The Liberal Party of Canada leadership convention of 1968 elected
Pierre Elliott Trudeau as the new leader of the Liberal Party. Trudeau
was the unexpected winner in what was one of the most important
leadership conventions in the history of the Liberal Party of Canada.
The Globe and Mail newspaper report the next day called it "the most
chaotic, confusing, and emotionally draining convention in Canadian
political history." The convention was held following the retirement
of Lester B. Pearson, who was a much respected party leader and prime
minister of Canada, but had failed to win a majority government in two
attempts. Eight high profile cabinet ministers entered the race, but
by the time the convention began on April 3 the charismatic Trudeau
had emerged as the front runner. He was strongly opposed by the
party's right wing, but this faction was divided between former
Minister of Trade and Commerce Robert Winters and Minister of
Transport Paul Hellyer, and failed to mount a united opposition.
Trudeau won the leadership on the fourth ballot of the convention.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_Party_of_Canada_leadership_convention%…
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1066:
Battle of Hastings: The Norman invasion forces of William the
Conqueror defeated the English army and killed Harold Godwinson, the
last Anglo-Saxon king of England.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hastings)
1926:
The children's book featuring A. A. Milne's fictional bear
Winnie-the-Pooh was first published.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnie-the-Pooh)
1947:
Flying a Bell X-1, test pilot Chuck Yeager became the first man to
break the sound barrier.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Yeager)
1953:
Qibya massacre: Israeli military commander Ariel Sharon and his Unit
101 special forces were ordered to "inflict heavy damage on the
inhabitants" of a village on the West Bank.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qibya_massacre)
1981:
Hosni Mubarak was elected President of Egypt, one week after Anwar
Sadat was assassinated.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosni_Mubarak)
_____________________
Wikiquote of the day:
"love is the every only god" -- e. e. cummings
(
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/E._E._Cummings)