Have you been wondering what July 24th commemorates? This is the day that “The Liberator” was born. For those of you who are unaware of this little piece of Spanish history, read on to learn more or simply brush up on your Simon Bolivar trivia.
The man known as “The Liberator”, Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte Blanco, or Simon Bolivar, for this article’s purpose, was born on the 24th of July, 1783 in Venezuela’s capital city, Caracas. Though his legacy was not necessarily etched in stone, the Bolivar name was associated with the higher classes. In fact, his father was a remote descendant of King Fernando III.
Here is a little tidbit that you might find in a Simon Bolivar quiz. Bolivar’s parents had both passed away quite early in life; forcing the young Bolivar to finish his education in Spain. He met and subsequently married a young woman, named Maria del Toro, in Spain in 1802. By 1804, he had lost his young wife to yellow fever and had chosen to leave Venezuela to revisit Europe.
During the year of 1808 in South America, Bolivar joined the resistance juntas to support the efforts that were being made against Spain. Shortly after this, in 1812, Bolivar had to flee Venezuela. It was during this time that he wrote the Manifesto de Cartagena. This also happens to be the first public document of Bolivar.
The very next year, Bolivar headed up the military in what is now Columbia, but was then Tunja New Granada. May 14, 1813 is what initially set things into motion for the Admirable Campaign. This was the day that Bolivar and his troops invaded Venezuela. By June 9th, Bolivar was being called “The Liberator” and was soon ratified as such.
Bolivar went on to fight for independence from Spain for many years; until Venezuela, New Granada, and Ecuador were all independent of Spain. On the 7th of September, Gran Colombia was formed and Bolivar became the President. But, Simon Bolivar’s life as “The Liberator” was far from over. He also concentrated on fully liberating Peru and was eventually named the country’s dictator. Bolivar had partnered with Antonio Sucre and together they defeated the Spanish.
Simon Bolivar trivia extends much farther than the information that you’ve just read. His life was spent engrossed in fighting for independence. In fact, his legacy was worthy enough that an entire country was named after him. Do you know what it was? Think hard…Bolivia! How many individuals have that honor? Surely, only a very special few could have possibly been bestowed this.
