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Agustín I
Military Leader, Emperor / 1783 - 1824
Agustin de Iturbide was a Mexican military chieftain who was the leader of the conservative factions in the Mexican independence movement and emperor of Mexico.
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(1783-1824)
Military Leader, Emperor
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Luis Barragán
Architect, Engineer / 1902 - 1988
Luis Barragán was an architect and engineer whose evocative houses, gardens, plazas and fountains won him acclaim.
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(1902-1988)
Architect, Engineer
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Adriana Barraza
Film Actress, Television Actress, Director / 1956 -
Actress Adriana Barraza played Amelia in the award-winning film Babel. Her performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
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(1956-)
Film Actress, Television Actress, Director
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Gael García Bernal
Film Actor, Filmmaker / 1978 -
Mexican actor and director Gael García Bernal starred as Che Guevera in The Motorcycle Diaries (2004) and as Stéphane Miroux in The Science of Sleep (2006).
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(1978-)
Film Actor, Filmmaker
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Nicolás Bravo
World Leader / 1786 - 1854
Nicolás Bravo (1786–1854) helped Mexico achieve independence from Spain, and served as its president in the 1830s and 40s.
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(1786-1854)
World Leader
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Plutarco Elias Calles
World Leader / 1877 - 1945
Plutarco Elías Calles served as the president of Mexico from 1924-1928. He is best known fiercely opposing Roman Catholicism, which led to the Cristero War.
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(1877-1945)
World Leader
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Venustiano Carranza
Military Leader, World Leader / 1859 - 1920
Venustiano Carranza was a revolutionary during Mexico's civil war and became the Mexican Republic's first president in 1917.
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(1859-1920)
Military Leader, World Leader
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Elizabeth Catlett
Sculptor / 1915 - 2012
Artist Elizabeth Catlett celebrates African-American workers in sculptures and prints. She's known for works like "Negro Woman," "Sharecropper" and "Survivor."
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(1915-2012)
Sculptor
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Julio César Chávez
Boxer / 1962 -
Julio César Chávez is a retired Mexican professional boxer and world lightweight champion who, for many years, was one of Mexico's most popular sports figures.
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(1962-)
Boxer
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Julio César Chávez Jr.
Boxer / 1986 -
The son of famed Mexican boxer Julio César Chávez, Julio César Chávez Jr. won the World Boxing Council's middleweight title in 2011, then lost the title to Sergio Martinez in 2012.
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(1986-)
Boxer
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Cuauhtémoc
Folk Hero, Military Leader, Emperor / 1495 - 1525
Cuauhtémoc was the last Aztec Emperor, ruling from 1520 to 1521. He was tortured and killed by the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés in 1522.
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(1495-1525)
Folk Hero, Military Leader, Emperor
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Carlos Salinas de Gortari
World Leader / 1948 -
Carlos Salinas de Gortari was president of Mexico from 1988 to 1994. He negotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement.
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(1948-)
World Leader
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Miguel de la Madrid
Educator, Economist, World Leader / 1934 - 2012
Miguel de la Madrid was president of Mexico from 1982 to 1988. He was a political conservative and his administration was characterized by an economic crisis.
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(1934-2012)
Educator, Economist, World Leader
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Juan de Oñate
Explorer, Governor / 1550 - 1630
Conquistador Juan de Oñate established the colony of New Mexico for Spain. During his governorship, he vainly sought the mythical riches of North America.
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(1550-1630)
Explorer, Governor
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Plácido Domingo
Singer / 1941 -
Plácido Domingo is a Spanish-Mexican tenor and conductor best known for his powerful and versatile voice.
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(1941-)
Singer
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Porfirio Díaz
General, Dictator, World Leader / 1830 - 1915
Porfirio Díaz was a soldier and president of Mexico who is best known for establishing a strong centralized state during his term.
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(1830-1915)
General, Dictator, World Leader
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Laura Esquivel
Educator, Journalist, Author, Screenwriter / 1950 -
Laura Esquivel is the author of Like Water for Chocolate, an imaginative and compelling combination of novel and cookbook, as well as other books.
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(1950-)
Educator, Journalist, Author, Screenwriter
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Felipe Calderón
World Leader / 1962 -
Felipe Calderón is a politician who became president of Mexico in 2006. During his term he passed legislation to reform Mexico's judicial system.
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(1962-)
World Leader
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Vicente Fox
Business Leader, World Leader / 1942 -
Vicente Fox is a Mexican businessman who served as his country's president from 2000 to 2006.
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(1942-)
Business Leader, World Leader
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Salma Hayek
Film Actress / 1966 -
Salma Hayek is an actress, director and producer of Mexican descent who was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in Frida.
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(1966-)
Film Actress
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Carlos Slim Helú
Entrepreneur / 1940 -
Billionaire Carlos Slim Helú purchased investments following the economic crash of 1982, which later made him one of the wealthiest people in the world.
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(1940-)
Entrepreneur
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Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla
Activist, Folk Hero, Political Leader, Priest / 1753 - 1811
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla was a Mexican Catholic priest who called for revolution against the Spanish on September 16, 1810.
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(1753-1811)
Activist, Folk Hero, Political Leader, Priest
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Victoriano Huerta
General, Dictator / 1850 - 1916
Victoriano Huerta was dictatorial president of Mexico, whose regime united disparate revolutionary forces in common opposition to him.
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(1850-1916)
General, Dictator
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José María Velasco Ibarra
Dictator, World Leader / 1893 - 1979
José María Velasco Ibarra was a lawyer, a major political figure in Ecuador from the 1930s to the 1970s and five times president of Ecuador.
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(1893-1979)
Dictator, World Leader
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Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz
Women's Rights Activist, Nun, Writer / 1651 - 1695
Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz was a 17th century nun, self-taught scholar and acclaimed writer of the Latin American colonial period and the Hispanic Baroque. She was also a staunch advocate for women's rights.
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(1651-1695)
Women's Rights Activist, Nun, Writer
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Alejandro González Iñárritu
Entrepreneur, Director, Songwriter, Television Producer / 1963 -
Alejandro Gonzales Iñárritu is a Mexican film director whose 1999 feature film, Amores Perros, won an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.
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(1963-)
Entrepreneur, Director, Songwriter, Television Producer
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Benito Juárez
World Leader / 1806 - 1872
Benito Juárez was a national hero and president of Mexico, who, for three years (1864-'67), fought against foreign occupation under Maximilian.
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(1806-1872)
World Leader
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Frida Kahlo
Painter / 1907 - 1954
Painter Frida Kahlo was a Mexican self-portrait artist who was married to Diego Rivera and is still admired as a feminist icon.
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(1907-1954)
Painter
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José Limón
Ballet Dancer, Choreographer / 1908 - 1972
José Limón was a Mexican-born American modern dancer and choreographer, and was the founder-director of the José Limón Dance Company.
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(1908-1972)
Ballet Dancer, Choreographer
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Antonio López de Santa Anna
Warrior, World Leader / 1794 - 1876
Antonio López de Santa Anna was a 19th century Mexican military officer who acted as the country’s president and dictator at different periods.
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(1794-1876)
Warrior, World Leader
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Francisco Madero
World Leader / 1873 - 1913
Francisco Madero was a reformist politician who successfully removed dictator Porfirio Diaz from office in Mexico. He became president in 1911, but was assassinated two years later.
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(1873-1913)
World Leader
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Mario Molina
Chemist / 1943 -
Mexican-born chemist Mario Molina won a Nobel Prize in 1995 for his research on how man-made compounds affect the ozone layer.
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(1943-)
Chemist
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Ricardo Montalban
Actor / 1920 - 2009
Actor Ricardo Montalban is best known for playing Mr. Roarke on television's Fantasy Island—the role that launched him into true stardom.
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(1920-2009)
Actor
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Montezuma II
Emperor / 1466 - 1520
Montezuma II was the last of the Aztec emperors, who was defeated by Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés in 1520.
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(1466-1520)
Emperor
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José María Morelos
Political Leader, Priest / 1765 - 1815
Revolutionary priest José María Morelos assumed leadership of the Mexican independence movement after Miguel Hidalgo's 1810 rebellion and subsequent execution.
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(1765-1815)
Political Leader, Priest
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Carlos Mérida
Painter / 1891 - 1984
Guatemalan muralist Carlos Mérida created work inspired by the social revolution in Mexico. An earthquake destroyed his mosaic murals in Mexico City in 1985.
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(1891-1984)
Painter
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Álvaro Obregón
Military Leader, World Leader / 1880 - 1928
Álvaro Obregón was a statesman, soldier and reformer who, as president, restored order to Mexico after a decade of political upheavals and civil war.
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(1880-1928)
Military Leader, World Leader
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José Clemente Orozco
Illustrator, Painter / 1883 - 1949
José Clemente Orozco was a painter who helped lead the revival of Mexican mural painting in the 1920s. His works are complex and often tragic.
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(1883-1949)
Illustrator, Painter
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Octavio Paz
Author, Poet / 1914 - 1998
Mexican poet and essayist Octavio Paz received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1990.
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(1914-1998)
Author, Poet
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José Guadalupe Posada
Illustrator / 1851 - 1913
José Guadalupe Posada was a printmaker whose works, often expressionistic in content and style, were influential in the development of 20th-century Mexican art.
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(1851-1913)
Illustrator
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Diego Rivera
Painter / 1886 - 1957
Painter and muralist Diego Rivera sought to make art that reflected the lives of the working class and native peoples of Mexico.
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(1886-1957)
Painter
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Juan Rulfo
Author / 1918 - 1986
Mexican writer John Rulfo is considered one of the finest novelists and short-story creators in 20th-century Latin America.
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(1918-1986)
Author
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David Alfaro Siqueiros
Painter / 1896 - 1974
David Alfaro Siqueiros was a Mexican painter and muralist whose work reflected his Marxist ideology.
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(1896-1974)
Painter
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Rufino Tamayo
Painter, Sculptor / 1899 - 1991
Rufino Tamayo was a 20th century painter who was famous for combining Mexican folk themes and modern European surrealist imagery.
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(1899-1991)
Painter, Sculptor
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Gloria Trevi
Singer / 1968 -
Mexican pop superstar Gloria Trevi's career fell apart in the 1990s when she and her manager were accused of corrupting minors, sexual abuse, and kidnapping.
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(1968-)
Singer
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Ritchie Valens
Songwriter, Singer / 1941 - 1959
Mexican-American musician Ritchie Valens is best known for his hit "La Bamba." His successful career was cut short when he died in a plane crash at age 17.
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(1941-1959)
Songwriter, Singer
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Fernando Valenzuela
Baseball Player / 1960 -
Professional baseball player Fernando Valenzuela was a cultural icon in Mexico and the U.S. Latino community. In 1981, he was named Rookie of the Year.
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(1960-)
Baseball Player
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Guadalupe Victoria
World Leader / 1786 - 1843
Revolutionary Guadalupe Victoria became the first elected president of the Mexican Republic in 1824.
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(1786-1843)
World Leader
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Pancho Villa
Military Leader / 1878 - 1923
Pancho Villa was a top military leader of the Mexican Revolution whose exploits were regularly filmed by a Hollywood company.
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(1878-1923)
Military Leader
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Emiliano Zapata
Military Leader / 1879 - 1919
Emiliano Zapata was a leading figure in the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920), during which he formed and commanded the Liberation Army of the South, an important revolutionary brigade. Followers of Zapata were known as Zapatistas.
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(1879-1919)
Military Leader
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Ernesto Zedillo
Economist, World Leader / 1951 -
Ernesto Zedillo was president of Mexico 1994–2000. He made a major effort to restore public confidence damaged by the scandals of the Salinas administration.
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(1951-)
Economist, World Leader
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Manuel Álvarez Bravo
Photographer / 1902 - 2002
Influenced by Surrealism, Manuel Álvarez Bravo was a photographer known for his poetic images of Mexican people and places.
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(1902-2002)
Photographer