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
Tag: 1981
El Mozote Massacre 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
Fernando Valenzuela receives US Baseball’s top award 1981
US baseball’s prestigious Cy Young Award had never been awarded to a rookie player – until Fernando Valenzuela sparkled on the diamond. (Please note, a rookie in Major League Baseball is a player with fewer than 130 times at bat or 50 innings pitched in the majors, or less than 45 days on the active rosters of an MLB… Continue reading Fernando Valenzuela receives US Baseball’s top award 1981
A North American Tragedy in Guatemala’s Civil War
In an angry dark night as the Civil War raged throughout Guatemala, a North American priest from Oklahoma City was gunned down in the impoverished village where he ministered. Father Stanley Rother served in Santiago Atitlan from 1968 until 1981. He left temporarily because of the death threats that he received for his opposition to… Continue reading A North American Tragedy in Guatemala’s Civil War
Andre Segovia, Classical Guitarist honored by King of Spain 1981
In recognition of his contribution to music and the arts, guitarist Andre Segovia was ennobled by King Juan Carlos I of Spain on June 24, 1981. Segovia is the most celebrated classical guitarist in the world, and is universally acknowledged as the founding father of modern classical guitar. Segovia was born in Andalusia, Spain in… Continue reading Andre Segovia, Classical Guitarist honored by King of Spain 1981
Jaime Roldós Aguilera, President of Ecuador 1981
A violent, fiery plane crash into a mountain on May 24, 1981 ended the life of Jaime Roldós Aguilera, then President of Ecuador. Aguilera was an educator, author, and politician. At 39 years old, he was the youngest President elected in the Western Hemisphere. He took office following a difficult nine-year period of military and… Continue reading Jaime Roldós Aguilera, President of Ecuador 1981
Henry Cisneros, Politician
Henry Cisneros was elected as mayor of San Antonio on April 4, 1981, the first Latinx mayor since Texas joined the US. He earned a BA from Texas A&M University, an MA from Harvard University, and a Ph D in public administration from George Washington University. In 1975, he was selected as a White House… Continue reading Henry Cisneros, Politician