An illegitimate mestizo cattle driver, Juan Vicente Gómez, became one of three great authoritarian rulers of Venezuela (president, 1908-1910, 1911-1914, 1915-1922, 1923-1929, 193-1935), achieving political stability with the creation of a professional army. 1997 January 1997 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY Año Nuevo (New Year's Day). 1 1955: Panama’s President 2 1925: José F. Valdez--Medal of 3 1927: Lauro F. Cavazos--first 4 José Antonio Remón is Honor recipient and private first Hispanic secretary of 1954: Robert Menéndez, US assassinated. class in Marine Corps (WWII)-- education (1988) and first in a Representative (D-NJ), is born in is born in Governador, NM. cabinet-level position--is born New York, NY. 1963: Edgar Martínez, in King Ranch, TX. baseball player, is born in New 1961: United States breaks 1994: North American Free York, NY. relations with Cuba. Trade Agreement (NAFTA) takes effect. 1891: Cuban Revolutionary 5 Día de los Tres Reyes 6 1959: United States recognizes 7 1912: José Ferrer, Theater Hall 8 1915: Fernando Lamas, actor, 9 1815: José Gervasio Artigas, 10 1811: 100,000 peasants led 11 Party (Partido Revolucionário commemorates Three Kings Cuba’s new provisional of Fame actor and Oscar winner is born in Buenos Aires, father of Uruguay, defeats by Hidalgo are defeated in Cubano--PRC) is founded by (Wise Men), in Latin America. government, headed by Fidel (Cyrano de Bergerac, 1950), is Argentina. Argentines at Guayabo. Battle of Calderón, Mexico. Cuban national hero José Castro Ruz. born in Santruce, PR. 1959: Rigoberta Menchú Tum, 1839: Eugenio María de Martí. 1957: Nancy López, golf 1941: Joan (Chandos) Baez, first indigenous Latin American Hostos, “Citizen of the champion honored in Golf Hall 1983: USS City of Corpus Christi, folk singer, is born in Staten woman to receive Nobel Peace Americas” and writer (Moral of Fame, is born in Torrance, a nuclear submarine, is Island, NY. Prize (1992), is born in Chimel, Social, 1888), is born in CA. commissioned. Guatemala. Mayagüez, PR. 1935: Gabriel Eloy Aguirre, 12 1943: “Sleepy Lagoon” murder 13 14 Cristo de Esquipulas celebrates 15 1924: Katy Jurado, actress, is 16 1914: Héctor García Pérez, 17 1817: Army of the Andes 18 owner of SaniServ and 1987 case inflames anti-Mexican Black Christ through important born in Mexico. first Mexican elected to Civil begins heroic march across Minority Entrepreneur of the bias and precipitates “Zoot Suit pilgrimage in Central America. Rights Commission and Medal Andes to victory at Battle of Year, is born in Akron, OH. Riots” in June in Los Angeles, 1938: Elsa Gómez, higher of Freedom recipient in 1984, Chacabuco on 2/12/1817. CA. education administrator, is born is born in Llera, Mexico. 1867: Rubén Darío, poet of in New York, NY. literary modernism (Azul, 1970: USS El Paso, cargo ship, 1888), is born in Metapa, is commissioned. Nicaragua. 1851: Esteban Echeverría, 19 1920: Marcario García--Medal 20 1929: Rolando Hinojosa, most 21 1826: Royalist forces at fortress 22 1933: Chita Rivera, actress, is 23 Alacitas Fair honors both 24 25 poet (Elvira o la novia del of Honor recipient; Army staff prolific Chicano novelist of King Philip, in Callao, Peru, born in Washington, DC. Virgen de la Paz and Ekeko, Plata, 1832), dies. sergeant (WWII)--is born in (Estampas del Valle y otras surrender, ending two-year siege god of prosperity of Aymará 1920: Javier Pérez de Villa de Castaño, Mexico, son obras, 1973), is born in and independence wars. Indians in Bolivia. Cuéllar is born in Lima, Peru. of Hector Pérez García Mercedes, TX. 1918: Manuel González Prada, 1942: Pat Mora, poet and (combat surgeon, diplomat, poet (Minúsculas, 1901), dies writer, is born in El Paso, TX. member of US Civil Rights (born 1/6/1848 in Lima, Peru). Commission, Medal of Freedom recipient). 1958: Xavier Becerra, US 26 1930: Esteban Edward Torres, 27 1853: José Martí, patriot and 28 1932: Máximo Yabes--Medal of 29 30 1847: Yerba Buena is renamed 31 representative (D-CA), is US representative (D-CA), is writer (Ismaelillo, 1882), is born Honor recipient and Army first San Francisco. born in Sacramento, CA. born in La Puente, CA. in Havana, Cuba. sergeant (Vietnam War)--is born 1926: Harold Gonsalves-- in Lodi, CA. 1929: Richard Cavazos, first 1933: Leo Márquez, lieutenant Medal of Honor recipient and 1940: Opera singer Justino Diaz Hispanic four-star Army general of USAF, is born in Marine Corps private first class is born in San Juan, PR. general, is born in King Ranch, Paralta, NM. (WWII)--is born in Alameda, 1948: TV host Cristina Saralegui TX. CA. is born in Havana, Cuba. NOTE: Hispanic Medal of Honor recipients with missing birth dates and therefore not listed in calendar include Philip Bazaar (Navy seaman in Civil War, born in Santiago, Chile); David M. Gonzales (Army private first class in WWII, born in Pacoima, CA); and John Ortega (Navy seaman in Civil War, born 1840 in Spain). As of December 1995, there were 38 Hispanic recipients of this award for exemplary service and bravery in combat. Alicia Alonso, Cuba’s foremost ballet dancer, is shown performing the “Black Swan Pas de Deux” at the Metropolitan Theater, New York, in 1955. 1997 February 1997 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1929: Carlos José Arboleya, 1 CEO of Barnett Banks in Miami, FL, is born in Havana, Cuba. 1947: Robert Ortega, Jr. , founder of Construction Management Associates, is born in El Paso, TX. 1848: Treaty of Guadalupe 2 1814: Mariano Matamoros, 3 1973: Oscar de la Hoya, boxer, 4 1824: Patriot forces under Simón 5 1899: Ramón Novarro--silent 6 1833: Ricardo Palma, creator 7 8 Hidalgo ends war between Roman Catholic priest and is born in East Los Angeles, Bolívar and Bartolomé Salom film idol and actor (Ben Hur, of literary genre of tradición, Mexico and United States. Mexican independence fighter, CA. begin two-year siege of royal 1926)--is born in Durango, based on Americanist pride, is is executed for treason. fortress of King Philip, in Callao, Mexico. born in Lima, Peru. 1851: José Guadalupe 1958: Ritchie Valens, singer Peru. Posada, illustrator of 1910 characterized in La Bamba film, 1900-Spanish-American War Revolution, is born in dies in airplane crash near ends. Aguascalientes, Mexico. Clear Lake, IA. 1930: Angelo D. Juárez, 9 1916: Edward R. Roybal, 10 11 1541: Santiago, Chile, is founded 12 1886: Ricardo Güiraldes, 13 1811: Domingo Faustino 14 1898: USS Maine is 15 major general of US Army longest serving US by Spanish explorer Pedro de author of national novel, Don Sarmiento, Argentina's greatest destroyed in Havana Harbor, Reserve, is born in Chicago, representative (D-CA), since Valdivia. Segundo Sombra (1926), is prose writer (Facundo o Cuba. IL. 1964, and chairman of born in Buenos Aires, Civilización y barbarie) and 1953: Francisco Gómez- Congressional Hispanic Argentina. president (1868-74), is born in Dallmeier, Latin American Caucus, is born in San Juan, Argentina. biologist and director of Man Albuquerque, NM. 1933: Adolfo, fashion designer, and the Biosphere Diversity is born in Havana, Cuba. Program at Smithsonian, is born in Caracas, Venezuela. 16 1929: League of United Latin 17 1898: Luis Muñoz Marín, first 18 1972: Armando Ramos wins 19 1905: Arthur-León Campa, 20 1795: Antonio López de Santa 21 1819: Spain cedes Florida to 22 American Citizens (LULAC) is governor and principal architect lightweight boxing championship Mexican-American folklorist Anna, president and dictator of United States under Adams- founded in Corpus Christi, TX. of Commonwealth of Puerto over Pedro Carrasco in World and writer, is born in Guaymas, Mexico on eight occasions Oñís Treaty. 1967: Ciro Alegría, honored Rico, is born in San Juan, PR. Boxing Congress. Mexico. during 1833-55, is born in novelist of El mundo es ancho y Jalapa, Mexico. 1964: Gigi Fernández, tennis ajeno (1941), dies (born 11/4/09 1942: USS San Juan, WWII player, is born in San Juan, in Trujillo, Peru). light cruiser, is commissioned. PR. 1836: Battle of the Alamo for 23 1947: Edward James Olmos, 24 1778: José de San Martín, 25 1948: Priscilla López--Broadway 26 1621: Pedro Bedón, 27 !882: José Vasconcelos, 28 independence of Texas from actor (Stand and Deliver), is liberator of Chile and Peru, is actress, dancer, and singer--is Ecuadorian painter, dies in Mexican minister of education Mexico begins in San born in Los Angeles, CA. born in Yapeyú, Argentina. born in the Bronx, NY. Quito. and great Latin American Antonio, TX. 1844: Dominican Republic’s essayist (La raza cósmica, 1952: Judith Ortiz Cofer, poet independence day. 1925), is born in Oaxaca, 1963: Bobby Bonilla, All-Star and novelist, is born in Puerto 1959: Mexican-American Mexico. baseball player, is born in the Rico. Political Association (MAPA) is Bronx, NY. founded in California. The son of poor migrant farm workers in Yuma, Arizona, C’esar Estrada Chavez became a gifted leader and organizer and founder of the United Farm Workers, choosing to live penniless and without property. He died in 1993. 1997 March 1997 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1609: Spanish write 30 1899: David Barkley--Medal of 31 1920: Julián Samora, 1 instructions to build Santa Fe Honor winner and Army private sociologist and White House de San Francisco (present- (WWI)--is born in Laredo, TX. Hispanic Heritage Award day Santa Fe, NM). 1914: Octavio Paz, Mexico's recipient, is born in Pagosa first Nobel laureate for literature Springs, CO. (El laberinto de la soledad, 1938: Euripides Rubio, Medal 1950), is born in Mexico City, of Honor recipient, is born in Mexico. Ponce, PR. 1917: Desi Arnaz--producer, 2 1923: Manuel Pérez, Jr.