Before becoming Governor General, Julie Payette was an astronaut, engineer, scientific broadcaster and corporate director.

Michaëlle Jean was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. She immigrated to Canada with her family in 1968, fleeing the dictatorial regime of the time.

Mr. LeBlanc earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education at l'Université St-Joseph, Memramcook, and studied French civilization at l'Université de Paris. He also holds a number of honorary degrees.

Throughout her distinguished career, the Right Honourable Jeanne Sauvé achieved a number of notable 'firsts'. In the House of Commons, she was the first female Cabinet member from Quebec, she was the first woman elected as Speaker of the House of Commons, she opened the first daycare on Parliament Hill, and she was the first woman to serve as governor general.

Six months after being sworn in as Governor General, Jules Léger suffered a stroke while at the University of Sherbrooke, Quebec where he was to receive an honorary degree. As he recovered from his stroke, Madame Léger played an important role.

As a young man, Georges Vanier was appointed an aide-de-camp to then-Governor General Lord Byng, in 1921. He and his wife had been married less than a year when they came to live in Rideau Cottage, on the grounds of Rideau Hall. Thirty-eight years after that first introduction, Georges and Pauline Vanier came to live at Rideau Hall as the newly appointed viceregal couple.

The news that King George VI had appointed the then-Viscount Alexander as Governor General caused excitement across the country. He was a hero of the Second World War, and was considered Britain's greatest military commander since the Duke of Wellington.

When Lord Tweedsmuir became Governor General, Canada was graced with a very literary viceregal couple. Lord Tweedsmuir was a prolific author, writing two or three books a year – his suspense novel Thirty-Nine Steps later became famous when Alfred Hitchcock made it into a movie. Lady Tweedsmuir wrote many books and plays under the name of Susan Buchan.

Lord Willingdon assumed his new duties as Governor General just as Canada embarked, domestically and internationally, on a new direction as an independent nation.

The appointment of the Duke of Devonshire as Governor General caused brief political problems because Prime Minister Borden's government had not been consulted by the British Prime Minister.

Earl Grey was a very active Governor General. He was in constant contact with the Prime Minister, offering ideas for social reform. He sought greater political inclusion for all, and worked to reach as many ordinary Canadians as possible.

Even before Lord Aberdeen became Governor General in 1893, he and Lady Aberdeen had fallen in love with Canada. They had taken a world tour in 1890, which included an extensive visit to Canada. The Aberdeens were so impressed with this country that they purchased "Coldstream Ranch", located in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, in 1891.

The Marquess of Lansdowne was Governor General during turbulent times in Canada. Sir John A. Macdonald's government was in its second term and facing allegations of scandal over the building of the railway, and the economy was once again sliding into recession.

Lord Dufferin served as Governor General of Canada during a period of rapid change in Canadian history. During his term, Prince Edward Island was admitted to Confederation, and several well-known Canadian institutions, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Royal Military College of Canada, and the Intercolonial Railway, were established.