11. Battle of Fontenoy, 1745. A French army of 56.000 men under command of Marshall Maurice, Comte de Saxe, defeat a 53.000 men army conducted by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, and formed by Austrian, British and Dutch forces. The Brigade Irlandaise formed with Irish soldiers on French service, made an outstanding contribution to French victory. This Brigade –the original "Wild Geese"- were raised by King Louis XIV and was in a continuous service from 1698 until 1791. The Brigade –strong of more then 5.500 men- was organized in several infantry and cavalry regiments and units, but should be noted that at the end of the XVII century there were more than 20.000 Irish soldiers in the French service overall. Also is quotable that at a time when nations were increasingly adopting uniform colors for infantry regiments, the Irish at the service of the French Crown never gave up their red coats.
11. The work by Vicente López y Planes was approved by the General Constitutional Assembly as the only song of the United Provinces of the Plata River –later to become the National Anthem, 1813. The music was composed by Spanish maestro Blas Parera. Years later, the version by Pedro Esnaola published in 1860 became established as the definitive one.
11. Karl I of Austria-Hungary accepts military and economic union with Germany, 1918.
11. US forces begin recapture of Aleutian Islands with a landing on Attu, 1943.
11. Axis forces surrender in Tunisia; end of fighting in Africa, 1943.
11. Allies launch new offensive on the Gustav Line, Italy, 1944.
12. The Argentine Congress began public sessions in the City of Buenos Aires. This was the same organization that, having been established to session in the city of Tucuman, unanimously and solemnly declared the Independence of the United Provinces of the Plata River on July 9, 1816.
12. Trident Conference in Washington fixes date of D-Day for May 1, 1944, 1943.
13. Mary of Scotland is defeated at the Battle of Langside, 1568.
13. Formal declaration of war against México by the US, 1846.
13. South Africans take Windhoek, Southwest Africa, 1915.
14. Naval Combat of Montevideo, 1814. Admiral William Brown, leading a squadron of seven ships, attacked and defeated the Spanish fleet based in that city. The battle was waged within view of the city and was very fierce. The patriots captured two of the best royalist ships in addition to prisoners and armament.
14. The Republic of Argentina handed over Villa Occidental to the Republic of Paraguay, 1879. This zone was the object of a border dispute between the two countries. The conflict was submitted to the arbitration of the President of the United States of America, who found in favor of Paraguay. The Republic demonstrated its political maturity, accepting the arbitration decision without any discussions and handing over territorial possession. It may be recalled that 10 years before, the Argentine armies had occupied Paraguay and its capital city in the victorious war of the Triple Alliance.
14. Surrender of the Dutch Army to Germany; Queen Wilhelmina flees to Britain, 1940.
14. British relinquishment of its mandate over Palestine, 1948.
15. Lancastrians defeated by the Yorkists at Hexham, 1464.
15. Granting of the title of Count of Buenos Aires to Santiago de Liniers y Bremond, 1809. For his merits in the Reconquest and Defense of Buenos Aires during the British Invasions of 1806 and 1807.
15. Spanish Governor Velasco of the province of Paraguay, was deposed and a Patriot Government Junta was established having as members Castro, Yegros and Rodríguez de Francia, 1811. This civic coup had the antecedents of the expedition led by General Manuel Belgrano and the pro-independence propaganda carried out by Francisco de Somellera.
15. Appointment of the first Chief of Police, 1821. He was Joaquín de Achával who became responsible for the so-called Order Corp that he had founded the previous year. He had been born in the city of Charcas, Upper Peru (currently Bolivia) 13-01-1795. He died 09-10-1841.
15. Marshal Henri-Philippe Petain replaces General Robert G. Nivelle as French C-in-C, 1917.
15. First H bomb of the UK dropped from a Vickers Valiant bomber, 1957.
16. Birth in Newbury Port, Massachusetts, United States of America of William Wheelwright, 1798. He was a promoter of Argentine progress. He arrived in the Plata River in 1823. He traveled to Chile were he constructed several public works. Returning to the country after the Battle of Caseros, he offered his services to Treasury Minister Mariano Fragueiro, to build a railroad between the cities of Rosario and Cordoba, later called Ferrocarril Central Argentino, which was inaugurated on May 17, 1870. He also built the railroad from Buenos Aires to the port of Ensenada, inaugurated on December 31, 1872. He traveled to England for health reasons and died there on 26-09-1873.
16. Report written from London, England, by General Manuel Belgrano and Bernardino Rivadavia to former King of Spain Charles IV, 1815. In it they begged him to travel to Buenos Aires so that he or his son, Don Francisco de Paula would take over the government of the Provinces of the Plata River, under independent sovereignty. In another document, signed jointly with Manuel de Sarratea, they also offered that in case the Infant Don Francisco was crowned King of the Plata River and should Spain withdraw the agreed assignments, the National Treasury would respond in the same terms.
16. Warsaw uprising brutally suppressed, 1943.
17. Birth in the city of San Luis of Colonel Juan P. Pringles, 1795. He was a legendary hero. At age 18 he joined his province's cavalry militia corps as a second lieutenant. He distinguished himself by his courage and energy in repressing the uprising of Spanish prisoners in San Luis, in 08-02-1819. He belonged to the Regiment of Mounted Grenadiers and fought during the Peru campaigns. In a combat against much more numerous royalist forced in Chancay, by the seaside, Pringles charged with his saber several times, leading his grenadiers, until they were surrounded and had no possibility of escape. Instead of surrendering, he ordered the four grenadiers who remained with him to jump into the sea. The Spanish leader, Colonel Valdés, seeing them advance into the ocean, run to shout that he would guarantee their freedom. General José de San Martín had each of the five presented with an arm shield with the legend: Glory to the vanquished in Chancay.
17. Birth in the city of Buenos Aires of Patricio Peralta Ramos, 1814. Dedicated to cattle growing, he founded and populated the estancias San Jacinto, San Alberto, Santa Cecilia and San Patricio. He collaborated with the forces of Rosas. After the Battle of Caseros he moved to the South of the Province of Buenos Aires. At the site known as Post of the Fathers' Lagoon he established a salting plant and a mill, and remade his fortune. In 14-11-1873 he offered Governor Mariano Acosta vast lands that he owned to found a seaside city, at no charge. The government accepted his donation, which gave rise to the city of Mar del Plata, where he died on 25-04-1887.
17. Admiral William Brown destroyed in combat the last remains of the Montevideo Spanish fleet that had been saved from the defeat of May 14, 1814. This date was instituted as the Day of the Argentine Navy.
17. Proclamation of the Federal Republic of Tucumán, in the city of Tucumán, 1820. A Congress was convened with representatives of the territories of Tucumán, Catamarca and Santiago del Estero and proclaimed a republic that was independent from the rest of the country.
18. Beginning of the Siege of Malta, 1565. A large fleet and army leaded by high rank officers of the Sultan Suleiman I, against the Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem commanded by the Grand Master, Jean Parisot de la Valette, who had served the Order for 50 of his 71 years.
18. Birth in Barbuñales, Barbastro, Spain, of Félix de Azara, 1746. Scientist, traveler and naturalist. In 1775, the King appointed him Main Commissary for the demarcation of the limits of the territories belonging to Spain and Portugal in America. He arrived in the Province of Paraguay in 1781, and carried out in-depth and thorough geographical and zoological investigations. He wrote several books on his investigations that were published in Spain. The most famous one of them is Viajes por la América Meridional (Journeys in South America) which was received with great interest by the makers of the May 1810 Revolution. He founded the villages of San Gabriel and Esperanza in the border with Brazil, close to the springs of the Ibicuí. He died in his hometown, 20-10-1821.
18. Execution of the Inca Tupac Amarú, 1781. Driven by his hatred of the Spanish, in 1780 he devised to follow a plan to reconquer the independence of Perú. He led an uprising in several provinces of the Perú and Plata Viceroyships, but his rebellion was crushed and he was taken prisoner together with the main rebel leaders.
18. Dead of Marshal Aleksandr Vasilevich Suvorov, Count of Rymnitsky and Prince of Italy, 1800. Born in Moscow in 1729 was seriously wonded six times and credited with winning 63 battles in the course of his career. Like Napoleon, to whom he is most often compared he believed that opportunities in battle are created by fortune but exploited by intelligence, experience and an intuitive eye. Also believed that "a military man must know the languages of the nations with whom he is fighting" and "Music (military) doubles, trebles the force of an army". Aleksandr Suvarov bequeathed a triple legacy to his country: First, his victories, which gave Russia territory, prestige and a military tradition. Second, his theories regarding the organization and preparation for war. Third, the "schoool" of generals who had apprenticed under him.
18. Allies capture Monte Casino, Italy, 1944.
19. The Spanish Armada sets sail from Lisbon, 1588.
19. The General Constitutional Assembly abolished nobility titles; minors under 20 years of age were forbidden to take religious vows; torture was banned and the existing instruments were ordered burned in public in May Square, 1813.
19. Ho Chi Minh, revolutionary leader, is born in French Indochine, 1890.
19. Thomas E. Lawrence, "Lawrence of Arabia", soldier and author of The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, dies while riding on his motor bike, Dorset, England, 1935.
20. Death in Valladolid, Spain of Great Admiral Christopher Columbus, 1506.
20. Birth of Bernardino González de Rivadavia, 1780. Known as Bernardino Rivadavia, he was the first President of Argentina, taking office in 07-02-1826. He had been one of the members of the Triumvirate that succeeded the First Government Junta in 1811. Rivadavia's political and administrative work was brilliant. He was a promoter of public education, freedom of the press and openness of Government activity. He was also a social reformer, who contained the exaggerated expansion of assets of the Roman Catholic Church. He promoted the progress of the rural areas. Austere in his habits, he died in poverty in Cadiz, Spain, on September 2, 1845.
20. Juan J. Castelli, on behalf of the people of Buenos Aires and the native militias cantoned in the city of Buenos Aires, formulated a claim before Viceroy Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros requiring the assembly of an Open Cabildo (assembly) to define the political future of the viceroyship, 1810. This happened at a time of great popular agitation and expectations for profound changes in the political and institutional arrangements.
20. Death in the Republic of Uruguay of Navy Colonel Leonardo Rosales, 1836. He was one of the most distinguished captains of Admiral William Brown, called by himself a soldier of order. He had to go into exile due to the persecution of Dictator Juan M. Rosas' federal party and settled down as a bar tender in Uruguay. He had been born 05-11-1792. Tradition published the march Navy Colonel Leonardo Rosales in TR020102 "Marches and Bugle Calls of the Argentine Navy."
20. First issue of the daily La Época, the first one to be published in the city of Santa Fe, 1886.
20. Moshe Dayan, military commander and politician, born in Palestine, 1915.
20. German forces land on Crete, 1941. << previous | next >>
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