When was Forbes Burnham born?

Forbes Burnham was born on 20 February 1923 in Georgetown.

What positions has Forbes Burnham held?

Positions held by Forbes Burnham include: President of Guyana (1980–1985); Prime Minister of Guyana (1966–1980); premier (1964–1966).

Where did Forbes Burnham study?

Forbes Burnham was educated at London School of Economics and Political Science, Queen's College, Guyana.

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Forbes Burnham

Guyanese politician (1923-1985)

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Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham (20 February 1923 – 6 August 1985) 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. He is often regarded as a strongman dictator who embraced his own version of socialism and ethnocentrism.

Quick facts

Born: 20 February 1923 wd
Place of birth: Georgetown wd
Died: 6 August 1985 wd
Place of death: Georgetown wd
Citizenship: Guyana wd
Occupation: politician wd
Political party: People's National Congress (1958–1985), People's Progressive Party (1950–1958) wd
Education: London School of Economics and Political Science, Queen's College, Guyana wd

Positions held wd

President of Guyana (6 October 1980 – 6 August 1985)
Prime Minister of Guyana (26 May 1966 – 6 October 1980)
premier (14 December 1964 – 26 May 1966)

Awards wd

Order of José Martí
Order of the Companions of O. R. Tambo
honorary citizen of Zagreb (1987)
Order of Stara Planina
Order of the Southern Cross
Order of the National Flag
Order of the Yugoslav Star
Order of the Nile
Order of the White Rose of Finland

About

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. 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. His premiership was characterized by the nationalisation of foreign-owned private industries, membership of the Non-Aligned Movement and authoritarian domestic policy. Despite being widely regarded as having a significant role in the political, social, and economic development of Guyana, his presidency was marred by accusations of Afrocentrism, state-sanctioned violence, corruption, and electoral fraud.

Questions

When was Forbes Burnham born?: Forbes Burnham was born on 20 February 1923 in Georgetown.
What positions has Forbes Burnham held?: Positions held by Forbes Burnham include: President of Guyana (1980–1985); Prime Minister of Guyana (1966–1980); premier (1964–1966).
Where did Forbes Burnham study?: Forbes Burnham was educated at London School of Economics and Political Science, Queen's College, Guyana.

Sources

Last updated 1 November 2026 · facts checked 14 November 2026

Cite this page

"Forbes Burnham". DigiNepal. Last updated 1 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/forbes-burnham. Retrieved 14 November 2026.

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Text from the Wikipedia article Forbes Burnham, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Forbes Burnham (1966).jpg — Fotograaf Onbekend / Anefo, CC0.

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