Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham Profile: Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham Events (3) December 7, 1964: Burnham Becomes Prime Minister of Guyana 1964-12-07 June 3, 1980: Presidential Candidate Walter Rodney Assassinated 1980-06-03 1964-1985: Guyana’s Foreign Debt Rises Sharply under Burnham; Human Rights Abuses also Occur