Remarkable Individuals from Mexico

By: Richard Monk
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:26:59
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Mexico is a country that has seen more than its share of historical moments. From this proud history has come more than a few remarkable individuals.

Mexico is a country full of historical importance. From its many different origins to the different countries that called Mexico a colony, this country has changed the world in many ways. Today, we still are impacted by many things and people that are Mexican – Mexican food is some of the most popular food in the United States, Mexican actors and actresses are often featured in movies and TV shows, and Mexican politicians have impacted our country as well.

One of the first remarkable Mexicans that impacted the world's history is Quetzalcoatl. Born around the year 947 AD, this Aztec priest king greatly changed the Aztec culture. He was born after his father, Mixcoatl was deposed, and he rose to power after being trained as a priest. He was the first Aztec king to disallow human sacrifice, which made some of the priests in his religion extremely unhappy. They tricked him into disobeying his priestly vow of chastity, and he spent the next 20 years in exile. Quetzalcoatl's story was important to the way that Spanish explorers viewed the Aztecs, as in the 1500's his story was brought back to Spain by a visiting friar.

Another of the amazing people of Mexico was Antonio de Mendoza, the first viceroy of Mexico. After Cort?z discovered the country, in 1528 he returned to Spain because he felt the country was undermining his authority. To resolve the question of who was in charge in Mexico, the king appointed Mendoza as the first viceroy of the country. His importance in the history of Mexico came from the fact that Mendoza was extremely interested in exploring the country – and he explored as far north as present day Kansas, in the US. Mendoza also helped to establish educational institutions in the country.

A final famous Mexican worth noting is the first president of Mexico, Guadalupe Victoria. His given name was Manuel Felix Fernandez, and he adopted the name Guadalupe Victoria after the patron saint of Mexico and the Spanish word for victory. His presidency was backed by England, which essentially meant that Mexico became a British colony. While some feel that Victoria did more harm than good for Mexico, he also did establish a National Treasury and abolish slavery.

There are many different remarkable Mexicans to speak about, and this is just a listing of a few. Mexico has always been a very influential country, ever since it's “discovery” by the Spanish in the 1500's.

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