1st Prime Minister of Guyana (British Guiana until 1966)
In office 14 December 1964 – 6 October 1980
Monarch
Elizabeth II
President
Arthur Chung
Preceded by
Cheddi Jagan
Succeeded by
Ptolemy Reid
Personal details
Born
Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham[1]
(1923-02-20)20 February 1923[1] Kitty, Georgetown, Demerara County, British Guiana[1]
Died
6 August 1985(1985-08-06) (aged 62)[1] Georgetown, Demerara-Mahaica, Guyana[1]
Resting place
Guyana Botanical Gardens
Nationality
Guyanese
Political party
BGLP (1949)
PPP (1950–1958)
PNC (from 1958)
Height
1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[3]
Spouses
Sheila Bernice Lataste
(m. 1951; div. 1966)
[2]
Viola Victorine Harper
(m. 1967)
[2]
Relations
Jessie Burnham (sister)
Children
6
Alma mater
University of London
Nickname
"Odo"[3]
Linden Forbes Sampson BurnhamOE (20 February 1923 – 6 August 1985)[1] was a Guyanese politician and the leader of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana from 1964 until his death in 1985. He served as Premier of British Guiana from 1964 to 1966, Prime Minister of Guyana from 1964 to 1980 and then as the first Executive President of Guyana (2nd President overall) from 1980 to 1985.[1] He is often regarded as a strongman[4] who embraced his own version of socialism.[5]
Educated as a lawyer, Burnham was instrumental in the foundation of two political parties (the People's National Congress and the People's Progressive Party) that would come to dominate the politics of Guyana.[3] During his time as Head of Government, Guyana moved from being a British colony to being a republic with no constitutional ties to the United Kingdom.[6] His premiership was characterized by the nationalisation of foreign-owned private industries,[1] membership of the Non-Aligned Movement[3] and authoritarian domestic policy.[7][8] Despite being widely regarded as having a significant role in the political, social, and economic development of Guyana,[9][10] his presidency was marred by accusations of Afrocentrism,[11] state-sanctioned violence,[12][13][14] corruption,[7] and electoral fraud.[15]
^ abcdefghFrancis, Berl (18 March 2015). "Forbes Burnham (1923–1985)". www.blackpast.org. Black Past. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
^ abReece, Maggie (6 January 2012). "Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham: February 20, 1923 – August 6, 1985". Guyana Graphic. Archived from the original on 1 January 2023. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
^ abcdCite error: The named reference encyclopedia.com was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^George K. Danns (1 January 1982). Domination and Power in Guyana: A Study of the Police in a Third World Context. Transaction Publishers. pp. 141–. ISBN 978-1-4128-2190-2.
^Cite error: The named reference Moe was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference csind was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ abTreaster, Joseph B. (13 October 1979). "Guyana's President Facing Biggest Challenge in 15 Years". New York Times. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
^Cite error: The named reference Britannica was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"THE LIFE & LEGACY OF LFS BURNHAM, Part 1". Kaieteur News. 8 August 2010. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
^"Granger pays glowing tribute to Forbes Burnham". Guyana Times International. Guyana Times. 11 August 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
^Cite error: The named reference :22 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference Symbiotic was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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^Cite error: The named reference workersworld was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference N1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham OE (20 February 1923 – 6 August 1985) was a Guyanese politician and the leader of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana from...
politician from People's National Congress (PNC), and wife and widow of ForbesBurnham. Burnham was born in New Amsterdam, Berbice, the youngest of eight children...
lost his position as Prime Minister to ForbesBurnham following the 1964 British Guiana general election, and Burnham would become Guyana's first Head of...
granted to British Guiana on May 26, 1966. Following independence, ForbesBurnham rose to power, quickly becoming an authoritarian leader, pledging to...
Judge in 1963. When Guyana became a republic under the leadership of ForbesBurnham in 1970, the Guyanese National Assembly elected Chung President, making...
which he received in 1959. In 1960 he joined the same law practice as ForbesBurnham (Clarke and Martin), before setting up private practice and became one...
territorial claim to the Essequibo region. Following independence, ForbesBurnham of the People's National Congress Reform rose to power, quickly becoming...
Duncan, a member of PNP, Errol Barrow prime minister of Barbados, ForbesBurnham president of Guyana, and Julius Nyerere president of Tanzania. Ivy Ralph...
President Arthur Chung Presidential standard of Guyana under President ForbesBurnham Presidential standard of Guyana under President Desmond Hoyte Presidential...
Pomeroon-Supenaam, but was unsuccessful. When ForbesBurnham took power in 1964, Reid became a member of Burnham's cabinet, where he served as Deputy Premier...
Guyana Term length 5 years, renewable Formation 26 May 1966 First holder ForbesBurnham Succession Any Minister of Government as designated by the President...
was the colonial Governor of British Guiana in 1964–66. He installed ForbesBurnham of the People's National Congress (PNC) as premier of a coalition government...
Horween, Harvard Crimson and NFL football player (b. 1898) August 6 ForbesBurnham, Guyanese political leader, 1st Prime Minister of Guyana and 2nd President...
promised a professorship at the University of Guyana in Georgetown but the ForbesBurnham government rescinded the offer when Rodney arrived in Guyana. Rodney...
events. Ryan was one of 91 congressmen to write Guyanese Prime Minister ForbesBurnham on Stoen's behalf. After reading an article in The San Francisco Examiner...
further following the proclamation from the then-President of Guyana, ForbesBurnham, that Guyana should become more self-sufficient by populating the interior...
Temple members a peaceful place to live. Later, Guyanese Prime Minister ForbesBurnham stated that Jones may have "wanted to use cooperatives as the basis...
ethnic group and a member of Guyana's Amerindian Party, opposed to the ForbesBurnham government; she ran for the 1968 general elections, although she was...
government) and the office became known as the executive president. ForbesBurnham was the first person to become president following these changes. Pursuant...
Chung. Presidential Standard of Guyana (1980–1985) under President ForbesBurnham Presidential Standard of Guyana (1985–1992) under President Hugh Desmond...
Daniel Hudson Burnham FAIA (September 4, 1846 – June 1, 1912) was an American architect and urban designer. A proponent of the Beaux-Arts movement, he...
members acted with impunity during the government of ForbesBurnham. However, under Desmond Hoyte, Burnham's successor, Rabbi Washington and key associates...
Irfaan Ali, who has served in the position since August 2020. ♦ Viola Burnham later served as Vice President of Guyana and deputy prime minister from...
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