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December 1, 1810
José María Mercado, a priest supporting Father Hidalgo's
call for independence from Spain, attacks the Pacific coast port of San Blas, capturing it
in a few hours.
2, 1546
Hernán Cortés, leader of the Spanish Conquest of Mexico, dies in
Spain. His body is subsequently brought back to Mexico and laid to rest in Mexico
City.
3 1533
The name Guadalajara is officially adopted for the new settlement formerly
called the town "of the Holy Spirit in New Galicia". The name Guadalajara was in honor of
the birthplace (in Spain) of Nuño de Guzmán, the city's founder.
U.S. CONGRESS TO FRANCE: WITHDRAW!
5, 1866
The U.S. Congress asks France to withdraw her troops from Mexican soil.
5, 1953
Jorgé Negrete (born 1911), ranchero singing idol and movie star, dies in
Los Angeles, California. Negrete was a founder of the Movie Actors' Union.
6, 1810
In the city of Guadalajara, Father Miguel Hidalgo, "the Father of Mexican Independence", decrees the abolition of slavery and of the tribute system. This predates by many years similar decrees in the U.S. and Britain.
6, 1865
Although asked by Emperor Napoleon III of France to recognize Maximilian's
government in Mexico, the U.S. government refuses, claiming that the French, by invading
Mexico, have attacked a government they "profoundly respect".
7, 1877
Talks are held between Guatemala and Mexico in an effort to settle a
long-standing border dispute.
8, 1714
The town of Guanajuato is elevated to city status. Guanajuato, an important
silver-mining center during colonial times, is now a lovely tourist city; its annual
international Cervantino arts festival attracts culture-lovers from all over the
world.
BIRTH OF A GREAT MURALIST
8, 1886
Diego Rivera is born in Guanajuato. Rivera becomes one of the country's most
prolific artists, famous for his colorful murals, which adorn several Mexico City
buildings including the National Palace.
11, 1881
The principal streets of Mexico City get street-lighting for the first time.
12, 1794 The liberal theologian Servando Teresa de Mier gives an irreligious sermon about
the Virgin of Guadalupe for which he is arrested and sentenced to 10 years exile in
Spain.
12, 1881
Tomás Rogers and Ignacio Alas are awarded the concession to build and
operate a railroad across the Altar Desert between Sonora and Baja California.
12, 1884
Nayarit finally achieves separation from Jalisco and the right to be an
independent state.
14, 1887
President Porfirio Díaz issues a decree by which the peninsula of Baja
California is divided into two territories.
14, 1906
Unrest and strikes begin among the textile workers of Puebla, Tlaxcala and the Orizaba region of Veracruz. The unrest eventually results in the landmark Río
Blanco strike of January 7, 1907.
17, 1790
The original "Aztec calendar", a massive basalt slab weighing 25 tons and carved with elaborate symbols, is unearthed in downtown Mexico City. Representations of the calendar are widely used today on souvenir items.
17, 1885
The decree is signed establishing the School for Primary School Teachers, which later becomes the National Teachers' School. The school opens February 24, 1887.
17, 1963
The U.S. Congress finally agrees definitive restitution to Mexico for the 333 hectares of territory known as El Chamizal.
18, 1865
President Juárez establ | 