Canadian politician, former Prime Minister.
"Dief, the Chief", the Right Honourable John George Diefenbaker, leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1956 to 1967, died still in office at age 79 on August 16, 1979. He was Prime Minister from 1957 until his government was defeated by Lester B. Pearson's Liberal party in 1962.
He appointed the first woman federal Cabinet minister, Ellen Fairclough.
Dief is remembred by techies because he canned the Avro Arrow project in favour of the BOMARC missile.
Previous Prime Minister: Louis Stephen St. Laurent (1957)
Next Prime Minister: Lester B. Pearson (1962).