Born on April 23 1987, in Newtonbrooke Ontario. Lester Bowels Pearson was the son of a Methodist minister, and had two brothers, Vaughan and Marmaduke. Educated at the University of Toronto in 1919 where he receiving a B.A., he also attended Oxford University, there obtaining a M.A. in modern history. He was a member of the Royal Flying Crops in World War II; however he was hit by a bus while in London and was shipped home after recuperating, never seeing air combat. His political career was filled with many achievements, most notably Canadian ambassador to the United States (1945-1946), President of the United Nations General Assembly (1952-1953), and most significantly Prime Minister of Canada (1963-1968). Pearson's greatest contribution to the world is his role in implementing a UN backed force into the Suez. He stood up against Britain and France whose greed to control this important waterway was influenced by their want of oil from the Middle East. Pearson's contributions to Canada, and her international affairs, were instrumental in shaping the way Canada is seen on the world stage. .
In 1956 the influence of the Cold War is being felt in the Middle East. Britain, France, and the newly formed Jewish state of Israel decided to seize control of the Suez Canal. The whole situation in the Middle East at this time is complicated because its many nations fall onto the different sides. General Gamal Abdel Nasser was the President of Egypt during this time, he felt threatened by the creation of Israel, and Nassar set out to located weapons to aim back at Israel. He turned to Czechoslovakia for his weapons, and at the time everyone knew that those guns had come from Moscow. Pearson at the time was serving as External Affairs Minister for Louis St. Laurent's Liberal government. He recognized the danger if Britain, France, and U.S. supported Israel were to fully invade and gain control of the canal.
