Heading back to Britain after meetings with the new U.S. President John F. Kennedy, UK Prime Minister Harold Macmillan spent this day in 1961 in Ottawa. Our capital city, of course, was more than familiar to Macmillan as the future head of government across the pond had spent almost a year in 1919-1920 serving as an assistant to the Governor General at Rideau Hall.Not long after arriving home, and in the privacy of his study, Prime Minister Macmillan recalled his day in Ottawa in a diary entry.

“(Governor) General and Mrs. Vanier are delightful hosts and are filling the role admirably,” Macmillan wrote. “He and I are old friends from North African days. The usual talks with PM (Diefenbaker) alone; talk with the Cabinet; dinner with High Commissioner; luncheon and speech to Canadian Club (this was quite a good little effort – well written and rather sentimental!) Dorothy and I also saw some of the old friends who survive (from the days both lived at Rideau Hall shortly after World War 1). The political business done was rather perfunctory – but I think they like me to go to Ottawa after Washington.”