Painter
 

(1907-1954) 

Born as Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón , Frida Kahlo was a Mexican painter. Her work reflected the physical pain she endured, first from suffering from polio at the age of six, and years later from a serious accident on public transport, when a tram collided with the bus she was traveling on. Frida suffered three fractures in her spine, one in her collarbone, two in her ribs, and her right shoulder was dislocated. Her leg, previously affected by polio, suffered 11 fractures. Frida spent months in bed, and the damage left her with lifelong scars. This accident helped her find her vocation as a painter.

Among her artistic achievements are the creation of approximately 200 artworks (many of them self-portraits). Frida managed to forge a unique personal style, recognized worldwide and considered a cultural reference point for Mexico, as well as an influence on social movements such as feminism, while also raising awareness of people with disabilities (1)

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Her work, considered by some to be surrealist, was described by Frida herself as a reflection of her reality, capturing physical pain and personal experiences, with a clear influence from Mexican folk art and pre-Hispanic culture. In a way, her work is closer to the literary movement known as magical realism.

Frida died at the age of 47,  on July 13, 1954, from a pulmonary thromboembolism.

(2).​​

Actress from the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema​

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(1914 - 2002)

Born as María de los Ángeles Güereña, a Mexican film actress. Known for her extensive filmography, which includes 47 films ranging from rural melodramas to adaptations of realist novels, with Mexican, Spanish, Italian, and French productions.

María Felix is known for her enigmatic beauty and for the pseudonym “La Doña,” which she earned after her participation in the 1943 film Doña Bárbara.

Through her performances, La Doña embodied an overbearing and disdainful woman who rebelled against the subjugation of the arrogant male figure. With her unattainable beauty and determined character, she brought to life the archetype of the femme fatale.

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María Felix was married four times.

During her lifetime, she was nominated for 30 different awards and won 28 of them. These ranged from Ariel Awards for her performances to being named best dressed by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode and Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana.

She died on the night of her 88th birthday, on April 8, 2002, due to a heart attack.

(3).

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Emperor of Mexico

 

(1832-1867)

Austrian Archduke who became the second and last Emperor of Mexico, ruling from 1864 to 1867.

Born with the title of Archduke of Austria, he renounced this title to become Emperor of Mexico under the name Maximilian I, and his reign ran parallel to the government of President Benito Juárez. He accepted the Mexican throne at the invitation of Napoleon III as a way of countering the resistance of the Republicans and liberals represented by Benito Juárez.

Maximilian of Habsburg was the younger brother of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. In 1857, he married Princess Charlotte of Belgium, the same year he was appointed viceroy of the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia, acquired by Austria at the Congress of Vienna. Despite his liberal and lenient policies, the kingdom rebelled against the House of Habsburg, leading him to resign on April 10, 1859.

The Second Mexican Empire was recognized by several European powers, including the United Kingdom, Spain, Belgium, Austria, and Prussia. In contrast, the United States, faithful to the Monroe Doctrine, supported the republican side of Juárez. After the end of the Civil War in 1865 and the withdrawal of the French army a year later, the Empire weakened. Princess Charlotte sought support for Maximilian in Europe, without success. (4)

Finally, Maximilian was defeated in Querétaro, captured, and shot on June 19, 1867, giving way to the Restored Republic. Maximilian was 34 years of age.

Even though the Second Mexican Empire was imposed and supported by the conservative wing, Maximilian pursued liberal policies, promoting shorter working hours and better conditions, freedom of worship, and other public policies that would later consolidate the Reform Laws, separating the Church from the State.

(5).

He maintained the nationalization of clergy property, expanded the functions of the civil registry, codified unprecedented norms in Mexico, such as the recognition of children born out of wedlock, and promoted labor rights, which led to his conflict with the Church and conservative sectors.​​

Actor, singer, and icon of Mexican cinema

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(1917-1957)

Mexican film actor and singer.

He learned the basics of music at an early age, and his first job was as an apprentice carpenter.

At the age of 22, a local radio station (XEB) allowed him to start his career as a singer, and four years later, he recorded his first album, entitled “Mañana,” which established him as a singer. Pedro went on to record more than three hundred songs.

Pedro Infante began his acting career with a minor role in La feria de las flores (1943), where he lent his voice to the protagonist Antonio Badú. His naturalness and charm on screen earned him immediate success and numerous offers, soon becoming the favorite heartthrob and singer of Mexican cinema.

His acting talent stood out during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema, leading him to participate in more than 60 films.

Pedro Infante's performances were widely acclaimed, consolidating him as a symbol of Mexican identity after playing roles that brought to life manly and often womanizing men, wearing his charro suit, demonstrating his skill with horses, or playing roles as a hard-working, humble, but courageous, sentimental, and noble man.

Pedro Infante died at the age of 39, on April 15, 1957, in a plane crash in Mérida, Yucatán, which turned him into a legend. (6) 

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Writer, poet

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(1651- 1695)

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz was a Mexican Hieronymite nun, poet, and writer from New Spain in the 17th century, considered one of the most important figures of the Baroque period and a precursor of feminism in America.

Her love of literature and thirst for knowledge were evident from childhood, both of which challenged the traditions of her time and gender roles. Sor Juana was known for her independent thinking and the originality of her work.

She was a child prodigy who learned to read at the age of three, demanded to go to university at the age of seven, and had already written her first loa (dramatic poem) by the age of eight. After spending time at the viceroy's court as a lady-in-waiting, she entered the convent of San Jerónimo, where she produced most of her written work.

She died while helping her sick companions during the cholera epidemic that ravaged Mexico in 1695. Baroque poetry reached its peak with her, and at the same time, she introduced analytical and reflective elements that anticipated the poets of the 18th-century Enlightenment.

(7).

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Rescue dog in earthquakes and natural disasters​

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(2009 -2022)​

Frida was a yellow Labrador retriever who worked as a search and rescue dog for the Mexican Navy (SEMAR). She was trained to assist in rescue efforts following natural disasters. Equipped with protective goggles, a harness, and boots, she was trained to bark if she detected someone in need of help.

According to her trainers, from the first days of her life, the puppy showed aptitudes and qualities that set her apart from the rest. Her dog handlers found her to be focused, fearless, curious, willing, quick to learn, empathetic, and sociable.

In addition, due to the natural characteristics of her breed, such as physical endurance, keen ears to distinguish commands from shouting or noise, and a highly developed sense of smell, she became an ideal candidate for search and rescue.

Throughout her career, Frida rescued a total of 55 people, 12 of whom were alive and 43 dead, broken down as follows:

Frida retired on June 24, 2019, in a ceremony where she was presented with her tactical gear and a toy as a symbol of her new life. On November 15, 2022, Frida died at the age of 13 from natural causes.

(8).

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