Birthday profile

Bruce Matthews (Canadian Army officer)

Bruce Matthews, Canadian general and businessman (died 1991)

Born
August 12, 1909
Died
September 12, 1991
Zodiac sign
Leo
Birth year
1909

About Bruce Matthews (Canadian Army officer)

Major General Albert Bruce Matthews (12 August 1909 – 12 September 1991) was a senior Canadian Army officer and businessman. Although not a professional soldier, he nevertheless rose to be the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division during the final months of the Second World War, after having served with distinction in campaigns in Sicily, Italy and Western Europe from 1943-1945. He became noted for his personal bravery and the accuracy and reliability of the artillery under his command. Post-war, his business career continued. In addition, he was active in the Canadian Liberal Party. == Early life == Born 1909, his father, Albert Edward Matthews, was a prominent stockbroker with Liberal connections who became Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario in 1937. Bruce Matthews was educated at Upper Canada College in Toronto, later serving as President of its Board of Governors, and at University of Geneva. He then joined the family firm. Matthews married Victoria Thorne in 1937; the couple had one child before the outbreak of war and, after Victoria had visited Matthews in Britain in summer 1940, there were twins in 1941, although Matthews did not see them until October 1945. == Military career == At first, in 1927, Matthews, was turned down for admission to the Royal Military College of Canada and he was also rejected by the Royal Canadian Navy Reserve due to his colour blindness.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Bruce Matthews (Canadian Army officer) timeline

  1. At first, in 1927, Matthews, was turned down for admission to the Royal Military College of Canada and he was also rejected by the Royal Canadian Navy Reserve due to his colour blindness.
  2. Although not a professional soldier, he nevertheless rose to be the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division during the final months of the Second World War, after having served with distinction in campaigns in Sicily, Italy and Western Europe from 1943-1945.

The world when Bruce Matthews (Canadian Army officer) was born

Bruce Matthews (Canadian Army officer) was born in 1909. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1909

  • Best-selling book"The Inner Shrine" – Basil King

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentHonus Wagner leads Pittsburgh Pirates to World Series victory
  • Top headlineRobert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
  • Technology milestoneBakelite (first fully synthetic plastic) invented
  • Notable inventionBakelite plastic
  • World population~1.69B

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderWilliam Howard Taft
  • U.S. population88.8M

1909 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Bruce Matthews (Canadian Army officer)'s birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19092026
Population88.8M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, Generals of World War II, Wikidata. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.