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Charles Joseph "Joe" Clark PC CC AOE LLD (born June 5, 1939) was the sixteenth Prime Minister of Canada, from June 4, 1979, to March 3, 1980. Despite his relative inexperience, Clark rose quickly in federal politics, entering the House of Commons in the 1972 election and winning the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party in 1976. He came to power in the 1979 election, defeating Pierre Trudeau and ending sixteen continuous years of Liberal rule, making Clark the youngest man to become Prime Minister at 39 years of age. His tenure was brief as he only won a minority government and it was defeated on a motion of non-confidence. Clark subsequently lost the 1980 election and the leadership of the party in 1983. He returned to prominence in 1984 as a senior cabinet minister in Brian Mulroney's cabinet, retiring from politics after not standing for re-election for the House of Commons in 1993. He made a political comeback in 1998 to lead the Progressive Conservatives before its dissolution, serving his final term in Parliament from 2000 to 2004. Clark today serves as a university professor, distinguished scholar and statesman, and as president of his own consulting firm.
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