The history of Spain has been, between the 15th and 18th centuries, the history of the world. Great explorations, scientific discoveries, the discovery and subsequent liberation of America, the globalisation of trade, … all happened under the Spanish banner. But history has distorted, falsified or forgotten many of the great Spanish exploits for the benefit of others who came later, British, French, …
In this section we will try to put things in their place; we will tell the story as it was, without additions, putting in the place they deserve such important characters as Francisco Javier Bamis and the nurse Isabel Zendal, Bernardo de Gálvez, Fray Junipero Serra, Andrés de Urdaneta, Ana María de Soto and many many many more Spaniards whose actions should be filling up bookshelves and movie theatres but, instead, are hidden in dusty unknown archives.
We will also review some of the exagerated achievements of other nations and put them in context, far from propaganda and embellishments.
On This Day
- 526 Pope John I dies in prison in Ravenna, imprisoned by Theodoric the Great.
- 1499 Alonso de Ojeda set sail from Puerto de Santa María on the first exploratory voyage to the New World after Columbus' first three voyages.
- 1525 Juan de Medina founded the town of Trujillo (Honduras).
- 1541 The city of Valladolid (Mexico) was founded under the name of Ciudad de Mechuacán, today Morelia.
- 1565 The Royal Court and Chancery of Concepción, Chile, was established.
- 1804 The French Senate proclaims Napoleon Bonaparte emperor, who takes the name Napoleon I.
- 1841 The Carlist prince Carlos María Isidro abdicates his pretended rights to the Spanish crown to his son, Carlos Luis de Borbón.
- 1868 Nicholas Romanov (d. 1918), last Tsar of Russia, is born.
- 1909 The great musician Isaac Albéniz (b. 1860) dies.
- 1920 Karol Woytila (d. 2005), who was to serve one of the longest pontificates as John Paul II, is born.
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