
| 10 | W.L. Mackenzie King | December 17, 1874 | December 29, 1921 | 47 years, 12 days | November 15, 1948 | 7,826 days | 1 year, 249 days | July 22, 1950 | 75 years, 217 days |
| 11 | R.B. Bennett | July 3, 1870 | August 7, 1930 | 60 years, 35 days | October 23, 1935 | 1,903 days | 11 years, 246 days | June 26, 1947 | 76 years, 358 days |
| 12 | Louis St. Laurent | February 1, 1882 | November 15, 1948 | 66 years, 288 days | June 21, 1957 | 3,140 days | 16 years, 34 days | July 25, 1973 | 91 years, 174 days |
| 13 | John Diefenbaker | September 18, 1895 | June 21, 1957 | 61 years, 276 days | April 22, 1963 | 2,131 days | 16 years, 116 days | August 16, 1979 | 83 years, 332 days |
| 14 | Lester B. Pearson | April 23, 1897 | April 22, 1963 | 65 years, 364 days | April 20, 1968 | 1,825 days | 4 years, 251 days | December 27, 1972 | 75 years, 248 days |
| 15 | Pierre Trudeau | October 18, 1919 | April 20, 1968 | 48 years, 185 days | June 30, 1984 | 5,642 days | 16 years, 90 days | September 28, 2000 | 80 years, 346 days |
| 16 | Joe Clark | June 5, 1939 | June 4, 1979 | 39 years, 364 days | March 3, 1980 | 273 days | 41 years, 93 days | ||
| 17 | John Turner | June 7, 1929 | June 30, 1984 | 55 years, 23 days | September 17, 1984 | 79 days | 36 years, 2 days | September 19, 2020 | 91 years, 104 days |
| 18 | Brian Mulroney | March 20, 1939 | September 17, 1984 | 45 years, 181 days | June 25, 1993 | 3,203 days | 27 years, 344 days | ||
| 19 | Kim Campbell | March 10, 1947 | June 25, 1993 | 46 years, 107 days | November 4, 1993 | 132 days | 27 years, 212 days | ||
| 20 | Jean Chrétien | January 11, 1934 | November 4, 1993 | 59 years, 297 days | December 12, 2003 | 3,690 days | 17 years, 174 days | ||
| 21 | Paul Martin | August 28, 1938 | December 12, 2003 | 65 years, 106 days | February 6, 2006 | 787 days | 15 years, 118 days | ||
| 22 | Stephen Harper | April 30, 1959 | February 6, 2006 | 46 years, 282 days | November 4, 2015 | 3,558 days | 5 years, 212 days | ||
| 23 | Justin Trudeau | December 25, 1971 | November 4, 2015 | 43 years, 314 days | Incumbent | Incumbent |
June 04 - On This Day
June 4, 2020 at 3:22 AM[…] 1979, Joe Clark is sworn in as the Youngest Prime Minister in Canada. […]