# World Leaders NOT Born in the Nation They Led **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 11, 2006, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-leaders-not-born-in-the-nation-they-led/360278 "2006-06-11T04:38:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-leaders-not-born-in-the-nation-they-led/360278/1 "2006-06-11T04:38:24Z")
In the USA, of course, foreign born citizens cannot become President. But in many other countries, people born elsewhere HAVE made it to the highest offices. Among them: 1. Ireland’s President, Eamon de Valera, was born in New York. 2. Germany’s Chancellor, Adolf Hitler, was born in Austria. 3. Several Israeli Prime Ministers (including Golda Meir) were born far from Israel. How many others can you think of? ---
**Author:** ![mamboman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@mamboman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mamboman)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-leaders-not-born-in-the-nation-they-led/360278/2 "2006-06-11T04:43:40Z")
Australia has had a few foreign born Prime Ministers - JC Watson was born in Chile, GH Reid and Andrew Fisher wre born in Scotland, Joe Cook was born in England and Billy Hughes always played up his Welsh heritage, but he was in fact born in London. mm ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-leaders-not-born-in-the-nation-they-led/360278/3 "2006-06-11T05:52:02Z")
Napoleon was born in Corsica. The island is French territory - whether this means he was born in France is a semantic question, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-leaders-not-born-in-the-nation-they-led/360278/4 "2006-06-11T05:56:12Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > In the USA, of course, foreign born citizens cannot become President. I’m pretty sure we’ve established that this statement is false. Natural born Americans (i.e. those entitled to US citizenship at birth) are eligible to become President regardless of where they are born. The following four Canadian Prime Ministers were not born in Canada:[ul][_]John A. MacDonald (Jul 1, 1867 to Nov 5, 1873 and Oct 17, 1878 to Jun 6, 1891), born Glasgow, Scotland[_]Alexander Mackenzie (Nov 7, 1873 to Oct 8, 1878) born Perth, Scotland[_]Mackenzie Bowell (Dec 21, 1894 to Apr 27, 1896) born Suffolk, England[_]John Turner (Jun 30, 1984 to Sep 16, 1984) born Surrey, England[/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Operation\_Ripper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/34f0e0/32.png) [@Operation\_Ripper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Operation_Ripper)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-leaders-not-born-in-the-nation-they-led/360278/5 "2006-06-11T05:56:33Z")
[Arthur Chung?](http://www.gina.gov.gy/natprofile/formerpresidents.html) ---
**Author:** ![Operation\_Ripper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/34f0e0/32.png) [@Operation\_Ripper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Operation_Ripper)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-leaders-not-born-in-the-nation-they-led/360278/6 "2006-06-11T06:02:50Z")
[Janet Rosenberg?](http://www.jagan.org/janet_jagan29.htm) ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-leaders-not-born-in-the-nation-they-led/360278/7 "2006-06-11T06:03:48Z")
[QUOTE=Cerowyn] I’m pretty sure we’ve established that this statement is false. Natural born Americans (i.e. those entitled to US citizenship at birth) are eligible to become President regardless of where they are born. The following four Canadian Prime Ministers were not born in Canada:[ul][li]John A. MacDonald (Jul 1, 1867 to Nov 5, 1873 and Oct 17, 1878 to Jun 6, 1891), born Glasgow, Scotland[_]Alexander Mackenzie (Nov 7, 1873 to Oct 8, 1878) born Perth, Scotland[_]Mackenzie Bowell (Dec 21, 1894 to Apr 27, 1896) born Suffolk, EnglandJohn Turner (Jun 30, 1984 to Sep 16, 1984) born Surrey, England[/ul][/li][/QUOTE] My phrasing was a bit off, but it remains true that people like Henry Kissinger, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Madeleine Albright are ineligible to become President, even though they’re U.S. citizens, because they were born overseas. That said, thank you for the Canadian Prime Ministers- they’re just the kind of answer I was looking for. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-leaders-not-born-in-the-nation-they-led/360278/8 "2006-06-11T06:40:04Z")
If John McCain manages to become President, he’d at least be born outside of what is now the United States, in the Panama Canal Zone, which was returned to Panama in 1979. Certainly, back in the day, kings and queens (and princes, princesses, dukes, etc.) inherited titles in foreign lands, such as George I of Great Britain, a German prince who barely bothered to learn English. And, of course, the Spanish Habsburgs. But I suppose that sort of thing doesn’t really happen in this day and age. Oh, and the Pope, the leader of the Vatican City, is actually some German guy. Back in 1818, Sweden ran out of their own monarchs and elected Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, a Frenchman (who, ironically had apparently gotten a tattoo saying “death to all kings” (in French) back when he was fighting in the French Revolution), as their king. His descendants still sit on the Swedish throne. OK, probably not exactly the examples the OP was looking for, but hopefully mildly interesting trivia nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-leaders-not-born-in-the-nation-they-led/360278/9 "2006-06-11T11:40:06Z")
Many of New Zealand’s early Prime Ministers were born overseas: John Ballance, Richard Seddon and Bill Massey all in the UK, and Michael Savage in Australia. ---
**Author:** ![jimmmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@jimmmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimmmy)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-leaders-not-born-in-the-nation-they-led/360278/10 "2006-06-11T13:31:45Z")
Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution states, “No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President.” That man is the 10th U.S. President John Tyler (March 29, 1790 – January 18, 1862) who was the (the first president 1841-1845) born after the adoption of the U.S. Constitution (and the first to assume the office of President following the death of his predecessor and on almost Daughters of the Confederacy/Southern Website the only President to die a Citizen of another “Country” as he claimed to be a Citizen of Virginia and CSA - Not the USA- as he died of natural causes during the Civil War) Meaning a LITERAL answer to the OP would note these US Presidents were not born the USA (as the USA did not exist): Washington • J Adams • Jefferson • Madison • Monroe • JQ Adams • Jackson • Van Buren\* • W Harrison \*Van Buren was born after the Declaration of Independence but before the Constitution was adopted so sometimes he is listed as “first” but technically according to the words of the Constitution - I think we can all agree that Tyler is first. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-leaders-not-born-in-the-nation-they-led/360278/11 "2006-06-11T13:41:24Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > My phrasing was a bit off, but it remains true that people like Henry Kissinger, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Madeleine Albright are ineligible to become President, even though they’re U.S. citizens, because they were born overseas. Not because they were born overseas, but because they were not US citizens at birth. Someone born outside the US who was nevertheless a US citizen at birth is eligible. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-leaders-not-born-in-the-nation-they-led/360278/12 "2006-06-11T13:44:53Z")
Oh, yeah, the Canal Zone was \*administered \* by the US but was still part of Panama. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-leaders-not-born-in-the-nation-they-led/360278/13 "2006-06-11T13:58:53Z")
Do takeovers of other countries count? Because then there’d be a lot more, for example Maximilian I of Mexico who was born in Austria and offered the throne by Napoleon III. He didn’t last very long, though. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-leaders-not-born-in-the-nation-they-led/360278/14 "2006-06-11T14:25:52Z")
Poland went through a period where kings were elected by the upper noblemen with no real restriction regarding the origin of the monarch. As such, there’s a [fairly good list](http://projects.edte.utwente.nl/masters/spizewsk/pl_kings/foreign.htm) of foreigners from France, Saxony, Hungary, Lithuania, Swedan and Czechia legitimately holding the crown in Poland (as opposed to those who invaded, engaged in a coup, etc). Didn’t do the nation any favors in the long run, but there ya go. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-leaders-not-born-in-the-nation-they-led/360278/15 "2006-06-11T15:29:01Z")
Andrew Bonar Law was briefly Prime Minister of the UK in the 1920s. He was born in New Brunswick in 1858. He doesn’t quite qualify as foreign-born though, since NB was a British colony at the time of his birth. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-leaders-not-born-in-the-nation-they-led/360278/16 "2006-06-11T15:54:29Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > In the USA, of course, foreign born citizens cannot become President. But in many other countries, people born elsewhere HAVE made it to the highest offices. Among them: I asked a similar question a while back. > **[Electing foreigners](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=287260)** > > Everyone knows that the US constitution forbids a foreign-born citizen from ever becoming President. However, there is nothing to stop an American from coming over here (UK), getting into politics and eventually becoming Prime Minister? Has... ---
**Author:** ![ColonelDax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@ColonelDax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColonelDax)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-leaders-not-born-in-the-nation-they-led/360278/17 "2006-06-11T15:55:23Z")
> [@waterj2](#): > > Back in 1818, Sweden ran out of their own monarchs and elected Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, a Frenchman (who, ironically had apparently gotten a tattoo saying “death to all kings” (in French) back when he was fighting in the French Revolution), as their king. His descendants still sit on the Swedish throne. And when the Norwegians separated from Sweden in 1905, they elected a Dane to serve as their first king, taking the name [Haakon VII](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haakon_VII_of_Norway). ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-leaders-not-born-in-the-nation-they-led/360278/18 "2006-06-11T16:26:10Z")
Michaelle Jean, Canadian governor-general, was born in Haiti. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-leaders-not-born-in-the-nation-they-led/360278/19 "2006-06-11T16:37:53Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Michaelle Jean, Canadian governor-general, was born in Haiti. And, if I’m not mistaken, her predecessor, Adrienne Clarkson, was born in Hong Kong. And in years past, many Governors General were from the UK. I’m not sure I’d really call them “leaders” of Canada, though. ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-leaders-not-born-in-the-nation-they-led/360278/20 "2015-09-30T01:41:24Z")
Armenia has had three presidents since gaining independence from the Soviet Union, and none of them were born in Armenia. First president Levon Ter Petrosyan was born in Aleppo, Syria. Robert Kocharyan was born in Stepanakert, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan. The same with current president Serzh Sargsyan, also born in Stepanakert. Now Azerbaijan and Armenia were both republics of the Soviet Union when they were born. But the USSR no longer exists, and while Armenia claims Nagorno Karabakh as it’s own, the international community does not recognize this claim and it is technically Azerbaijan territory occupied by Armenians. So none of Armenia’s presidents have been in Armenia proper. That must be a record. Algeria’s President Abdelaziz Bouteflika was born in neighboring Morocco, not Algeria. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-leaders-not-born-in-the-nation-they-led/360278.md?page=2)