Former Canadian prime minister John Turner dies at 91

OTTAWA - Former Canadian prime minister John Turner died at the age of 91 at home in Toronto on Friday night, CTV reported Saturday.

Turner, Canada's 17th prime minister, governed the country for just 79 days in the summer of 1984.

Born in 1929 in England, Turner moved to Canada as a young child and grew up mostly in Ottawa.

Turner entered Canadian politics in 1962, winning a Montreal seat for the Liberal Party.

During his political career, Turner held several prominent cabinet posts, including minister of justice and minister of finance under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau from 1968 to 1975.

Turner surprisingly resigned his position in 1975. After a hiatus from politics from 1975 to 1984, Turner returned and successfully contested the Liberal leadership.

Turner held the office of prime minister for 79 days, the second-shortest tenure in Canadian history, as he advised the then Canadian governor general to dissolve Parliament immediately after being sworn in, and went on to lose the 1984 election.

Turner resigned as Liberal leader in 1990 and retired from politics in 1993.