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José Gaspar Rodríguez De Francia

José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia

Dr. José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia y Velasco (January 6 1766 – September 20 1840) was the first leader of Paraguay following its independence from Spain. He ran the country with no outside interference and little outside influence from 1814 to 1840. Although his father, a native of São Paulo, was simply García Rodríguez Francia, the dictator inserted de to style himself "Rodríguez de Francia y Velasco". He is often referred to simply as "Francia". Born in Yaguarón, he became a doctor of theology and trained for the Catholic priesthood but never entered it. When Paraguay's independence was declared in 1811, he was appointed secretary to the national junta or congress. In 1814 he secured an election that gave him three years of absolute power to rule as the President of Paraguay. By the end of that term he was in a position to rule for his lifetime, and ran the country with the aid of only three other people. He aimed to found a society on the principles of Rousseau's Social Contract and was also inspired by Robespierre and Napoleon. To create such a personal utopia he imposed a ruthless isolation upon Paraguay, interdicting all external trade, while at the same time he fostered national industries. He became known as a caudillo who ruled through ruthless suppression and random terror with increasing signs of madness, and was known as "El Supremo". He outlawed all opposition and abolished higher education (while expanding the school system), newspapers and the postal service. He abolished the Inquisition and established a secret police force. Leading a spartan lifestyle, Francia frowned on excessive possessions or festivities. He even returned his unspent salary to the treasury. He closed the borders of the country to both people and trade (including river trade with neighbouring Argentina, from which Paraguay had broken off during the Wars of Independence), reasoning this would prevent a national debt from forming, but also isolating the country from outside – especially modernising European influences. Francia later seized the possessions of the Catholic Church, nationalising the land as communal farms which proved successful. He appointed himself head of the Paraguayan church, for which the Pope excommunicated him. He made marriage subject to high taxation and restrictions, insisting he personally conduct all weddings. To reduce the influence of the Spanish gentry, he forbade them to marry among themselves. He himself had no close relationships, but had a daughter, Ubalde García de Cañete. Francia's later years were known for their seemingly arbitrary rulings. He ordered all dogs to be shot. Not only did everyone have to raise their hat when he passed, but those without hats had to carry brims to raise. When Francia died in September 1840, his body was fed to caiman and his furniture burnt. His reputation abroad was negative, though Thomas Carlyle, no friend to democracy, found material to admire even in the publications of Francia's detractors and wrote in an 1843 essay "Liberty of private judgement, unless it kept its mouth shut, was at an end in Paraguay" but considered that under the social circumstances this was of little detriment to a "Gaucho population... not yet fit for constitutional liberty." A modern reader might consider this faint praise, taken all in all. There is today a museum dedicated to Rodríguez de Francia in Yaguarón.

External links


- [http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/paraguay/francia.htm Brief biography of Rodriguez de Francia]
- [http://workmall.com/wfb2001/paraguay/paraguay_history_the_rise_of_jose_gaspar_rodriguez_de_francia.html "Paraguay: The Rise of José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia"]
- I the Supreme, a novel by Augusto Roa Bastos, has an alternative view. Francia, José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia, José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia, José Gaspar Rodríguez de

January 6

January 6 is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. 359 days (360 in leap years) remain in the year after this day.

Events


- 1066 - Harold Godwinson crowned King of England
- 1205 - Philip of Swabia becomes King of the Romans
- 1540 - King Henry VIII of England marries Anne of Cleves.
- 1579 - The Union of Atrecht was signed
- 1661 - The fifth monarchy men unsuccessfully attempt to seize control of London.
- 1690 - Joseph, son of Emperor Leopold I becomes King of the Romans
- 1720 - The Committee of Inquiry on the South Sea Bubble publishes its findings
- 1853 - American President-Elect Franklin Pierce, wife Jane, and son Ben are involved in a train wreck near Andover, Massachusetts. Franklin and Jane survive but eleven-year-old Ben is killed.
- 1858 - Samuel Morse first successfully tested the electrical telegraph.
- 1887 - `Abd-allah II of Harar opens the Battle of Chelenqo with an attack on the camp of the Shewan army of Negus Menelik II early in the morning; prepared for the assault, the Negus orders a counter-attack which routs the enemy, resulting with the capture of Harar a few days later.
- 1893 - Washington National Cathedral is chartered by Congress. The charter is signed by President Benjamin Harrison.
- 1870 - The inauguration of the Musikverein (Vienna).
- 1900 - It is reported that millions are starving in India.
  - Boers attack Ladysmith, South Africa - over 1,000 people killed
- 1907 - Maria Montessori opens her first school and daycare center for working class children in Rome.
- 1912 - New Mexico is admitted as the 47th U.S. state.
- 1929 - King Alexander of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes suspends his country's constitution (the so-called January 6th Dictatorship, Šestojanuarska diktatura.)
- 1930 - The first diesel-engine automobile trip is completed (Indianapolis, Indiana, to New York City).
- 1931 - Thomas Edison submits his last patent application.
- 1936 - Supreme Court of the United States rules the 1933 Agricultural Adjustment Act unconstitutional in the case United States v. Butler et al.; Porky Pig premieres
- 1940 - Actor William Powell marries his 3rd and final wife, actress Diana Lewis
  - Mass execution of Poles, committed by Germans in the city of Poznan, Warthegau.
- 1941 - Franklin Delano Roosevelt delivers his Four Freedoms Speech in the State of the Union Address.
- 1942 - Pan American Airlines becomes the first commercial airline to have a flight go around the world.
- 1946 - William Joyce (Lord Haw-Haw) hanged for treason at the age of 39
- 1950 - The United Kingdom recognizes the People's Republic of China. The Republic of China severs diplomatic relations with Britain in response.
- 1961 - A fire at the Thomas Hotel in San Francisco kills 20 people.
- 1967 - United States Marine Corps and ARVN troops launch "Operation Deckhouse Five" in the Mekong River delta.
- 1973 - Schoolhouse Rock premieres on American television
- 1974 - In response to the energy crisis, daylight saving time commences nearly four months early in the United States.
- 1975 - The American soap opera Another World becomes the first soap opera in the world to air hour-long regularly scheduled episodes.
- 1978 - The Hungarian Holy crown (also known as Stephen_I_of_Hungary crown) returned to Hungary from the United_States, where was held after the WW_II.
- 1982 - William Bonin convicted of being the "freeway killer".
- 1992 - The United Nations Security Council votes unanimously condemning Israel's treatment of Palestinians.
- 1994 - Nancy Kerrigan is clubbed on the right leg by an assailant under orders from figure skating rival Tonya Harding.
- 1995 - A chemical fire in an apartment complex in Manila, Philippines, leads to the discovery of plans for Project Bojinka, a mass-terrorist attack.
- 1996 - 1996 Gaithersburg Metrorail Accident on the Washington Metro system kills one in Montgomery County, Maryland, during the Blizzard of 1996.
- 1998 - The Lunar Prospector spacecraft is launched to survey the moon's surface.
- 1999 - Bob Newhart receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- 2001 - Al Gore, as President of the U.S. Senate, tallies the electoral votes and certifies George W. Bush as the winner of U.S. presidential election, 2000.
- 2005 - Mississippi Civil Rights Workers Murders: Edgar Ray Killen is arrested as a suspect for the 1964 murders of three Civil Rights workers.

Births


- 1367 - King Richard II of England (d. 1400)
- 1412 - Joan of Arc, French warrior and Catholic saint (d. 1431)
- 1418 - Christopher of Bavaria, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden (d. 1448)
- 1486 - Martin Agricola, German composer (d. 1556)
- 1488 - Helius Eobanus Hessus, German poet (d. 1540)
- 1525 - Caspar Peucer, German reformer (d. 1602)
- 1561 - Thomas Fincke, Danish mathematician and physicist (d. 1656)
- 1587 - Gaspar de Guzmán y Pimentel, Count-Duke of Olivares, Spanish statesman (d. 1645)
- 1595 - Claude Favre de Vaugelas, French man of letters (d. 1650)
- 1617 - Kristoffer Gabel, Danish statesman (d. 1673)
- 1706 (O.S.) - Benjamin Franklin, American statesman (d. 1790)
- 1714 - Percivall Pott, English physician and surgeon (d. 1788)
- 1822 - Heinrich Schliemann, German archaeologist (d. 1890)
- 1832 - Gustave Doré, French painter and sculptor (d. 1883)
- 1838 - Max Bruch, German composer (d. 1920)
- 1872 - Alexander Scriabin, Russian composer (d. 1915)
- 1878 - Carl Sandburg, American poet and historian (d. 1967)
- 1880 - Tom Mix, American actor (d. 1940)
- 1882 - Fan S. Noli, Albanian bishop, poet, and political figure (d. 1965)
- 1882 - Sam Rayburn, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 1961)
- 1883 - Khalil Gibran, Lebanese writer and painter (d. 1931)
- 1898 - James Fitzmaurice, Irish aviation pioneer (d. 1965)
- 1899 - Phyllis Haver, American actress (d. 1960)
- 1903 - Maurice Abravanel, Greek-born conductor (d. 1993)
- 1910 - Morris Wright, American writer (d. 1998)
- 1910 - Loretta Young, American actress (d. 2000)
- 1913 - Edward Gierek, Polish politician (d. 2001)
- 1914 - Danny Thomas, American singer, actor, and comedian (d. 1991)
- 1915 - Alan Watts, English writer, philosopher (d. 1973)
- 1920 - Sun Myung Moon, Korean evangelist
- 1920 - John Maynard Smith, English bioligist (d. 2004)
- 1920 - Early Wynn, baseball player (d. 1999)
- 1923 - Jacobo Timerman, Argentine writer (d. 1999)
- 1924 - Earl Scruggs, American musician
- 1925 - John De Lorean, American auto maker (d. 2005)
- 1926 - Ralph Branca, baseball player
- 1926 - Kid Gavilan, Cuban boxer (d. 2003)
- 1929 - Babrak Karmal, Afghani politician (d. 1996)
- 1930 - Vic Tayback, American actor
- 1931 - Capucine, French actress (d. 1990)
- 1931 - E. L. Doctorow, American author
- 1931 - Dickie Moore, Canadian hockey player
- 1932 - Stuart A. Rice, American chemist
- 1933 - Oleg Makarov, cosmonaut (d. 2003)
- 1933 - Emil Steinberger, Swiss comedian
- 1936 - Julio María Sanguinetti Coirolo, President of Uruguay
- 1940 - Penny Lernoux, American journalist and author (d. 1989)
- 1940 - Van McCoy, American musician (d. 1979)
- 1943 - Terry Venables, English football manager
- 1944 - Bonnie Franklin, American actress
- 1944 - Rolf M. Zinkernagel, Swiss immunologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
- 1946 - Syd Barrett, English guitarist and singer
- 1947 - Sandy Denny, English vocalist (d. 1978)
- 1951 - Kim Wilson, American musician
- 1953 - Malcolm Young, Scottish guitarist (AC/DC)
- 1954 - Hans Robert Hiegel, German architect
- 1954 - Anthony Minghella, British director
- 1955 - Rowan Atkinson, English comedian and actor
- 1957 - Nancy Lopez, American golfer
- 1959 - Kapil Dev, Indian cricketer
- 1959 - Kathy Sledge, American singer
- 1960 - Nigella Lawson, British chef and writer
- 1960 - Howie Long, American football star
- 1962 - Michael Houser, American musician (Widespread Panic) (d. 2002)
- 1964 - Henry Maske, German boxer
- 1964 - Rafael Vidal, Venezuelan athlete (d. 2005)
- 1966 - Fernando Carrillo, Venezuelan actor
- 1968 - John Singleton, American film director and writer
- 1970 - Julie Chen, American television presenter and newsreader
- 1970 - Gabrielle Reece, American volleyball player and model
- 1974 - Nicole DeHuff. American actress (d. 2005)
- 1976 - Danny Pintauro, American actor
- 1980 - Steed Malbranque, French footballer
- 1981 - Mike Jones, American rapper

Deaths


- 1088 - Berengar of Tours, French theologian
- 1448 - Christopher of Bavaria, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden (b. 1418)
- 1537 - Alessandro de' Medici, Duke of Florence (b. 1510)
- 1537 - Baldassare Peruzzi, Italian architect and painter (b. 1481)
- 1616 - Philip Henslowe, English theatrical entrepreneur
- 1689 - Bishop Seth Ward, English mathematician and astronomer (b. 1671)
- 1711 - Philipp van Almonde, Dutch admiral (b. 1646)
- 1718 - Giovanni Vincenzo Gravina, Italian writer and jurist (b. 1664)
- 1718 - Richard Hoare, English goldsmith and banker (b. 1648)
- 1724 - Chikamatsu Monzaemon, Japanese dramatist (b. 1653)
- 1731 - Étienne François Geoffroy, French chemist (b. 1672)
- 1734 - John Dennis, English critic and dramatist (b. 1657)
- 1840 - Fanny Burney, English novelist and diarist (b. 1752)
- 1852 - Louis Braille, French teacher of the blind (b. 1809)
- 1855 - Giacomo Beltrami, Italian explorer (b. 1779)
- 1884 - Gregor Johann Mendel, Austrian geneticist (b. 1822)
- 1885 - Peter Christian Asbjørnsen, Norwegian writer and scientist (b. 1812)
- 1918 - Georg Cantor, German mathematician (b. 1845)
- 1919 - Max Heindel, Danish astrologer and mystic (b. 1865)
- 1919 - Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1858)
- 1928 - Alvin Kraenzlein, American athlete (b. 1876)
- 1937 - Brother Andre, Canadian religious figure (b. 1845)
- 1942 - Henri de Baillet-Latour, Belgian International Olympic Committee president (b. 1876)
- 1945 - Vladimir Vernadsky, Russian mineralogist (b. 1863)
- 1949 - Victor Fleming, American director (b. 1883)
- 1981 - A.J. Cronin, Scottish writer (b. 1896)
- 1990 - Ian Charleson, Scottish actor (b. 1949)
- 1990 - Pavel Alekseyevich Cherenkov, Russian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1904)
- 1992 - Dizzy Gillespie, American jazz trumpeter (b. 1917)
- 1993 - Rudolf Nureyev, Russian ballet dancer (b. 1938)
- 1995 - Joe Slovo, South African politician (b. 1926)
- 1996 - Yahya Ayyash, Palestinian leader (b. 1966)
- 2000 - Don Martin, American cartoonist (b. 1931)
- 2004 - Pierre Charles, Prime Minister of Dominica (b. 1954)
- 2004 - Charles Dumas, American athlete (b. 1937)
- 2004 - Francesco Scavullo, American photographer (b. 1921)
- 2005 - Lois Hole, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta (b. 1933)
- 2005 - Louis Robichaud, Premier of New Brunswick (b. 1925)

Holidays and observances


- Ancient Latvia - Zvaigznes Diena observed
- Christianity (except Eastern Orthodox who follow the Julian Calendar) - Epiphany of the Lord (a.k.a. "Twelfth Day of Christmas" and Three Kings Day in some areas).
- In the Irish Calendar- Little Christmas or "Women's Christmas" and/or Twelfth Day.
- Rastafari movement - Celebration of the ceremonial birthday of Haile Selassie
- Armenian Christmas

External links


- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/6 BBC: On This Day] ---- January 5 - January 7 - December 6 - February 6 — listing of all days ko:1월 6일 ja:1月6日 simple:January 6 th:6 มกราคม

September 20

September 20 is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years). There are 102 days remaining.

Events


- 451- According to some sources, this was the date of the Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius' victory over Attila the Hun.
- 1187 - Saladin begins the Siege of Jerusalem.
- 1377 - Cardinal Robert of Geneva, called by some the Butcher of Cesena, is elected as Avignon Pope Clement VII, beginning the Papal schism.
- 1596 - Diego de Montemayor founded the city of Monterrey in New Spain.
- 1737 - Runner Edward Marshall completes his journey in the Walking Purchase forcing the cession of 1.2 million acres (4,860 km²) of Lenape-Delaware tribal land to the Pennsylvania Colony.
- 1854 - Battle of Alma: British and French troops defeat Russians in the Crimea.
- 1860 - The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII of the United Kingdom) visits the United States.
- 1863 - American Civil War: The Battle of Chickamauga ends.
- 1870 - Bersaglieri corps enters Rome through Porta Pia and completes the unification of Italy
- 1881 - Chester A. Arthur is inaugurated as the 21st President of the United States.
- 1891 - The first gasoline-powered car debuts in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States.
- 1917 - Paraguay becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty.
- 1920 - Foundation of the Spanish Legion
- 1946 - The first Cannes Film Festival is held.
- 1954 - The first program compiled from FORTRAN runs.
- 1954 - New Zealand's Special Committee on Moral Delinquency in Children and Adolescents reports just ten days after concluding hearings.
- 1962 - James Meredith, an African-American, is barred from entering the University of Mississippi.
- 1973 - Billie Jean King beats Bobby Riggs in battle-of-sexes tennis match.
- 1977 - TV character, Fonzie jumps a shark on water skis in an episode of Happy Days.
- 1979 - Lee Iacocca is elected president of the Chrysler Corporation.
- 1979 - A coup d'état in the Central African Empire overthrows Emperor Bokasa I
- 1979 - The Punjab wing of the Unity Centre of Communist Revolutionaries of India (Marxist-Leninist) formally splits and constitutes a parallel UCCRI(ML).
- 1981 - A coup d'état in the Central African Republic overthrows President David Dacko.
- 1984 - A suicide bomber in a car attacks the U.S. embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, killing twelve people
- 1998 - Baseball: After playing 2,632 consecutive games for the Baltimore Orioles, Cal Ripken, Jr takes a day off.
- 2003 - A referendum is held in Latvia to decide the country's accession to the European Union
- 2003 - 2003 Maldives civil unrest: the death of prisoner Hassan Evan Naseem sparks a day of rioting in Malé.
- 2005 - The Opera Web Browser is rereleased as freeware.
- 2005 - Echo and the Bunnymen release Siberia as their latest Studio Album.

Births


- 1599 - Christian, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Wolfenbüttel, German protestant military leader (d. 1623)
- 1778 - Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen, Russian naval officer and explorer (d. 1852)
- 1833 - Ernesto Teodoro Moneta, Italian pacifist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1918)
- 1842 - Sir James Dewar, Scottish chemist (d. 1923)
- 1853 - Chulalongkorn, King of Thailand (d. 1910)
- 1861 - Herbert Putnam, Librarian of Congress (d. 1955)
- 1873 - Sidney Olcott, Canadian film director (d. 1949)
- 1873 - Ferenc Szisz, Hungarian-born race car driver (d. 1944)
- 1878 - Upton Sinclair, American writer and politician (d. 1968)
- 1889 - Charles Reidpath, American athlete (d. 1975)
- 1917 - Red Auerbach, American basketball coach and executive
- 1917 - Fernando Rey, Spanish-born actor (d. 1992)
- 1922 - William Kapell, American pianist (d. 1953)
- 1923 - Geraldine Clinton Little, Irish-born poet (d. 1997)
- 1924 - Gogi Grant, American singer
- 1927 - Johnny Dankworth, English musician and composer
- 1927 - Rachel Roberts, English actress (d. 1980)
- 1928 - Joyce Brothers, American psychologist and advice columnist
- 1929 - Anne Meara, American comic and actress
- 1934 - Sophia Loren, Italian actress
- 1937 - Monica Zetterlund, Swedish actress and singer (d. 2005)
- 1947 - Chuck Panozzo, American musician (Styx)
- 1948 - George R. R. Martin, American writer
- 1951 - Guy Lafleur, Canadian hockey player
- 1956 - Gary Cole, American actor
- 1965 - Robert Rusler, American actor
- 1967 - Kristen Johnston, American actress
- 1968 - Leah Pinsent, Canadian actress
- 1968 - Darrell Russell, American race car driver (d. 2004)
- 1971 - Henrik Larsson, Swedish footballer
- 1975 - Asia Argento, Italian actress
- 1975 - Juan Pablo Montoya, Colombian race car driver
- 1975 - Rikki Lee Travolta, Italian-American actor
- 1976 - Yui Horie, Japanese voice actress and singer
- 1977 - Namie Amuro, Japanese singer
- 1978 - Jason Bay, Canadian Major League Baseball player
- 1978 - Sarit Hadad, Israeli singer
- 1981 - Feliciano López, Spanish tennis player
- 1987 - Quentin Anderson, Musician, producer, actor, public speaker
- 1992 - Avi Lewis, Actor, producer, writer, voice over
- 1940 - Genevieve Grotjan completed the decryption of the Japanese Purple code

Deaths


- 1246 - Mikhail of Chernigov, ruler of Kiev
- 1384 - King Louis I of Naples (b. 1339)
- 1460 - Gilles Binchois, Flemish composer
- 1586 - Chidiock Tichborne, English conspirator and poet (executed) (b. 1558)
- 1590 - Lodovico Agostini, Italian composer (b. 1534)
- 1625 - Heinrich Meibom, German historian and critic (b. 1555)
- 1627 - Jan Gruter, Dutch critic (b. 1560)
- 1630 - Claudio Saracini, Italian composer (b. 1586)
- 1639 - Johannes Meursius, Dutch classical scholar (b. 1579)
- 1643 - Lucius Cary, 2nd Viscount Falkland, English politician and writer
- 1721 - Thomas Doggett, Irish actor
- 1803 - Robert Emmet, Irish patriot (b. 1780)
- 1815 - Nicolas Desmarest, French geologist (b. 1725)
- 1852 - Philander Chase, American university founder (b. 1775)
- 1863 - Jacob Grimm, German folklorist (b. 1785)
- 1884 - Leopold Fitzinger, Austrian zoologist (b.[1802]])
- 1898 - Theodor Fontane, German writer (b. 1819)
- 1908 - Pablo de Sarasate, Spanish violinist and composer (b. 1844)
- 1932 - Wovoka, Paiute visionary
- 1947 - Fiorello LaGuardia, Mayor of New York City (b. 1882)
- 1957 - Jean Sibelius, Finnish composer (b. 1865)
- 1971 - Giorgos Seferis, Greek writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1900)
- 1973 - Jim Croce, American singer and songwriter (b. 1943)
- 1975 - Saint-John Perse, French diplomat and writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1887)
- 1979 - Ludvík Svoboda, President of Czechoslovakia (b. 1895)
- 1993 - Erich Hartmann, German pilot (b. 1922)
- 1996 - Paul Erdős, Hungarian mathematician (b. 1913)
- 2000 - Gherman Titov, cosmonaut (b. 1935)
- 2003 - Lord Williams of Mostyn, British politician (b. 1941)
- 2003 - Simon Muzenda, Zimbabwe politician (b. 1922)
- 2004 - Brian Clough, English footballer and football manager (b. 1935)
- 2004 - Townsend Hoopes, American politician (b. 1922)
- 2005 - Simon Wiesenthal, Austrian Nazi hunter (b. 1908)

Holidays


- In ancient Greece, the seventh day of the Eleusinian Mysteries, when the secret rites in the Telesterion began.
- Feast day of the following saints in the Roman Catholic Church:
  - The Korean Martyrs
  - Eustace
  - Vincent Madelgaire
  - Yves Mayeuc
  - Francis de Posadas
  - Thomas Johnson, John Davy, and companions (martyrs).
- Feast day of the following saint(s) in the Anglican Church:
  - John Coleridge Patteson Also see September 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

External links


- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/september/20 BBC: On This Day] ---- September 19 · September 21 · August 20 · October 20 · more historical anniversaries ko:9월 20일 ms:20 September ja:9月20日 simple:September 20 th:20 กันยายน

Paraguay

The Republic of Paraguay is a landlocked nation in South America. It lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, bordering Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. The name of the country means "water that goes to the ocean," derived from the Guarani words pará ("ocean"), gua ("to/from"), and y ("water"). The expression in Guarani often refers solely to Asunción, but in Spanish refers to the entire country.

History

Main article: History of Paraguay Europeans first arrived in the area in the early 16th century and the settlement of Asunción was founded in 1537, by the Spanish explorer Juan de Salazar. The city eventually became the center of a Spanish colonial province, as well as a primary site of the Jesuit missions and settlements in South America in the 18th century. Paraguay declared its independence by overthrowing the local Spanish authorities on May 15, 1811. In the disastrous War of the Triple Alliance (1865–1870), Paraguay lost two-thirds of its adult male population and 140,000 km² of its territory. It stagnated economically for the next half century. In the Chaco War of 1932 to 1935, invading Bolivian troops, trying to gain a port on the Paraguay river for their landlocked country, were expelled by the Paraguayan Armed Forces from most of the Chaco region. The Chaco had been claimed by both countries, but the settlements in the region were mostly Paraguayan. The 35-year military dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner was overthrown in 1989, and, despite a marked increase in political infighting in recent years, relatively free and regular presidential elections have been held since then. However, the democracy that exists in the country, while a great improvement on the 'stronato' is very limited. It is hampered by the widespread corruption and lack of any democratic political culture.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Paraguay Paraguay's highly centralised and often dictatorial government was fundamentally changed by the 1992 constitution, which provides for a division of powers. The president and vice president are elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms, after which the president appoints a cabinet. The president functions as both head of state and head of government. The bicameral parliament, the Congress or Congreso, consists of an 80-member Chamber of Deputies (Cámara de Diputados) and a 45-member Senate (Cámara de Senadores), elected concurrently with the president through a proportional representation system. Deputies are elected by department and senators nationwide on a list system, both for five-year terms. Each of Paraguay's 17 departments is headed by a popularly elected governor. Paraguay's highest court is the Supreme Court. The Senate and the president select its nine members on the basis of recommendations from a constitutionally created Magistrates Council. A Paraguayan peculiarity is its flag, which features a slightly different design on the reverse side than on the front. The three stripes on the flag (red, white, and blue) come from the French flag. The front side contains the National Seal of Paraguay and the reverse contains the words "Paz y Justicia"(Peace and Justice) along with a lion and a Phrygian Cap on a pole.

Departments

Main article: Departments of Paraguay Paraguay consists of 18 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento):
- Alto Paraguay
- Alto Paraná
- Amambay
- Asunción
- Boquerón
- Caaguazú
- Caazapá
- Canindeyú
- Central
- Concepción
- Cordillera
- Guairá
- Itapúa
- Misiones
- Ñeembucú
- Paraguarí
- Presidente Hayes
- San Pedro The (Gran) Chaco features mostly low, marshy plains near the river and dry forest and thorny scrub further west. The highest point is the Cerro Pero (Cerro Tres Kandu) at 842 m. The southeastern border is formed by the Parana River, containing the impressive Itaipu dam it shares with Brazil. It is currently the largest hydroelectric power plant in the world, generating nearly all of Paraguay's electricity. The local climate ranges from subtropical to temperate, with substantial rainfall in the eastern portions, though becoming semi-arid in the far west.

Geography

temperate Main article: Geography of Paraguay See also: List of cities in Paraguay

Economy

Main article: Economy of Paraguay Paraguay has a market economy marked by a large informal sector. The informal sector features both re-export of imported consumer goods to neighbouring countries as well as the activities of thousands of microenterprises and urban street vendors. Because of the importance of the informal sector, accurate economic measures are difficult to obtain. A large percentage of the population derive their living from agricultural activity, often on a subsistence basis. Paraguay's economy is very dependent on Brazil, its neighbour in the east. Most of the country's imports come through the Brazilian port of Paranaguá by highway, on trucks. Ciudad del Este is the third largest free-tax commerce zone of the world, only behind Hong Kong and Miami. The country holds the impressive Itaipu dam which used to be the largest concrete structure, the largest dam and the largest power plant of the world. Itaipu's energy supplies about 20% of the current Brazilian needs and is the most important export good of Paraguay. The selling of cheaper goods is another important source of revenue and it is still a common habit in Brazil to go to Paraguay and buy electronics, like TV sets and sound systems there. About 60% of the country's GDP comes from commerce with Brazil. Nearly all the rest comes from commerce with Argentina with which the country shares another major power plant: Yaciretá. The formal economy grew by an average of about 3% annually in 1995-1997, but its GDP declined slightly in 1998, 1999, and 2000. Despite difficulties arising from political instability, corruption, slow structural reforms, high internal and external debts and deficient infrastructure; it is believed that the factor that most contributed to the stagnation of Paraguayan economy was the devaluation of the Brazilian currency, the Real, in 1998; which caused Paraguayan shops to lose their attractiveness (as prices there are mostly dollarised). Since 1991 Paraguay has been a member of the free trade bloc MERCOSUR.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Paraguay Ethnically, culturally, and socially, Paraguay has one of the most homogeneous populations in Latin America. About 95% of the people are mestizos of mixed Spanish and Guarani Indian descent. Little trace is left of the original Guarani culture except the language, which is spoken by 90% of the population. About 75% of all Paraguayans can speak Spanish. Guarani and Spanish are official languages. Germans, Japanese, Koreans, ethnic Chinese, Arabs, Brazilians, and Argentines are among those who have settled in Paraguay and they have to an extent retained their respective languages. Paraguay's population is distributed unevenly throughout the country. The vast majority of the people live in the eastern region, most within 160 kilometers of Asunción, the capital and largest city. The Chaco, which accounts for about 60% of the territory, is home to less than 2% of the population. The country is predominantly Roman Catholic, with some Mennonite and other Protestant minorities.

Culture


- Guarani mythology
- Guaraní language
- List of Paraguayans
- Music of Paraguay

Miscellaneous topics


- Communications in Paraguay
- Foreign relations of Paraguay
- Military of Paraguay
- Public holidays in Paraguay
- Reporters without borders World-wide press freedom index 2005: Rank 69 out of 167 countries
- Transportation in Paraguay

Further reading


- At the Tomb of the Inflatable Pig : Travels Through Paraguay John Gimlette
- Lonely Planet Guide: Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay Sandra Bao, Ben Greensfelder and Carolyn Hubbard

External links


- [http://www.colegiosaofrancisco.com.br/novo/historia/brasil/paraguai_menu.html Guerra do Paraguai] - [http://www.colegiosaofrancisco.com.br/historia_geral.html História Geral]
- [http://www.paraguaygobierno.gov.py/ Portal del Gobierno Electrónico] - Official governmental portal
- [http://dmoz.org/Regional/South_America/Paraguay/ Open Directory Project - paraguay] directory category
- [http://www.thowra.com/paraguay.html Living in Paraguay] A point of view: Asuncion and Paraguay
- [http://www.meucat.com/album.html Paraguay de Antes] Old pictures and postcards from Paraguay
- [http://laca.com.au/telelatina/chipas.html Recipes for Chipas], a cheese and cornmeal bread Category:South American countries Category:Landlocked countries zh-min-nan:Paraguay ko:파라과이 ms:Paraguay ja:パラグアイ simple:Paraguay fiu-vro:Paraguay

1814

1814 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar).

Events


- January 14 - Denmark cedes Norway to Sweden in exchange for west Pomerania, as part of the Treaty of Kiel
- January 29 - French army of Emperor Napoleon I wins the Battle of Brienne
- January 31 - Gervasio Antonio de Posadas becomes Supreme Director of Argentina.
- February - Congress of Chatillon - see George Hamilton Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen
- February 1 - Mayon Volcano, in the Philippines, erupts, killing around 1,200 people; most devastating eruption of Mayon Volcano
- February 11 - Norway's independence is proclaimed, marking the ultimate end of the Kalmar Union
- February 14 - Napoleon wins the Battle of Vauchamps
- February 18 - Napoleon wins the Battle of Montereau
- March 7 - Napoleon wins the Battle of Craonne
- March 9 - the USS Enterprise reaches Wilmington, North Carolina, returning from the Caribbean.
- March 10 - Napoleon is defeated at the Battle of Laon in France
- March 27 - War of 1812: In northern Alabama, United States forces under General Andrew Jackson defeat the Creek at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.
- March 31 - Anti-Napoleonic troops occupy Paris
- April 4 or April 6 - Emperor Napoleon abdicates.
- April 10 - the Duke of Wellington wins the Battle of Toulouse
- May 3 - Duke of Provence, future Louis XVIII of France returns to Paris
- May 5 - British-American War (War of 1812): The British attack Fort Ontario at Oswego, New York.
- May 17 - Norway's new constitution signed at Eidsvoll
- May 17 - Occupation of Monaco changes from French to Austrian hands
- May 30 - The First Treaty of Paris is signed returning France's borders to their 1792 extent. Napoleon I of France is exiled to Elba on the same day.
- July 5 - War of 1812: Battle of Chippewa - American Major General Jacob Brown defeats British General Phineas Riall at Chippewa, Ontario.
- July 24 - War of 1812: General Phineas Riall advances toward Niagara Falls, Ontario to halt Jacob Brown's American invaders.
- July 25 - War of 1812: Battle of Lundy's Lane - Reinforcements arrive near Niagara Falls, Ontario for General Riall's British and Canadian force, and bloody, all-night battle with Jacob Brown's Americans commences at 18.00; Americans retreat to Fort Erie.
- August 13 - signing of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814
- August 24 - War of 1812: British troops burn Washington, DC, The Burning of Washington.
- August 28 - Alexandria, Virginia offers surrender to the British fleet without a fight.
- September 11 - USS Ticonderoga is victorious in the Battle of Lake Champlain
- September 14 - Francis Scott Key writes The Star-Spangled Banner.
- November 28 - London The Times newspaper becomes the first to be printed on a steam-powered press.
- December 24 - peace treaty of Ghent ends War of 1812 between United States and Britain.
- Missionaries attempt to write down the Maori_language
- George Stephenson designs his first locomotive Blutcher
- John Abernethy appointed lecturer in anatomy to the Royal College of Surgeons
- John Keats leaves apprenticeship to become a student at a local hospital
- Sir Walter Scott writes Waverley
- Guyana transferred from Netherlands to Britain; it is renamed "British Guiana"
- In England, the last hanging under the Black Act - William Potter for cutting down an orchard - even the judge petitioned for reprieve

Ongoing events


- Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815)-Peninsular War/Sixth Coalition
- War of 1812 (1812-1815)

Births


- January 27 - Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, French architect (b. 1879)
- February 18 - Samuel Fenton Cary, American politician and temperance activist (d. 1900)
- April 3 - Lorenzo Snow, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (d. 1901)
- April 21 - Angela Georgina Burdett-Coutts, English philanthropist (d. 1906)
- May 30 - Mikhail Bakunin, Russian anarchist (d. 1876)
- August 8 - Esther Morris, American suffragist and judge (d. 1902)
- August 10 - Henri Nestlé, German-born Swiss chocolate magnate (d. 1890)
- August 13 - Anders Jonas Ångström, Swedish physicist (d. 1874)
- August 28 - Sheridan le Fanu, Irish writer (d. 1873)
- September 2 - Ernst Curtius, German archaeologist and historian (d. 1896)
- September 8 - Charles-Étienne Brasseur de Bourbourg, French writer and historian (d. 1874)
- October 4 - Jean-François Millet, French painter (d. 1875)
- October 15 - Mikhail Lermontov, Russian writer (d. 1841)
- November 6 - Adolphe Sax, Belgian instrument maker and inventor (d. 1894)
- Táhirih, Persian Bahá'í heroine

Deaths


- January 27 - Philip Astley, English circus promoter (b. 1742)
- March 28 - Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, French inventor (b. 1838)
- April 12 - Charles Burney, English music historian (b. 1726)
- May 29 - Josephine de Beauharnais, Empress of France (b. 1763)
- July 12 - William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe, British general
- July 19 - Captain Matthew Flinders, English explorer of the coasts of Australia (b. 1774)
- August 21 - Benjamin Thompson, American physicist and inventor (b. 1753)
- August 31 - Arthur Phillip, British admiral and first governor of New South Wales (b. 1738)
- September 8 - Marie Caroline of Austria, queen of Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies, and de facto ruler (b. 1752)
- October 19 - Mercy Otis Warren, American playwright (b. 1728)
- November 23 - Elbridge Gerry, Vice President of the United States of America (b. 1744)
- December 2 - Donatien Alphonse Francois de Sade, French writer (b. 1740)
- December 13 - Charles Joseph, Prince de Ligne, Austrian field marshal (b. 1735)

Other


- 1814 was what inspired the name of Janet Jackson's 2nd hit album, Rhythm Nation 1814. It was the year women could get an education beyond the 8th grade level. ko:1814년 ms:1814 simple:1814 th:พ.ศ. 2357

1840

1840 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar).

Events


- January 3 - One of the predecessor papers to the Herald Sun of Melbourne, Australia, The Port Phillip Herald, is founded by George Cavanaugh.
- January 10 - Uniform penny postage introduced in the UK.
- January 13 - The steamship Lexington burns and sinks four miles off the coast of Long Island with the loss of 139 lives.
- January 19 - Captain Charles Wilkes circumnavigates Antarctica, claiming what became known as Wilkes Land for the United States.
- January 20 - Dumont D'Urville discovers Adélie Land, Antarctica.
- January 22 - British colonists reach New Zealand. Official founding date of Wellington.
- February 6 - Treaty of Waitangi, document granting British sovereignty in New Zealand, is signed.
- February 10 - Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom marries Prince Albert of Saxe Coburg-Gotha.
- February 11 - Gaetano Donizetti's opera La Fille du Regiment premieres in Paris.
- March 1 - William Hobson, first Governor of New Zealand, suffers a stroke.
- March 1 - Adolphe Thiers becomes prime minister of France.
- May 1 - Britain issues the Penny Black, world's first postage stamp.
- May 6 - The Penny Black, world's first postage stamp becomes valid for the pre-payment of postage.
- May 7 - The Great Natchez Tornado: A massive tornado strikes Natchez, Mississippi during the early afternoon hours. Before it was over, 317 people had lost their lives and 209 were injured. It is the second deadliest tornado in U.S. history.
- July 4 - The Cunard Line's 700-ton wooden paddlewheel steamer RMS Britannia departs from Liverpool bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia on the first transatlantic passenger cruise.
- July 15 – Austria, Britain, Prussia, and Russia sign a London Treaty with the Sublime Porte, ruler of the Ottoman Empire.
- August 10 - Fortsas hoax - number of book collectors gather to Binche, Belgium to attend a non-existent book auction of the late "Count of Fortsas"
- September 10 - Ottoman and British troops bombard Beirut and land troops on the coast to pressure Egyptian Muhammad Ali to retreat from the country.
- October 7 - Willem II becomes King of the Netherlands.
- October 14 – Maronite leader Bashir II surrenders to the British forces and goes into exile in Malta.
- November - William Henry Harrison defeats Martin Van Buren in the U.S. presidential election.
- David Livingstone leaves for Africa.
- Punch caricature magazine begins publication.
- Pedro II is declared "of age" prematurely and begins to reassert central control in Brazil.
- Mount Allison University is founded in Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada.
- Washingtonian Temperance Society is founded.

Births


- January 3 - Father Damien, Belgian missionary priest (d. 1888)
- January 23 - Ernst Abbe, German physicist (d. 1905)
- February 4 - Hiram Stevens Maxim, American firearms inventor (d. 1916)
- February 5 - John Boyd Dunlop, Scottish inventor (d. 1921)
- February 21 - Murad V, Ottoman Sultan (d. 1904)
- February 22 - August Bebel, German politician (d. 1913)
- February 23 - Carl Menger, Austrian economist (d. 1921)
- February 29 - John Philip Holland, Irish inventor (d. 1914)
- March 28 - Emin Pasha, German doctor and African administrator (d. 1892)
- April 2 - Emile Zola, French writer (d. 1902)
- April 22 - Odilon Redon, French painter (d. 1916)
- April 27 - Edward Whymper, English mountaineer (d. 1911)
- May 7 - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Russian composer (d. 1893)
- May 13 - Alphonse Daudet, French writer (d. 1897)
- June 2 - Thomas Hardy, English writer (d. 1928)
- August 4 - Richard von Krafft-Ebing, German sexologist (d. 1902)
- October 9 - Simeon Solomon, British artist (d. 1905)
- October 16 - Kuroda Kiyotaka, Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1900)
- November 12 - Auguste Rodin, French sculptor (d. 1917)
- November 14 - Claude Monet, French painter (d. 1926)
- November 21 - Victoria, Princess Royal of the United Kingdom and Empress of Germany (d. 1901)
- November 29 - Rhoda Broughton, Welsh writer (d. 1920)

Deaths


- January 6 - Fanny Burney, English novelist (b. 1752)
- January 22 - Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, German anthropologist (b. 1752)
- February 13 - Nicolas Joseph Maison, French marshal and Minister of War (b. 1770)
- April 25 - Siméon-Denis Poisson, French mathematician, geometer, and physicist (b. 1781)
- May 7 - Caspar David Friedrich, German artist (b. 1774)
- May 26 - Sidney Smith, British admiral (b. 1764)
- May 27 - Nicolo Paganini, Italian violinist and composer (b. 1782)
- June 7 - King Frederick William III of Prussia (b. 1770)
- September 7 - Étienne-Jacques-Joseph-Alexandre MacDonald, French marshal (b. 1765)
- December 11 - Emperor Kokaku of Japan (b. 1771) Category:1840 ko:1840년 th:พ.ศ. 2383

Yaguarón

Yaguarón is a city in Paraguay, located in the department of Paraguarí. It contains a famous and visually stunning church, the building of which started in 1640 and took 60 years to complete. Yaguarón is also notable as the birthplace of José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia, dictator of Paraguay 1814 - 1840, whose strong authoritarianism earned him the name El Supremo. His house is now a museum. Category:Cities in Paraguay

Junta


- In modern usage, junta (pronounced as in Spanish HUN-ta or HOON-ta) typically refers to a military dictatorship, especially in Latin America, which is officially run by a committee of high-ranking military officers. Juntas are often not collegial in practice, where one officer often controls most power. Well-known juntas include Augusto Pinochet's rule of Chile and the Proceso de Reorganización Nacional, the infamous military dictatorship that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983. See also History of Argentina, History of Chile.
- In Spanish, junta, literally "joint (meeting)", is used for various collegial bodies.
  - During the Habsburg rule, junta was used for various regular administrative bodies in Iberia and other European countries (including the Low countries) ruled -in personal union- by the Spanish crown, and even was maintained in some cases after those were divided in territories brought under the imperial Austrian branch of the dynasty
  - In the Napoleonic era, junta was also the name chosen by several local administrations forming in Spain during the Peninsula War as a patriotic alternative to the official administration topped by the French invaders.
  - In Spanish America, the Creole juntas were formally loyal to Ferdinand VII of Spain, but in the power void, they became actually independent, preparing the independence of Spanish America.
  - In modern Spain Juntas exist in some of the reatively recent autonomous governments of Spain
    - Junta of Andalusia
    - Junta of Extremadura
    - Xunta (Galician form) of Galicia
- For the Hindi designation for the people or the common populace, see Janata.
- Junta is also a board game designed by West End Games.
- In music:
  - Junta is an album by the popular US band Phish (though pronounced jun-tah as if it were originally an English word).
  - "Jet Set Junta" is a song by the influential, though little known, UK band The Monochrome Set. As in the Phish album, the word is pronounced phonetically.

Absolute power

:This article is about a term in political science. For works with this title, see Absolute Power. Absolute power, also called absolute authority, is a term used in political science to describe a head of state and head of government that holds supreme executive, judicial and legislative powers. Most modern forms of absolute power are deemed undesirable, especially by proponents of democracy. People that wield such power are often called dictators and tyrants. There are a few acceptable and even popular forms of absolute power, namely in the case of the Pope in his administration over Vatican City. Other popular monarchs ruled with absolute power but eventually such power was diminished and dissolved with the introduction of constitutions giving the people the power to make decisions for themselves through elected bodies of government. Such was the case in the United Kingdom, however, there are small factions of traditionalists who often argue in favor of reinstating authority historically wielded by its kings and queens.

Arguments against absolute power

British historian philosopher Lord Acton famously said, "Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely." Lord Acton argued that the concentration of power in any one place — individual, religious, secular, et al — is harmful for all persons involved.

Declaratory Act of 1766

One historical example of an assertion of absolute power is evident in the Declaratory Act of 1766 by the British Parliament, in which Britain asserted absolute power "in all cases whatsoever" over the unrepresented American colonies. The colonists response to this assertion of absolute power can be seen in writings such as Thomas Paine's The American Crisis, Number One and the Declaration of Independence.

District of Columbia

A more current example of absolute power might be the power claimed by the United States Congress over the District of Columbia in the so-called "District Clause" (Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17) of the U.S. Constitution, similarly asserting the right to exclusive legislation "in all cases whatsoever" over the unrepresented District of Columbia, the nation's capital. Though most aspects of the American democracy include the operation of checks and balances, in this instance the Congress has been given absolute power to legislate over the land and population within the District of Columbia.

See also


- Political absolutism
- Absolute monarchy Category:Political science

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (June 28, 1712 – July 2, 1778) was a Franco-Swiss philosopher, writer, political theorist, and self-taught composer of The Age of Enlightenment. Rousseau's political ideas influenced the French Revolution, the development of socialist theory, and the growth of nationalism. His legacy as a radical and revolutionary is perhaps best demonstrated by his most famous line, from his most important work, The Social Contract: "Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains."

Biography of Rousseau

Rousseau was born in Geneva, Switzerland, and throughout his life described himself as a citizen of Geneva. His mother, Suzanne Bernard Rousseau, died a week later due to complications from childbirth, and his father Isaac, a failed watchmaker, abandoned him in 1722 to avoid imprisonment for fighting a duel. His childhood education consisted solely of reading Plutarch's Lives and Calvinist sermons. Rousseau left Geneva on March 14, 1728, after several years of apprenticeship to a notary and then an engraver. He then met Françoise-Louise de Warens, a French Catholic baroness who would later became Rousseau's lover, even though she was twelve years his elder. Under the protection of de Warens, he converted to Catholicism. Rousseau spent a few weeks in seminary and beginnin