Jamaica 1967

Compiled by Shantayaé Grant

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

1. On November 21, 1967, Jamaica devalued her £1, following a United Kingdom devaluation, to a new parity of $2.40 (US).

2. On February 23, 1967, following the retirement of Sir Alexander Bustamante, Donald Sangster was sworn in as the second Prime Minister of Jamaica by then Governor-General Sir Clifford Campbell.

3. On April 11, 1967, The Hon Donald Sangster died in Canada. Her Majesty the Queen dubbed him Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order. The Hon Hugh Lawson Shearer was then sworn in as the third Prime Minister of Jamaica.

4. The first use of guns in Jamaican politics reportedly took place in Edward Seaga's West Kingston constituency in the months before the 1967 election between Seaga and PNP politician, Dudley Thompson.

5. Sir Neville Ashenheim, Jamaica's first Ambassador to the United States, resigned his position in March 1967.

6. In June, 1967, the Ministry of Finance became the Ministry of Finance and Planning. The Ministry of Development and Welfare became the Ministry of Youth and Development and a new Ministry was created, the Ministry of Legal Affairs.

7. In the January-June period of 1967, the average rainfall in the catchment area of the Corporate Area of Kingston and St Andrew was 66.93 inches, the lowest single figure for any year in the past 25 years. Figures since 1942 showed an average rainfall of 137.27 inches in the corresponding periods.

8. On July 1, the Financial Secretary, G Arthur Brown, became Governor of the Bank of Jamaica. Brown was also appointed Economic Adviser to the Government. On July 30, Jamaica signed the 'Kennedy Round' Agreement, providing for tariff cuts for industrial products.

9. Rev Percival W Gibson, CBE, DD, the first Jamaican to be elevated to the office of Anglican Bishop of Jamaica, retired from that office in September, 1967.

10. Jamaica's steel mill, owned by the Caribbean Steel Company Ltd, Spanish Town, started full scale manufacture and sale of bars in October 1967.