“had never been so proud to be a Quebecker and a Canadian”
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #quote
Figure timeline
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau was a Canadian politician, lawyer, jurist, academic, author, and journalist who served as the 15th prime minister of Canada from 1968 to 1979 and from 1980 to 1984. Between his non-consecutive terms as prime minister from 1979 to 1980, he served as the leader of the Opposition.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
culture · Prime Minister of Canada (1968–1979; 1980–1984) · politician · lawyer · journalist · judge · diarist · memoirist · jurist · teacher · law professor · writer · also Pierre Trudeau, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Trudeau
Born 18 October 1919 · Died 28 September 2000 · Q8619
79 published statements · 0 followers
See & hear
Photos & media
10 photos · 2 audio
Listen
En-Pierre Trudeau
Speaker: JasonLamarche Authors of the article · CC BY-SA 3.0
Pierre Trudeau voice
Media from Wikimedia Commons, hotlinked at the source under its own licence — see each file for author and terms.
Live now
In the news
Pulling headlines from trusted outlets — this usually takes a few seconds
Checking the wires…
Feed scan
These are live links, not archived citations — they only join the timeline once a collect run verifies and archives them.
Live pulse
Recent highlights
Most recent outstanding titles, awards, and quotes
- Quote
- Quote
2026· 2 entries
Public attention spiked: 6,136 Wikipedia readers in one day, 4× the usual 1,530, with 1 article edits. Editors noted: Minor re-wording in the lead section.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #attention
- #spike
- #pageviews
2024· 1 entry
Snopes rated the claim “Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is Fidel Castro’s son.” Unfounded.
Shown as reported and rated by a fact checker, not as an established fact.
- #fact-check
- #rated
- #claim-about-figure
2018· 1 entry
Snopes rated the claim “When Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau learned that Richard Nixon had insulted him he responded, "I have been called worse things by better people."” True.
Shown as reported and rated by a fact checker, not as an established fact.
- #fact-check
- #rated
- #claim-about-figure
2000· 5 entries
Died 2000-09-28.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #death
“I believe a constitution can permit the co-existence of several cultures and ethnic groups with a single state.”
- #wikiquote
- #saying
- #undated
- #lang:en
“Well, I am trying to put Quebec in its place — and the place of Quebec is in Canada, nowhere else.”
- #wikiquote
- #saying
- #undated
- #lang:en
“People are more interested in ideas than dress.”
- #wikiquote
- #saying
- #undated
- #lang:en
“Paddling a canoe is a source of enrichment and inner renewal.”
- #wikiquote
- #saying
- #undated
- #lang:en
1984· 2 entries
Awarded Albert Einstein Peace Prize (1984).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #award
- #achievement
Winning each election with large majorities
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1982· 1 entry
Trudeau patriated the Constitution of Canada and established the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms with the Constitution Act, 1982, which achieved full Canadian sovereignty
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1980· 2 entries
Career landmark: member of the House of Commons of Canada (1980–1984).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #milestone
Career landmark: Prime Minister of Canada (1980–1984).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #milestone
1979· 3 entries
Career landmark: member of the House of Commons of Canada (1979–1980).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #milestone
Career landmark: Leader of the Official Opposition (1979–1980).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #milestone
Trudeau's government restructured family allowances by increasing the role of the tax system in child support and decreasing the role of family allowances
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1978· 1 entry
An amendment discontinued the provision of grant money to these families, which led to a high incidence of defaults, and in turn, necessitated that the federal government provide financial assistance to the CMHC)
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1977· 3 entries
Trudeau's government established the financial program Established Programs Financing to help finance the provincially-run healthcare and post-secondary education system, through transfer payments, by cash and tax points
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
The government tightened the rules of the RHOSP (the reforms removed the purchase of furnitures from the list of usage allowed for tax-free use of RHOSP proceeds starting in 1978; disallowed deductible contributions for
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
The government simplified the benefit duration formula but introduced a variable entrance requirement dependent on the unemployment rate in the applicant's region; the changes also mandated that workers in areas with low
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1976· 5 entries
After a long and emotional debate, Bill C-84 was passed by the House of Commons by a vote of 130 to 124, abolishing the death penalty for all criminal offences (other than military offences) and instituting a life senten
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Trudeau's government allowed for transfers of funds between the RHOSP (for instance to select a plan with better returns)
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
That resulted in René Lévesque and the sovereigntist Parti Québécois (PQ) winning a majority government
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Trudeau appointed his friend, Maurice Strong, to become the first chair of the company
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
8 percent in 1977, and 6 percent in 1978
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1975· 1 entry
(under a Trudeau majority government), resulting in the creation of a new crown corporation, Petro-Canada
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1974· 3 entries
Awarded honorary doctor of the University of Poitiers (1974).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #award
- #achievement
Campaign: 1974 election.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #election
- #campaign
Career landmark: member of the House of Commons of Canada (1974–1979).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #milestone
1973· 5 entries
Trudeau requested that the Western Canadian provinces agree to a voluntary freeze on oil prices during the ongoing Arab oil embargo
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Trudeau voted for a resolution in the House of Commons that condemned the American Christmas bombings against North Vietnam between December 18 and 29, 1972
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Trudeau's government fully indexed the person income tax system (both the exemptions and the brackets) to match inflation
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Trudeau's government amended the National Housing Act to provide financial assistance for new home buying, loans for co-operative housing, and low interest loans for municipal and private non-profit housing
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
And Japan's replacement of the UK as Canada's second-largest trading partner confirmed Trudeau's view that Britain was a declining power which had little to offer Canada
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1972· 5 entries
Election lost: 1972 election.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #election
- #lost
Career landmark: member of the House of Commons of Canada (1972–1974).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #milestone
Campaign: 1972 election.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #election
- #campaign
Was the child care expense deduction which allowed for a deduction of up to $500 per child
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
An Act was passed providing for the indexation of various pensions and allowances to the consumer price index
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1971· 2 entries
As "that asshole Trudeau"
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Trudeau's government greatly expanded unemployment insurance, making coverage nearly universal as coverage for the Canadian labour force jumped to 96 percent from 75 percent
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1970· 5 entries
A statement was issued by the External Affairs department in Ottawa saying: "The Chinese government reaffirms that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the territory of the People's Republic of China
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Legislation was introduced aimed at improving compensation for merchant seamen and also to establish a right to maternity leave
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
And became the first Canadian prime minister to make an official visit to Beijing
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
The Commonwealth was threatened with a split as a number of African members, supported by India, attempted to block planned British arms sales to South Africa, then under the system of apartheid
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
As part of a deal in exchange for James Cross' life, although they eventually returned to Canada years later, where they served time in prison
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1969· 4 entries
The Chinese finally responded and agreed to open talks in Stockholm on establishing diplomatic relations, which began on April 3, 1969
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
The government announced its wish to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic, and Trudeau was mortified when the Chinese refused to respond at first, which made him look foolish
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Trudeau's first finance minister, Edgar Benson, introduced a white paper on tax reform which included tax deductions for child care and advocated shifting the tax burden from the poor to the wealthy
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Trudeau, along with his then-Minister of Indian Affairs Jean Chrétien, proposed the 1969 White Paper (officially entitled "Statement of the Government of Canada on Indian policy")
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1968· 7 entries
Awarded Canadian Newsmaker of the Year (1968).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #award
- #achievement
Produced a deficit of $667 million, while the 1969 budget produced a surplus of $140 million
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Career landmark: Prime Minister of Canada (1968–1979).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #milestone
Career landmark: Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada (1968–1984).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #milestone
Career landmark: President of the King's Privy Council for Canada (1968–1968).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #milestone
Treated the Canadian monarchy with a certain bemused contempt
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Career landmark: member of the House of Commons of Canada (1968–1972).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #milestone
1967· 3 entries
Career landmark: Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada (1967–1968).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #milestone
Was appointed to Pearson's Cabinet as Minister of Justice and Attorney General
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Pearson announced his intention to step down, and Trudeau entered the race to succeed him as party leader and Prime Minister
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1965· 3 entries
Career landmark: member of the House of Commons of Canada (1965–1968).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #milestone
On the belief that the NDP could not achieve power
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Trudeau joined the Liberal Party, along with his friends Gérard Pelletier and Jean Marchand
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1964· 1 entry
Which the Heath ministry ended in 1970 on the grounds that the South African government was pro-Western and anti-communist
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1963· 1 entry
Trudeau criticized the Liberal Party of Lester B
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1956· 1 entry
Edited an important book on the subject, La grève de l'amiante, which argued that the asbestos miners' strike of 1949 was a seminal event in Quebec's history, marking the beginning of resistance to the conservative, F
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1950· 1 entry
Co-founded Cité Libre and rose to prominence as a labour activist in Quebec politics by opposing the conservative Union Nationale government
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1949· 2 entries
After an absence of five months, his mind was "seemingly broadened" from his studies at Harvard, Sciences Po, and the LSE, as well as his travels
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Trudeau quickly became a leading figure opposing Duplessis's rule
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1948· 1 entry
In opposition to the repressive rule of Quebec Premier Maurice Duplessis and the decadent "social establishment" in Quebec, including the Catholic Church
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1947· 1 entry
To continue his work on his Harvard dissertation in Paris, where he studied at the Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po)
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1944· 1 entry
“Exhaustion and Fulfillment : The Ascetic in a Canoe”
- #wikiquote
- #quote
1942· 1 entry
Campaigned for the anti-conscription candidate Jean Drapeau (later the mayor of Montreal) in Outremont
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1940· 1 entry
Originally provided that conscripts could not be required to serve outside of Canada, Parliament amended the act and removed that restriction in 1942
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1939· 1 entry
It was Lapointe who helped draft the Liberals' policy against conscription for service overseas
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1935· 1 entry
Trudeau and each of his siblings inherited $5,000 (equivalent to $110,000 in 2025), a considerable sum at that time, which meant that he was financially secure and independent
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1919· 2 entries
To Charles-Émile "Charley" Trudeau (1887–1935), a French-Canadian businessman and lawyer, and Grace Elliott, who was of mixed Scottish and French-Canadian descent
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Born 1919-10-18.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #birth