It was on this date in 1938 that Canada’s Tories elected Dr. Robert “Fighting Bob” Manion their national leader. Born in Pembroke, Ontario, and raised in what is now Thunder Bay, Manion was a hero of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. He was soon drawn to politics and served with distinction in the cabinets of both Arthur Meighen and R.B. Bennett. Known as a parliamentary warrior who had no hesitation in even tangling with Sir Wilfrid Laurier in the Commons, Manion would only serve two years as Canada’s Leader of the Opposition.  In 1940, Prime Minister Mackenzie King called a surprise election and Manion and his party went down to defeat. Fighting Bob resigned as leader and passed away only three-years-later.  I highly recommend his memoir, Life is An Adventure. It is one of the best political memoirs written in that era. Shortly after Manion’s election as Conservative leader, legendary Parliament Hill journalist Grattan O’Leary wrote this excellent portrait of Robert Manion. Milestones: Special congratulations from Art’s History go out to my heroes, President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, celebrating their 75^thwedding anniversary as their remarkable marriage and lives of public service to the USA and the world continue. caption id="attachment_570948" align="aligncenter" width="249" Robert Manion/caption