Important dates during John Diefenbaker's term as Prime Minister, 1957-1963.

From the Diefenbaker Canada Centre biography

Available on the web at http://www.usask.ca/diefenbaker/dates2.html

10 June	1957	- Federal election results: Conservatives 112, Liberals 105, CCF 25 and Social Credit 19
22 June	1957	- First Diefenbaker government sworn in
July	1957	- Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference, London
7 Sept.	1957	- Diefenbaker delivers major speech on Canadian-U.S. relations at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire
23 Sept.	1957	- Speaks before United Nations General Assembly
14 Oct.	1957	- Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II opens Parliament
20 Dec.	1957	- John Diefenbaker is sworn in as a member of Her Majesty's Imperial Privy council in London, England
16 Jan.	1958	- Lester B. Pearson elected leader of Liberal Party
31 Jan.	1958	- Atlantic Provinces Power Development Act and Agricultural Stabilization Act passed
1 Feb.	1958	- James Gladstone, a Blood Indian from Alberta, appointed to the senate
1 Feb.	1958	- Parliament dissolved, pending an election
31 March	1958	- Federal election: Conservatives 208, Liberals 48, Other 9; largest majority ever recorded
1 July	1958	- CBC opens coast to coast live TV network
9 July	1958	- President Eisenhower addresses joint Houses of Parliament
10 July	1958	- Joint Canada-U.S. cabinet committee on Defence formed
5 Sept.	1958	- First Canadian Bill of Rights introduced in Parliament by John Diefenbaker
7 Nov.	1958	- Act to amend Old Age Security Act passed which increased payments and changed requirements to receive payment
Nov.-Dec.	1958	- John Diefenbaker makes world tour visiting Commonwealth countries including Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Australia
20 Feb.	1959	- Avro Arrow cancelled
27 May	1959	- Ceremony to launch construction of South Saskatchewan Dam at Outlook, Saskatchewan
18 June	1959	- Queen arrives in Canada for cross-country tour
26 June	1959	- The Queen and President Eisenhower officially open St. Lawrence Seaway at St. Lambert Lock, Montreal
14 Sept.	1959	- Vincent Massey leaves post of Governor General
15 Sept.	1959	- Georges Vanier installed as Governor General
31 March	1960	- Amendment to Canada Elections Act grants franchise to Indian people
May	1960	- Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference in London, England
1 Aug.	1960	- Department of Forestry established
10 Aug.	1960	- Canadian Bill of Rights given royal assent
26 Sept.	1960	- Prime Minister Diefenbaker addresses U.N on disarmament
20 Dec.	1960	- Technical and Vocational Training Assistance Act passed
17 Jan.	1961	- John Diefenbaker and President Eisenhower sign Columbia River Treaty in Washington, D.C.
14 March	1961	- Commonwealth Prime Ministers draw up statement of racial equality which all members must adopt
15 March	1961	- Prime Minister Verwoerd leads South Africa out of the Commonwealth
2 May	1961	- China buys $368 million of grain from Canada and becomes our second largest market for wheat
16-17 May	1961	- President Kennedy visits Ottawa
28 June	1961	- Batoche opened as a National Historic Site
13 July	1961	- James Coyne resigns as Governor of the Bank of Canada
21 July	1961	- Town of Inuvik officially dedicated
22 July	1961	- Opening of microwave communications system at Whitehorse
3 Aug.	1961	- T.C. Douglas becomes leader of the NDP
28 March	1962	- Canada sells $75 million wheat shipment to China
2 May	1962	- Canadian dollar fixed at 92 1/2 cents U.S.
18 June	1962	- Federal election results: Progressive Conservatives 116, Liberals 100, Social Credit 30, NDP 19; Diefenbaker minority government
3 Sept. 1962	1962	- Trans-Canada highway opened at Roger's Pass
10-19 Sept.	1962	- Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference in London
22 Oct.	1962	- U.S. naval quarantine of Cuba
6 Nov.	1962	- Government survives two non-confidence motions: 121 to 213 and 121 to 208
14 Jan.	1963	- DeGaulle vetoes Britain's entry into the European Common Market
31 Jan.	1963	- Spokesmen from all parties in the House of Commons condemn U.S. State Department statement on nuclear weapons in Canada as unwarranted intrusion
4 Feb.	1963	- Harkness resigns as Minister of Defence over nuclear weapons policy
5 Feb.	1963	- Government defeated twice on non-confidence motions: 140-109
6 Feb.	1963	- Parliament dissolved
9 Feb.	1963	- Hees and Sevigny resign from cabinet
25 Feb.	1963	- Diefenbaker receives Freedom of the City of London
8 Apr.	1963	- Federal election results: Liberals 128, Conservatives 97, Social Credit 24 and NDP 7
22 Apr.	1963	- L.B. Pearson sworn in as Prime Minister and J.G. Diefenbaker becomes Leader of the Opposition

For a complete list of the articles available on this site, see the Diefenbaker Web Text Files page.