Today - 21 January - Ignacio Allende

We can hear drumbeats, clapping and cheers from Suryaluna. Its sunny today...still a lil cold but sunny. Great day for a parade.
Today, there is a parade in town. We can view it from calle Hernandez Marcias, calle Insurgentes, at the end of calle Mesones and round to the Jardin Principal...which is of course passing calle San Francisco. We get a pretty good view from the Suryaluna balcony too. Lots of people, both the locals and tourists are out in the streets with cameras, their hats and jackets in hand, some with kids in tow. Some run from one street to another trying to catch better pictures of the soldiers on foot, in the cars/jeeps, on horses, even in tanks. They all look really smart in their uniform. Especially impressive were those on horseback. Immaculate uniforms and beautiful horses. Our guests from Suryaluna hostel woke up, had coffee and were out walking, looking for the best spot to take pictures and watch the parade. Its a pretty extensive parade too, as all the schools, from primary to universities are participating in the parade. So, I bet there are many proud parents taking pictures of their kids in their band or official school uniform as they pass. Its interesting the various uniforms of different schools, even how their respective teachers are dressed as they lead their students onward.

What is the parade for? The Mexicans are celebrating the birth of one of their heroes, Ignacio Allende. There are many places named in his honor including the municipality of Allende and town of San Miguel de Allende in the state of Guanajuato, and the Chihuahua municipality of Allende and its municipal seat, Valle de Allende.

In January 21, 1779, Allende was born to a wealthy Spanish family in San Miguel el Grande, now known as San Miguel de Allende, in Guanajuato. Although he joined the Spanish army in 1802, he started to favor the possibility of independence from Spain a few years after that. He attended conspiratorial meetings, which was actually pretty widely known but which went unsanctioned. A lil after 1809, Allende met Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla and his captain Juan Aldama and plans were made. Some of their plans were discovered and the rebellion started earlier than agreed upon. It started in the town of Dolores, where with the famous Grito de Dolores by Hidalgo, the revolution was on. The rebel army quickly captured the town and made their way towards San Miguel el Grande (San Miguel de Allende), where Allende obtained the support of his cavalry regiment.
Hidalgo y Costilla was officially made captain general of the Revolutionary army while Allende was made lieutenant general. After the famous capture of the Alhóndiga de Granaditas, in Guanajuato, and his victory in the Battle of Monte de las Cruces Allende suggested Hidalgo march toward Mexico City and capture it. They lost the Battle of the Bridge of Calderón and the Revolutionary army demanded that Hidalgo be replaced. Allende took this new responsibility and, with an almost destroyed army, he marched north to the United States, hoping to gather more money, weapons and troops. They were however, ambushed in Acatita de Baján, betraye by Ignacio Elizondo. Allende and several other rebel commanders were captured. Allende's illegitimate child, Indalecio was killed during this ambush and he, Allende was taken to the city of Chihuahua where he was tried for insubordination and executed by firing squad on June 26, 1811. His body was decapitated and his head taken to the Alhóndiga de Granaditas where it was shown to the public inside a cage hung from one corner of the building. In 1824, his remains were buried in the vault reserved for the viceroys and presidents in the cathedral of Mexico. His remains were moved in 1925 to the Independence Column in Mexico City.

Today in History, 21st January...
- The city of Querétaro (the capital of the state of the same name) was founded in 1656.

- Ignacio Allende y Unzaga was born in San Miguel el Grande (today known as San Miguel de Allende) in the state of Guanajuato, in 1779.

- Rubén M. Campos, a well-known Mexican poet, novelist, and composer of folkloric music, was born in Ciudad Manuel Doblado, Guanajuato in 1876.

- Manuel Orozco y Berra (born June 8, 1816) died in Mexico City, in 1881. Orozco y Berra was an agricultural engineer, geologist and archaeologist who was president for many years of the Mexican Society of Geography and Statistics.