Category: December

If you’re Panamanian, today’s the day to call the wonderful women in your life and wish them a Happy Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day is celebrated in Panama on December 8 of each year.  The day commemorates the Catholic feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ; the holy day was inaugurated… Continue reading Happy Mother’s Day in Panama

New Year’s Eve is celebrated throughout the Americas, with parties, fireworks, traditional food and family dinners.  In Spain, Spaniards gather in the central plaza at Puerta del Sol, and eat one grape for each chime of the clock at midnight (this is actually a little more difficult than it sounds, particularly if your grapes are… Continue reading Feliz Año Nuevo / Happy New Year

The Feast of the Holy Innocents is celebrated in Mexico each year on December 28 in Mexico. The holiday is based on traditions from the Canary Islands, near the coast of Spain.  The day is devoted to fun — children play at being adults, and pranks (as in April Fool’s Day in North America) are part… Continue reading Feast of the Holy Innocents

After all of the late night celebrations, partying and dancing for Nochebuena (Christmas Eve), Christmas Day in South and Central America is a quieter celebration with family and friends.  In North America, traditions and celebrations intertwine.  In the words of Cuban American author, Gustavo Perez Firmat, “The older Cubans, mostly men like my father and… Continue reading Celebrating Christmas Day with Undocumented Mexicans

Nochebuena, as Christmas Eve is also known in the Americas, is joyously celebrated with family, a religious service, and a traditional dinner menu.  The traditions are varied among cultures and celebrations are often elaborate.  In Puerto Rico, the Nochebuena meal can include roast pork, pigeon peas, sausages, and a variety of side dishes.  Parrandas, essentially… Continue reading Celebrating Nochebuena / Christmas Eve

With the irresistible beat of Latin Jazz, the Havana International Jazz Festival opens in Cuba on December 15, 2013. Chucho Valdés and the Cuban Institute of Music warmly invite you to visit Havana for the music and fun.  (Please see October 9, 1941 for more on Chucho.) The Festival is usually hosted in early January and features… Continue reading Havana International Jazz Festival Opens 2013

Obviously, the world did not end on December 21, 2012.  Instead, another complex mathematical cycle of thousands of years passed in the Mayan Calendar. The day was celebrated in the Mayan world, and in the night skies over places such as Antigua, Guatemala, glowing kites majestically soared in the dark air.  The rich heritage of the… Continue reading Not the End of the World 2012

December 9, 2012 was the day the music died for millions of Latino fans of Dolores Jenni Rivera, when the young, beloved entertainer was killed in a fiery airplane crash.  Known as Jenni Rivera, the Mexican American singer, songwriter, television producer and entrepreneur was born in Long Beach, California in 1969.  Rivera became pregnant at… Continue reading A Day the Music Died, 2012

The US Commerce Department’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) celebrated the 2012 National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week award winners on December 6, 2012.  The annual awards recognize the outstanding contributions of individuals and entities that made a major impact on the growth of minority business enterprises.  Among the recipients was Congressman Silvestre Reyes, a… Continue reading National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week

To applause and laughter, “El Show con Tony Benitez” premiered on GENTV in Miami on December 3, 2012.   The premier included Tito Puente, Jr., son of the legendary mambo musician, and a special performance by the cast of the Broadway Musical STOMP.  A director and co-creator of the show summarized its comedic mission as, “Our… Continue reading El Show con Tony Benitez 2012

The Guardian, a well-established newspaper based in the United Kingdom (UK), reported on December 26, 2011 that the nation of Brazil had triumphed over the British and replaced the UK as the world’s sixth largest economy. The CEO of the Centre for Economics and business Research (CEBR) noted, “Brazil has beaten the European countries at… Continue reading Brazil, World’s 6th Largest Economy in 2011

The Mobile Giving channel, which enabled viewers to use their mobile phones to make donations, was launched during a telethon in the US for the first time on December 5, 2008.  The telethon was broadcast on Galavision, a leading Spanish language cable network that reached over 8 million Latino households.  Fundacion Teleton MexAmerica initiated the… Continue reading Galavision debuts 2008

What could be more democratic and more American than electing and selecting your very own sports reruns on a major network? To celebrate its fifth anniversary, ESPN Deportes launched ESPN Deportes Replay, a multimedia campaign that gave its fans the opportunity to program the network for three consecutive weeks.  Voters selected candidates from the most memorable… Continue reading ESPN Deportes Replay Launches 2008

Pedro Martinez signed a $75 million, six-year contract with the Red Sox on December 12, 1997, making Martinez the highest paid player in baseball at that time.  Martinez’ life story is woven from the American Dream.  He grew up in a poor rural village in the Dominican Republic, and was a sensitive child who studiously… Continue reading The Red Sox Latino 1997

After thirty-six long years of brutal and bloody civil war, the nation of Guatemala was finally able to declare peace on December 29, 1996. The civil war was part of a larger global power struggle for resources and for political influence, and the US-based United Fruit Company and the CIA supported different factions throughout the decades… Continue reading Peace in Guatemala, 1996

President Ernesto Zedillo was inaugurated as President of Mexico on December 1, 1994, with an election that was marked by fairness and high voter turnout.  Zedillo was raised in a lower middle class family, and received a scholarship to Yale University in the US.  He studied economics, and returned to Mexico to continue his public… Continue reading President Ernesto Zedillo Inaugurated 1994

From the dark silence of the dusty pages of hidden archives, the voices of the tortured dead began to speak once more.  While looking for documents on the fate of an individual prisoner, lawyer, human-rights activist and former prisoner Dr. Martín Almada and Judge José Agustín Fernández uncovered the files that became known as the “Archives of Terror”… Continue reading The “Archives of Terror” 1992

As word of the US invasion of Panama reached international organizations, many people expressed their outrage at what they believed was deplorable US aggression. On December 29, 1989 the General Assembly of the United Nations voted to condemn the US invasion.  The vote was 75 to 20, with 40 nations abstaining.  Resolution 44/240 stated that the… Continue reading US Invasion of Panama condemned by UN 1989

In the silent hours after midnight in the dark night of the tropics, more than 27,000 undocumented US troops illegally stormed into Panama on December 20, 1989. Their target was General Manuel Noriega, a former ally of the US. Noriega was suspected of drug trafficking and had recently overturned the democratic election of the new President of… Continue reading US Invades Panama, 1989

On December 8, 1982, Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez (1927 – 2014) delivered his Nobel lecture, entitled “The Solitude of Latin America”, when he received the Nobel Prize for Literature.  Marquez has written novels, short-stories, screenplays, and articles, woven with magical realism, a style that highlights the worlds beyond those ordinary and seen. His… Continue reading Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez Nobel Prize Lecture

In an uneasy transition from decades of dictatorship to democracy, Felipe González was inaugurated as President of Spain on December 2, 1982. González was the Presidential candidate of the Spanish Socialist Worker Party (PSOE). The PSOE won 46% of the vote, a parliamentary majority. González’s conservative brand of socialism, sometimes termed Felipismo, has been criticized by… Continue reading Felipe González inaugurated as President of Spain 1982

On December 22, 1981, the last military dictators took power in Argentina’s Dirty War against its own citizens, as General Leopoldo Fortunato Galtieri Castelli assumed the Presidency.  Galtieri attended classes at the infamous US Army School of the Americas in 1949, when the School operated in the Panama Canal Zone, and spent six months studying… Continue reading The Last Days of Argentina’s “Dirty War” 1981

The screams of terror and the flow of tears continued throughout the day and night as the people of El Mozote, El Salvador, were massacred by the battalion known as the “Angels of Hell”.  The villagers were raped, tortured, bayoneted and shot at point blank range.  When the last of their blood had soaked into… Continue reading El Mozote Massacre 1981

Happy Birthday to Scott Gomez, the first Latino player in the National Hockey League.  Gomez’s paternal grandparents were from Mexico; Gomez was born in Anchorage, Alaska, to a hockey loving papi who encouraged his son’s athleticism.  Gomez earned recognition as rookie of the year at age 20, and has since played professionally for the New… Continue reading Scott Gomez, First Latino in the National Hockey League

The US Supreme Court heard arguments for the case of Lau v. Nichols on December 10, 1973.  During this landmark case on bilingual education, the Court promulgated one of its first interpretations of the term “appropriate action.” The ruling held that a school district based in San Francisco violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by… Continue reading Lau v. Nichols 1973 Bilingual Education Breakthrough

As she raised her hand to take the oath of office on December 17, 1971, Romana Acosta Bañuelos was sworn in as the US Treasurer.  Bañuelos was the first Latina in this position, and was then the highest-ranking Mexican American in the US government.  She served through 1974, and her signature appeared on each US… Continue reading Ramona Acosta Bañuelos US Treasurer 1971

Her elegant, powerful soprano voice first soared through the distinguished Metropolitan Opera House in New York City on December 18, 1970, as Gilda Cruz-Romo performed the title role in “Madame Butterfly”. Mexican-born Cruz-Romo sang in the world’s most prestigious opera houses, including La Scala in Milan, the Teatro dell’ Opera in Rome, the Vienna Staatsoper, the… Continue reading Latina Opera Star in Madame Butterfly

As protests against the unpopular Vietnam War swept the nation, the National Chicano Moratorium Committee organized a rally of 2,000 peace activists on December 19, 1969.  The demonstrators met in Obregon Park in East Los Angeles.  The Committee continued to organize protests, until a serious riot in which several people were killed, including prominent journalist… Continue reading National Chicano Moratorium Committee 1969

The Cave of Swallows, one of Mexico’s many beautiful natural tourist attractions, was discovered by humans on December 27, 1966. The cave is the largest known cave shaft in the world, and could easily accommodate a New York City skyscraper.  It is also home to white-collared swifts and green parakeets that burst into the light… Continue reading The Cave of Swallows

Happy Birthday to Benjamin Bratt, a Hollywood mega star and producer for film and television.  Bratt’s father was German American and his mother was Quechua-Peruvian. Bratt graduated from the University of California and attended the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.  As a Latino, he struggled with stereotyping; as he said in an interview, “On… Continue reading Happy Birthday to Benjamin Bratt

Happy Birthday to teacher, artist, and children’s book author Hector Viveros Lee, born in Calexico, California to Mexican immigrant parents.  Lee earned his BA at St. John’s College and his BFA at the Academy of Art College.  Lee has written and illustrated for children’s books and magazines.  He said of his heritage and his work, “On… Continue reading Hector Viveros Lee, Teacher, Artist, and Author

President John F. Kennedy (1917–1963) and his entourage landed in Puerto Rico on December 15, 1961, the first stop in his visit to Latin America. As the first Catholic President and the first US President to visit Puerto Rico, the charismatic Kennedy received a warm welcome.  As he stated in his opening remarks, “Puerto Rico serves… Continue reading President John F Kennedy and Puerto Rico 1961

Happy Birthday to Irene Lailin Sáez Conde, the politician, governor and presidential candidate born on December 13, 1961 in Caracas, Venezuela. Sáez’s first international election victory was at age 19, when the judges of the Miss Universe Pageant voted her as the winner in 1981. After her reign, she studied political science at the Central… Continue reading Happy Birthday to Irene Lailin Sáez Conde

Happy Birthday to singer, songwriter, and social activist Tish Hinojosa, born in San Antonio, Texas, on December 6, 1955.  Hinojosa began her singing career with a $20 Mexican guitar, a gift from her mother that she still treasures.  Hinojosa’s music reflects her bicultural heritage in the borderlands of Texas and Mexico. Her music is described… Continue reading Happy Birthday to Tish Hinojosa, Singer, Songwriter, and Social Activists

Happy Birthday to acclaimed writer Sandra Cisneros, born on December 20, 1954 in Chicago, Illinois.  Her mother was Mexican American and her father was an immigrant from Mexico who was often nostalgic for his home country.  As a result, Cisneros and her family moved between Mexico and Chicago on numerous occasions.  The sense of displacement… Continue reading Happy Birthday to Sandra Cisneros, Writer

Happy Birthday to Luis Gutiérrez, born in Chicago, Illinois on December 10, 1953, to Puerto Rican parents.  Gutiérrez graduated from Northeastern Illinois University, and worked as a teacher and social worker for 10 years. He served on the Chicago City Council for a number of years. In 1992, Gutiérrez won his Congressional race with 78%… Continue reading Happy Birthday to Congressman Luis Gutiérrez

The beat began in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on December 18, 1950, when rock musician Randy Castillo made his day of birth debut.  His father was a mariachi musician who encouraged his talent, and Castillo was selected for Arizona’s All-State symphonic band during his senior year of high school. After playing in the local Arizona music… Continue reading Happy Birthday to Randy Castillo, Rock Musician

Happy Birthday to Dilma Vana Rousseff, the first woman elected as President of Brazil.  Rouseff was born on December 14, 1947 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.  Her road to political success was difficult.  As a young woman, she joined a political activist group and was jailed for three years, and tortured while in prison. In 2002, Rousseff… Continue reading Happy Birthday to President Dilma Vana Rousseff

Puerto Rican playwright Miguel Pinero was born in Gurabo, Puerto Rico on December 19, 1946. As a youngster, he immigrated with his family to the US. He attended school in New York City, and earned his high school equivalency. After a stint in prison, he published his gritty, realistic work, “Short Eyes”, about the killing of a… Continue reading Miguel Pinero, Playwright

Soccer has become a fixture in youth sports in the USA over the past few decades, but fútbol has reigned in Central and South America for much longer. This image is from the US Library of Congress, of a soccer competition in El Salvador in 1943. The image shows a player heading a fútbol ball… Continue reading Soccer Competition 1943

Happy Birthday to Julian Olivares — writer, editor, translator, educator, and US Navy veteran — who was born in San Antonio, Texas on December 6, 1941.  Olivares earned his BA at California State University and his MA at the University of Texas.  Olivares served at several universities, and won grants from institutions such as the… Continue reading Happy Birthday to Julian Olivares 1941

Happy Birthday to Mario Kreutzberger Blumenfeld, affectionately known as Don Francisco, the beloved host of the wildly successful television program, “Sabado Gigante” (“Giant Saturday”).  Kreutzberger was born in Santiago, Chile, on December 28, 1940.  Kreutzberger’s parents fled from Germany in the 1930s; with their Jewish heritage, they were threatened by the Nazi regime.  Kreutzberger’s mother… Continue reading Mario Kreutzberger Blumenfeld, Don Francisco

Happy Birthday to one of golf’s best loved talents, Lee Buck Trevino, born in Dallas, Texas on December 1, 1939.  His family was poor financially but rich in spirit.  Trevino recalled regularly jumping across a fence from his home into a local golf course to practice at night. He became an internationally renowned player, winning… Continue reading Happy Birthday to Lee Buck Trevino, Professional Golfer

Happy Birthday to philosopher, priest, writer, professor and social activist Leonardo Boff, born on December 14, 1938 in Concórdia, Brazil. Boff was educated in Brazil, Germany and the UK, and is a passionate proponent of “liberation theology”.  Liberation theology calls for Christians to empower the poor and oppressed, not only on a spiritual level, but also to… Continue reading Happy Birthday to Leonardo Boff

Happy Birthday to the fabulous entertainer and humanitarian Rosa Dolores Alverio, born in Humacao, Puerto Rico on December 11, 1931. Known on stage as Rita Moreno, the multi-talented star is the only woman and the only Latina to win the entertainment industry’s four top awards: Oscar, Grammy, Tony, and Emmy. Moreno struggled with being typecast as a… Continue reading Happy Birthday to Rosa Dolores Alverio

Happy Birthday to Lupe Serrano, who first danced into the world on December 7, 1930, in Santiago, Chile.  Serrano was the first Hispanic principal ballerina at the prestigious American Ballet Theatre. Her debut recital was at her third birthday, when she insisted on performing for her guests. She studied with the Mexico City Ballet and in New York and… Continue reading Happy Birthday to Lupe Serrano, Prima Ballerina 1930

Happy Birthday to Luis Estevez de Galvez, the award-winning fashion designer born in Havana, Cuba on December 5, 1930.  Estevez studied architecture at the University of Havana and fashion design at the Traphagen School in New York.  Estevez worked with a number of leading fashion designers and theater productions.  He dressed many famous women, including… Continue reading Happy Birthday to Luis Estevez de Galvez, Fashion Designer 1930

December 2, 1917, is the birthday of Desi Arnaz, famed as the Cuban-American bandleader Ricky Ricardo on the popular TV comedy, “I Love Lucy”.  Red-headed Lucille Ball played his wife.  Reportedly, CBS executives were initially reluctant to portray Arnaz as Ball’s husband, saying that a North American audience would not accept the scandalous idea of… Continue reading Happy Birthday to Desi Arnaz

She was born fighting, in San Diego, California, in December 1913. Francisca Flores was a woman of Mexican American heritage who campaigned for Latino and women’s rights throughout her life. As a young woman, she was inspired by stories of the Mexican Revolution of the 1920s and by Spanish resistance against the forces of fascism… Continue reading Happy Birthday to Francisca Flores, Political Activist

Novelist, journalist, and political activist Alejo Carpentier was born in Havana, Cuba on December 26, 1904, to a French father and Russian mother. After spending time in Europe during his childhood, he began writing at age 15 when the family returned to Cuba. Carpentier became active in political resistance to the Cuban dictatorships of the 1920s and… Continue reading Alejo Carpentier, Novelist, Journalist and Activist

The blazing fingers of musician Carlos Montoya were first given to the light of day on December 13, 1903, in Madrid, Spain.  Montoya’s passion was flamenco music, which he attributed to his Gypsy heritage. He began guitar lessons at age 8, started his professional career in the lively, elegant cafes of Madrid, and launched his… Continue reading Happy Birthday to Carlos Montoya, Flamenco Guitarist

The provocative social realist artist José David Alfaro Siqueiros was born in Camargo, Mexico, on December 29, 1896.  Siqueiros was one of the founders of the mural movement in Mexico, and he was also an active labor organizer and member of Mexico’s Communist party.  Siqueiros didn’t live no ho-hum life. A global citizen, he taught art… Continue reading José David Alfaro Siqueiros, Artist

On December 8, 1886, one of Mexico’s most famous painters and personalities made his debut in Guanajuato, Mexico.  Diego Rivera and his murals are famous throughout the world.  Rivera was a rebel with a cause, who eschewed traditional painting techniques and developed his own style of politicized, socially conscious art.  He studied in Mexico and… Continue reading Diego Rivera Paints The World

The Noble prize winning Spanish poet Juan Ramón Jiménez was born on December 23, 1881, in Moguer, Spain. This city is in Andalusia, the sun-kissed south of Spain on the Mediterranean Sea, and has been influenced by the waves of numerous civilizations and cultures. Jiménez was well traveled, and spent time in the US, Europe, Puerto… Continue reading Juan Ramón Jiménez, Nobel Prize Winner

He fought for freedom in two wars — in North America and the Caribbean — and on December 18, 1871, Adolfo Fernández Cavada was killed in battle in Cuba. Cavada was born in Cienfuegos, Cuba, to his North American mother and Cuban father.  After his father’s death, his mother moved her family back to her native… Continue reading The Death of Adolfo Fernández Cavada 1871

The philosopher, poet, and writer Jorge Agustin de Santayana, known as George Santayana, was born in Madrid, Spain on December 16, 1863. Santayana’s early life and childhood were complicated, with his mother’s world travels, his North American half-brothers, and his father’s residence in Spain.  He reflected that he never felt at home anywhere, and was “a… Continue reading George Santayana, Philosopher, Writer and Poet

During the heat of the Battle of Stones River in Tennessee, Cuban born officer and Union patriot Julius Peter Garesché was killed by cannon fire on December 31, 1862. Garesché graduated from West Point Military Academy, and served with distinction during the Mexican American War. A devout Christian and Catholic, he organized a charitable society in the state… Continue reading Julius Peter Garesché, Union Army Officer 1862

Federico Degetau, Puerto Rico’s first Resident Commissioner after it became a US territory, was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico on December 5, 1862.  Degetau was a man of many talents, and his career roles included politician, art collector, author, lawyer, coffee grower, and educator.  He studied in Puerto Rico and at the University of Madrid,… Continue reading Federico Degetau, First Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico 1862

Octaviano Ambrosio Larrazolo, the first Latinx to serve in the US Senate, was born in Allende, Mexico on December 7, 1859. At age 11, the Bishop of Arizona brought him to Arizona to study theology, and Larrazolo later completed his studies in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Larrazolo began working as a teacher, and became interested in local… Continue reading Happy Birthday to Senator Octaviano Ambrosio Larrazolo 1859

The ink dried on the Mexican-American treaty for the Venta de La Mesilla, known as the Gadsden Purchase in the US, on December 30, 1853.  Under this treaty, the US government purchased Mexican territory in Arizona and New Mexico along the international border. This purchase was made several years after the Mexican American War, during which… Continue reading Venta de La Mesilla / Gadsden Purchase 1853

The US Marines landed in the cities of Callao and Lima in the sovereign nation of Peru on December 10, 1835. The Marines were undocumented illegal aliens, but despite this small matter of paperwork, they stayed until January 24, 1836. The US government ordered this invasion of Peru to protect American interests during an attempted revolution.… Continue reading US invades Peru (again) 1835

He proposed an unprecedented, radical theory, which was greeted with great skepticism by the leading medical and scientific authorities of the time. But Carlos Juan Finlay, a physician and epidemiologist born in Camaguey, Cuba, in 1833, persisted in his research.  Finlay’s father was Scottish and his mother was French. He was educated in France, Philadelphia, and… Continue reading Latinx MD Diagnoses Yellow Fever

In the first of numerous conflicts and revolutions over the future state of Texas, North American immigrants in the sovereign nation of Mexico declared themselves independent on December 21, 1826.  The leader of the insurgency, Hayden Edwards, had received a land grant from the generous Mexican government near Nacogdoches in eastern Texas. He then decided to steal… Continue reading Republic of Fredonia, Texas 1826

“We owe it, therefore, to candor and to the amicable relations existing between the United States and those powers to declare that we should consider any attempt on their part to extend their system to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety. …. with the Governments who have declared their… Continue reading Monroe Doctrine 1823

A bold, courageous woman with a mindset that was centuries before her time, Manuela Sáenz was born on December 27, 1797 in Quito, Ecuador.  She could have had a comfortable life as a socialite married to a wealthy English merchant, but she decided to support the South American revolutionary movement against the colonial Spanish.  Sáenz… Continue reading Manuela Sáenz, “Libertadora del Libertador” 1797

The murmurs of awe and astonishment grew louder as the dust and fragments cleared to reveal a wonder hidden for centuries:  the Aztec Stone of the Sun, also known as the Aztec Calendar Stone.  The majestic sculpture is approximately 12 feet (3.7 m) in diameter and weighs 24 tons.  The stone was uncovered in Zócalo,… Continue reading The Aztec Stone of the Sun

In the midst of the soft rush of wind through palm trees and the ocean breezes of the Pacific, the Spanish mission of Santa Barbara was dedicated on December 4, 1786. Known as the “Queen of the Missions”, Santa Barbara was the 10th of 21 California missions founded by the Spanish.  The original buildings were… Continue reading The Queen of the Missions 1786

A historical link between two revolutionary generations, one from North America and the other from South America, was formed when Francisco de Miranda and George Washington met face to face on a cold, wintry day in Philadelphia.  The Venezuelan-born Miranda was later a key influencer in the rebellions against the Spanish.  Washington had recently disbanded the… Continue reading Francisco de Miranda and George Washington 1783

The victorious general, soon to be President, and his gracious wife were the most sought after guests for the December 1781 holidays in Philadelphia. The smoke of battle had cleared, and General George Washington and his wife, Martha, were settling in for the winter.  Although the power couple received invitations from every leading socialite in the… Continue reading Felize Navidade with the Washingtons, 1781

The Spanish empire in Europe and the Americas provided assistance to the North American rebels throughout the American Revolutionary War.  Not wanting to provoke the British into war before they were ready, the Spanish managed covert operation to send aid to the Americans.  They also attempted to send emissaries.  On December 31, 1777, Juan de… Continue reading Juan de Miralles, Spanish Emissary to the American Revolution 1777

Although the Native Americans lacked guns, germs, steel and horses, they continued to valiantly defend themselves against the Spanish invaders. On December 21, 1598, the Mapuche Nation of southern Chile defeated the Spanish in a major battle at Cualaba. Led by their commanding officer, Pelentaru, the Mapuche launched a surprise night raid against the Spanish, killing… Continue reading Revenge of the Mapuche 1598

The vision of the young woman appeared on December 9, 1531, as a Native Mexican American named Cuauhtlatoatzin walked in the morning air of the Tepeyac desert near Mexico City.  The dark skinned young woman spoke to him in Nahuatl, the local language, and asked that a Catholic church be built in her honor, on… Continue reading Cuauhtlatoatzin 1531

The relationship between European invaders and indigenous Nations has been bitterly contentious and savagely complicated since 1492 (an understatement, I know). In response to reports of terrible treatment of native Americans, the Spanish government and King Ferdinand II of Aragon issued the Laws of Burgos on December 27, 1512.  The laws formalized the practice of… Continue reading Laws of Burgos 1512

In a rapid series of calculated political moves after the death of her brother, Isabella I declared herself as Queen of Castille. Together with her husband, King Ferdinand II of Aragon, she began to create the modern nation of Spain. The power couple ruled with a balance of power: Isabella had the final powers of decision in… Continue reading Isabella I, Queen of Castille 1474

December 23, 583. Yes, that’s 583, not a four digit number, since today we’re honoring the Mayan civilization during its Classic period.  On December 23, 583, the Mayan ruler Ix Yohl Ik’nal was inaugurated as Queen of the Mayan state of Palenque in southern Mexico.  While not geographically the largest Mayan city state, Palenque is still… Continue reading Queen Ix Yohl Ik’nal, 583