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People who shaped Canada

131 short biographies, each with a dated life story.

Prime Ministers

John A. Macdonald1st Prime Minister · 1815-1891Alexander Mackenzie2nd Prime Minister · 1822-1892John Abbott3rd Prime Minister · 1821-1893John Thompson4th Prime Minister · 1845-1894Mackenzie Bowell5th Prime Minister · 1823-1917Charles Tupper6th Prime Minister · 1821-1915Wilfrid Laurier7th Prime Minister · 1841-1919Robert Borden8th Prime Minister · 1854-1937Arthur Meighen9th Prime Minister · 1874-1960William Lyon Mackenzie King10th Prime Minister · 1874-1950R. B. Bennett11th Prime Minister · 1870-1947Louis St. Laurent12th Prime Minister · 1882-1973John Diefenbaker13th Prime Minister · 1895-1979Lester B. Pearson14th Prime Minister · 1897-1972Pierre Elliott Trudeau15th Prime Minister · 1919-2000Joe Clark16th Prime Minister · born 1939John Turner17th Prime Minister · 1929-2020Brian Mulroney18th Prime Minister · 1939-2024Kim Campbell19th Prime Minister · born 1947Jean Chrétien20th Prime Minister · born 1934Paul Martin21st Prime Minister · born 1938Stephen Harper22nd Prime Minister · born 1959Justin Trudeau23rd Prime Minister · born 1971Mark Carney24th Prime Minister · born 1965

Politics & Public Life

Comte de FrontenacGovernor of New France · 1622-1698John Graves SimcoeFirst Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada · 1752-1806Louis-Joseph PapineauPatriote leader · 1786-1871William Lyon MackenzieReformer and rebel · 1795-1861Joseph HoweNova Scotia reformer · 1804-1873Robert BaldwinReform leader · 1804-1858Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaineFirst premier under responsible government · 1807-1864George-Étienne CartierFather of Confederation · 1814-1873George BrownFather of Confederation · 1818-1880Samuel Leonard TilleyFather of Confederation · 1818-1896William Cornelius Van HorneBuilder of the CPR · 1843-1915Clifford SiftonMinister of the Interior · 1861-1929J. S. WoodsworthFounder of the CCF · 1874-1942Vincent Massey18th Governor General · 1887-1967Maurice DuplessisPremier of Quebec · 1890-1959Joey SmallwoodPremier of Newfoundland · 1900-1991Tommy DouglasPremier of Saskatchewan · 1904-1986Jean LesagePremier of Quebec · 1912-1980Jean DrapeauMayor of Montreal · 1916-1999René LévesquePremier of Quebec · 1922-1987Jeanne Sauvé23rd Governor General · 1922-1993Jacques ParizeauPremier of Quebec · 1930-2015Ed BroadbentNDP leader · 1936-2024Lucien BouchardFounder of the Bloc Québécois · born 1938Adrienne Clarkson26th Governor General · born 1939Louise Arbour31st Governor General · born 1947Jack LaytonNDP leader · 1950-2011

Indigenous Leaders

ThanadelthurDene peacemaker and interpreter · c. 1697-1717Joseph BrantMohawk war chief and diplomat · 1743-1807TecumsehShawnee leader · c. 1768-1813MaquinnaMowachaht chief at Yuquot · fl. 1778-1795ShanawdithitThe last known Beothuk · c. 1801-1829Big BearPlains Cree chief · c. 1825-1888CrowfootSiksika chief · c. 1830-1890Gabriel DumontMétis military leader · 1837-1906PoundmakerPlains Cree chief · c. 1842-1886Louis RielMétis leader, founder of Manitoba · 1844-1885Frank CalderNisga'a leader and legislator · 1915-2006Phil FontaineNational Chief · born 1944Mary Simon30th Governor General · born 1947Elijah HarperOji-Cree politician · 1949-2013Murray SinclairJudge and senator · 1951-2024Donald Marshall Jr.Mi'kmaw fisherman · 1953-2009Chanie WenjackAnishinaabe boy · 1954-1966

Explorers & Founders

Jacques CartierNavigator · 1491-1557Samuel de ChamplainFounder of Quebec · c. 1567-1635Jeanne ManceCo-founder of Montreal · 1606-1673Marguerite BourgeoysTeacher and founder · 1620-1700Alexander MackenzieFur trader and explorer · 1764-1820David ThompsonSurveyor and mapmaker · 1770-1857Lord SelkirkColonizer of Red River · 1771-1820James DouglasGovernor of British Columbia · 1803-1877

Rights & Reform

Laura SecordWar of 1812 messenger · 1775-1868Josiah HensonAbolitionist and founder of Dawn · 1789-1883Harriet TubmanConductor on the Underground Railroad · c. 1822-1913Mary Ann ShaddPublisher and abolitionist · 1823-1893Emily MurphyMagistrate and campaigner · 1868-1933Nellie McClungSuffragist and writer · 1873-1951Agnes MacphailFirst woman MP · 1890-1954Thérèse CasgrainSuffragist and senator · 1896-1981Viola DesmondBusinesswoman and civil rights figure · 1914-1965Bertha WilsonFirst woman on the Supreme Court · 1923-2007

Science & Invention

John ByBuilder of the Rideau Canal · 1779-1836Sandford FlemingEngineer · 1827-1915Alexander Graham BellInventor · 1847-1922Norman BethuneSurgeon · 1890-1939Frederick BantingCo-discoverer of insulin · 1891-1941Wilder PenfieldNeurosurgeon · 1891-1976Charles BestCo-discoverer of insulin · 1899-1978Elsie MacGillAeronautical engineer · 1905-1980Joseph-Armand BombardierInventor · 1907-1964Ursula FranklinPhysicist and pacifist · 1921-2016David SuzukiGeneticist and broadcaster · born 1936Roberta BondarAstronaut and neurologist · born 1945Marc GarneauFirst Canadian in space · 1949-2025Chris HadfieldAstronaut · born 1959

Arts & Letters

E. Pauline JohnsonPoet and performer · 1861-1913Emily CarrPainter and writer · 1871-1945John McCraeSoldier and poet · 1872-1918Lucy Maud MontgomeryNovelist · 1874-1942Tom ThomsonPainter · 1877-1917Lawren HarrisPainter · 1885-1970Paul-Émile BorduasPainter · 1905-1960Marshall McLuhanMedia theorist · 1911-1980Oscar PetersonJazz pianist · 1925-2007Alice MunroShort story writer · 1931-2024Glenn GouldPianist · 1932-1982Leonard CohenPoet and songwriter · 1934-2016Margaret AtwoodNovelist and poet · born 1939Gord DownieSinger and songwriter · 1964-2017

Military

Marquis de MontcalmFrench commander · 1712-1759James WolfeBritish general · 1727-1759Isaac BrockMajor-General · 1769-1812Charles de SalaberryCommander of the Voltigeurs · 1778-1829Arthur CurrieCommander of the Canadian Corps · 1875-1933Billy BishopFighter pilot · 1894-1956

Sport

Tom LongboatDistance runner · 1887-1949Bobbie RosenfeldAthlete · 1904-1969Maurice RichardHockey player · 1921-2000Marilyn BellMarathon swimmer · born 1937Rick HansenMan in Motion · born 1957Terry FoxMarathon of Hope · 1958-1981Wayne GretzkyHockey player · born 1961Donovan BaileySprinter · born 1967Clara HughesCyclist and speed skater · born 1972Christine SinclairFootballer · born 1983Sidney CrosbyHockey player · born 1987