Justin Pierre James Trudeau was born on a Christmas Day, December 25, 1971, in Ottawa, during his father's 1st term in the office. He graduated from McGill University, in the family's seat of Montreal, and also got a degree from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. He taught in Vancouver and then Montreal, before being appointed as chair of the Liberal Party's Task Force on Youth Renewal.
Like his father before him, he ran for the House of Commons from a riding (what Americans would call a district) in Montreal (albeit in one adjoining his father's), and was elected on his 1st try, in 2008. Over the next 3 years, he was appointed his Party's "official critic" for 3 different topics in the House, addressing the House on those topics.
In 2013, 13 years after his father's death, 29 years after he last held the post, and 6 years younger than he first held it, Justin was elected Leader of the Liberal Party. He took it to victory in the October 19, 2015 general election, defeating the Conservative Party led by Stephen Harper. At 44, he was the 2nd-youngest Prime Minister in the country's history. With some irony, the youngest was Joe Clark, who was just short of 40 when, for a few months in 1979 and 1980, he interrupted Pierre Trudeau's tenure (1968-1984).
Because Canada is a huge country in area, but not one in population -- just under 37 million people in its most recent Census, in 2021 -- they are more dependent upon trade than the United States. In office, Justin Trudeau negotiated new trade agreements, with the U.S. and Mexico, and another with various "Pacific Rim" nations like China, Japan and Australia and the South American nation of Peru.
He also established a national ban on assault weapons, a federal carbon tax, and marijuana reform. He was very aggressive in handling the COVID pandemic of 2020, and has joined with President Joe Biden in sending military and economic aid to Ukraine in the face of Russia's invasion. (Despite its much lower population, Canada has more people of Ukrainian descent than America does.)
The Conservative Party -- like its British progenitor, known as the Tories -- has accused him of ethics violations, although nothing has stuck. They made gains in the national elections of 2019 and 2021, each time resulting in Trudeau having to form a coalition to sustain a "minority government." (The next Canadian general election can come no later than October 20, 2025.)
In 2005, Trudeau married Sophie Grégoire. They have 2 sons and a daughter. (UPDATE: In 2023, the Trudeaus separated, but did not yet begin divorce proceedings.)
Pierre Trudeau had been Prime Minister through the Administrations of 5 Presidents of the United States, but only one head of State, Queen Elizabeth II, as Canada is still a member of the British Commonwealth. Justin Trudeau has been Prime Minister through 3 Presidents: Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden; but also through 2 monarchs, as he was in office when the Queen died, and her son became King Charles III.
People in North America liked to contrast Trudeau: Young, handsome, charismatic, smart, hands-on with policy, and quite liberal; with Trump: Old, gross, stupid, delegating to get his demands met, and quite bigoted, although also, one must admit, charismatic. Trudeau always comes out looking better.
But, as with opponents of liberal Presidents in the Democratic Party, Trudeau has had to face stupid charges from conservatives that he is "destroying the country" with his policies. When people in America say they don't like the results of an election, they often say they'll move to Canada. Where do Canadians threaten to go?
In the 2019 election, Trudeau's Liberals lost 20 seats and their majority, but were still the leading Party. Trudeau formed a coalition to stay in power. In 2021, the Liberals gained 5 seats, and Trudeau again had to form a coalition government.
(UPDATE: With the Liberals trailing badly in the polls, Trudeau resigned as Leader of the Liberal Party on January 26, 2025, pending the election of a new Party Leader, though he would keep his seat in the House of Commons. On March 9, Mark Carney was chosen. He took office as Prime Minister on March 14.)
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November 4, 2015 was a Wednesday. Baseball season had ended 3 days earlier, when the Kansas City Royals beat the New York Mets in the World Series. Football was in midweek. There were 10 games played in the NBA:
* The New York Knicks lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers, 96-86 at the Quicken Loans Arena (now the Rocket Arena) in Cleveland.
* The Brooklyn Nets lost to the Atlanta Hawks, 101-87 at the Philips Arena (now the State Farm Arena) in Atlanta.
* The Washington Wizards beat the San Antonio Spurs, 102-99 at the Verizon Center (now the Capital One Arena) in Washington.
* The Indiana Pacers beat the Boston Celtics, 100-98 at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse (now the Gainbridge Fieldhouse) in Indianapolis.
* The Milwaukee Bucks beat the Philadelphia 76ers, 91-87 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.
* The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Toronto Raptors, 103-98 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena (now the Paycom Center) in Oklahoma City.
* The Houston Rockets beat the Orlando Magic, 119-114 in overtime at the Toyota Center in Houston.
* The Portland Trail Blazers beat the Utah Jazz, 108-92 at the Delta Center (then named the Vivint Smart Home Arena) in Salt Lake City. Damian Lillard led all players on the night with 35 points.
* The Phoenix Suns beat the Sacramento Kings, 118-97 at the Talking Stick Resort Arena (now the Mortgage Matchup Center) in Phoenix.
* And the Golden State Warriors beat the Los Angeles Clippers, 112-108 at the Oakland Coliseum Arena (then named the Oracle Arena).
And there were 4 games in the NHL:
* In an All-Canadian matchup, the Winnipeg Jets beat the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-2 at the Air Canada Centre (now the Scotiabank Arena) in Toronto.
* The St. Louis Blues beat their arch-rivals, the Chicago Blackhawks, 6-5 at the United Center in Chicago. Vladimir Tarasenko scored the winning goal with 1:06 left in overtime.
* The Anaheim Ducks beat the Florida Panthers, 3-2 in a shootout at the Honda Center in Anaheim.
* And the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Vancouver Canucks, 3-2 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
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