From abdication to assassination, death and illness; these are the world’s shortest-serving leaders.
Prime Ministers
Australian Prime Minister Frank Forde lasted one week as leader in 1945. He served as the deputy leader of the Labor Party when John Curtin passed away in office.
Frank Forde remains Australia’s shortest-serving prime minister.
Australia’s second shortest-serving prime minister was Earle Page, who came to role after the death of Joseph Lyons in 1939.
He served for three weeks before Robert Menzies became the new leader. By comparison, Menzies went on to become Australia’s longest-serving prime minister.
Presidents
William Henry Harrison became the ninth U.S. President, after his 1841 inauguration.
Harrison lasted 32 days in the top job but became the first president to die while in office.
His inauguration was held on a cold and wet day. Some reports suggest he caught pneumonia, which ultimately led to his death on 4 April.
In Mexico, Pedro Lascuráin came to power after a military coup in February 1913.
Pedro Lascuráin was in power for less than an hour in 1913.
He was sent in as a political pawn to legitimise the coup, which was led by Victoriano Huerta.
His time as president is believed to have lasted less than an hour, before he resigned to make way Huerta.
Chancellors
When Adolf Hitler killed himself in 1945, Joseph Goebbels became the German Chancellor.
But the day after he entered, Goebbels and his wife, Magda killed themselves.
He remains Germany’s shortest-serving leader.
Emperors
In Russia, Michael II lasted less than 24 hours after the abdication of his brother Tsar Nicholas in 1917.
His tenure marked the end of the tsarist regime in Russia. However, he was murdered after the Russian Revolution in the same year.
Meanwhile, Lady Jane Grey remains Britain’s shortest-serving monarch. She was aged 16 when she became Queen after the death of her cousin Edward VI.
There are also many instances of reigns, which were less than a day. These include Vira Bahu I, who was assassinated on the same day he took to the throne.
Costa is a news producer at ticker NEWS. He has previously worked as a regional journalist at the Southern Highlands Express newspaper. He also has several years' experience in the fire and emergency services sector, where he has worked with researchers, policymakers and local communities. He has also worked at the Seven Network during their Olympic Games coverage and in the ABC Melbourne newsroom.
He also holds a Bachelor of Arts (Professional), with expertise in journalism, politics and international relations. His other interests include colonial legacies in the Pacific, counter-terrorism, aviation and travel.
Dramatic scenes in Israel as protestors take to the streets demanding a controversial judicial reform plan be scrapped
Dramatic scenes are unfolding in Israel following news the nation’s leader Benjamin Netanyahu has fired his defence minister.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday after Gallant called for a halt to a controversial judicial reform plan.
Gallant, a lawmaker from Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party, broke ranks on Saturday by publicly urging Netanyahu to suspend the legislation.
He said, “The growing rift in our society is penetrating the Israel Defense Forces and security agencies. This poses a clear, immediate, and tangible threat to the security of the state. I will not allow this.”
His dismissal marks the largest public fracture in Netanyahu’s coalition government over the proposed reforms that have sparked mass protests and even dissent from some in the nation’s revered military.
Others in Netanyahu’s party have begun to waver: A top lawmaker echoed the defense chief’s call to pause the contested judicial overhaul on Sunday.
Dissent from the premier’s own party and cabinet has compounded months of unprecedented mass protests by Israelis who fear the package of reforms could endanger court independence.
Netanyahu, who is on trial on graft charges that he denies, says the overhaul will balance out the branches of government.
A key bill effectively giving his religious-nationalist coalition more control over the appointment of judges is expected to be brought for ratification this week in the Knesset, where he and his allies wield 64 out of 120 seats.
But how – or even if – that as-yet-unscheduled vote will proceed has been thrown into question by Likud dissenters. #trending #featured
Passenger activates emergency slide on a Delta Air flight bound for Seattle
A scary situation for those passengers onboard Delta Air Flight 1714 after a passenger activated one of the aircraft’s emergency slides.
An individual has been arrested after opening one of the plane’s doors and exiting via the emergency exit slide as the crew prepared for takeoff from Los Angeles to Seattle.
The incident on the Delta flight took place around 10:40 a.m. local time on Saturday, while the plane was stationary at LA’s international airport.
The Boeing 737 was on the runway holding to taxi for takeoff when the passenger exited the aircraft.
The individual was initially detained by Delta staff before being arrested by local law enforcement.
The Federal Aviation Administration says customers are being reaccommodated on a new aircraft – apologising for any inconvenience and delay. #trending #featured