Arthur Sifton (1858–1921) was the second Premier of Alberta from 1910 to 1917 and a minister in the Government of Canada thereafter. When Alberta was created out of a portion of the Northwest Territories in 1905, Sifton became its first chief justice. In 1910 the Alberta government of Premier Alexander Cameron Rutherford was embroiled in the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway scandal; Rutherford resigned, and the position was offered to Sifton. As premier, he failed to gain provincial control over natural resources, but succeeded in implementing some direct democracy measures, leading to prohibition and the extension of the vote to women. During the conscription crisis of 1917, Sifton supported the Conservative Prime Minister, Robert Borden, in his attempt to impose conscription to help win the First World War. He backed the creation of a Union government composed of Conservatives and pro- conscription Liberals. In 1917 he left provincial politics and became a minister in this government. Over the next three and a half years he served briefly in four ministries and was a delegate to the Paris Peace Conference of 1919.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Sifton

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1708:

The final stone of St Paul's Cathedral, rebuilt after the original burned down in the 1666 Great Fire of London, was laid by the son of its architect, Christopher Wren. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Paul%27s_Cathedral

1881:

The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, one of the most famous gunfights in the history of the American Old West, took place in Tombstone, Arizona, between the faction of Wyatt Earp and Ike Clanton's gang. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunfight_at_the_O.K._Corral

1955:

Ngo Dinh Diem proclaimed himself president of the newly created Republic of Vietnam after defeating former Emperor Bao Dai in a fraudulent referendum supervised by his brother Ngo Dinh Nhu. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_Vietnam_referendum,_1955

1985:

The Australian government returned ownership of Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, to the local Pitjantjatjara people. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uluru

2000:

Laurent Gbagbo became the first President of Côte d'Ivoire since Robert Guéï was thrown out of power during the 1999 Ivorian coup d'état. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurent_Gbagbo

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

specter: A ghostly apparition. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/specter

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

There is one tradition in America I am proud to inherit. It is our first freedom and the truest expression of our Americanism: the ability to dissent without fear. It is our right to utter the words, "I disagree."   --Natalie Merchant https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Natalie_Merchant