Anton Buttigieg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anton Buttigieg
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| 2nd President of Malta | |
| In office 27 December 1976 – 27 December 1981 |
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| Prime Minister | Dom Mintoff |
| Preceded by | Sir Anthony Mamo |
| Succeeded by | Albert Hyzler (Acting); Agatha Barbara |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 February 1912 Qala, Crown Colony of Malta |
| Died | 5 May 1983 (aged 71) Qala, Malta |
| Political party | Labour Party |
| Spouses | Carmen Bezzina (1944-1953) Connie Scicluna (1953-1975) Margery Patterson (1975-1983) |
| Children | 3 |
Anton Buttigieg (Maltese: Anton Buttiġieġ; 19 February 1912 – 5 May 1983) was an important Maltese political figure and a talented poet. He served as the second president of Malta from 1976 until 1981.
Contents
Early Life
Anton Buttigieg was born in Qala, Gozo, on 19 February 1912. He was the third child of Salvatore and Concetta Buttigieg.
He went to primary school in Qala from 1916 to 1922. Then, he studied at the Gozo Seminary and St Aloysius' College in Malta.
Later, he attended the University of Malta. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1934. In 1940, he became a Doctor of Laws, which means he could practice law.
Family Life
In 1944, Anton Buttigieg married Censina. They had three children: John, Rose, and Emanuel. Sadly, Censina passed away.
Later, in 1953, he married Connie Scicluna. She also passed away before him.
His last marriage was in 1975 to Margery Patterson.
His Career
During World War II (1942–1944), Anton Buttigieg worked as an Inspector in the Maltese Police Force. After the war, he worked as a lawyer.
In 1955, he also served as an acting Magistrate. A magistrate is a judge who handles smaller legal cases.
He was a writer for the Times of Malta newspaper from 1946 to 1948. From 1959 to 1970, he was the Editor of The Voice of Malta newspaper.
Political Journey
Anton Buttigieg started his political career in 1955. He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly for the Labour Party.
He was re-elected in every election after that. He kept his seat in Parliament until he resigned in October 1976.
From 1959 to 1961, he was the President of the Malta Labour Party. From 1962 to 1976, he was the party's Deputy Leader.
When the government changed in 1971, he became Deputy Prime Minister. He also served as the Minister of Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.
He attended important meetings called Malta Constitutional Conferences in London in 1958 and 1964. These meetings discussed Malta's future.
He also represented Malta in the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe from 1967 to 1971. He was even elected as its vice-president from 1967 to 1968.
Becoming President
On 27 December 1976, Anton Buttigieg was chosen to be the second President of Malta. He took over from Sir Anthony Mamo. He served as President until 1981.
A Poet's Heart
Anton Buttigieg was also well-known for his writing, especially poetry. When he was a university student, he helped start a group called 'Għaqda tal-Malti – Università' (Maltese Language Association – University) in 1931.
He was also a member of the L-Akkademja tal-Malti (Academy of the Maltese Language). This group works to promote and protect the Maltese language.
Awards and Recognition
Anton Buttigieg received many awards for his poetry and writing:
- In 1971, he won the First Prize for Poetry from the Maltese government.
- In 1972, he won the Ġuzé Muscat Azzopardi prize for poetry.
- In 1975, he received a silver plaque for his poetry from the Circolo Culturale Rhegium Julii in Italy.
- In 1977, he won the International Prize of Mediterranean Culture for Poetry.
- In 1979, he won First Prize and a Special Diploma for Poetry from the Centro Culturale Artistico Letterario – Città di Brindisi.
- In 1979, he won the Malta Literary Award for the first part of his autobiography, Toni tal-Baħri (Toni, the Seaman's Son), which was published in 1978.
See Also
In Spanish: Anton Buttigieg para niños
