El catorce de agosto/August 14th

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Image from wikipedia. 
¡Feliz cumpleaños a ... Carlos de Sigüenza y Góngora! (1645-1700)

An intellectual born in Mexico City, New Spain, the second oldest and first male of nine siblings, Sigüenza y Góngora was a secular priest (kicked out of the Jesuits for disobedience), poet, non-fiction writer, historian, philosopher, and cartographer. He was so revered for his learning that French king Louis XIV tried to convince him to come to Paris. He was also a contemporary of Sor Juana de la Cruz, and he delivered the eulogy at her funeral. He had a devotion to science and a strong interest in the indigenous past of Mexico. Because of this, he learned Nahuatl and collected books and other materials about the Aztecs and ancient Tolmec culture. He also wrote about la Virgin de Guadalupe, whose said appearance in Mexico on December 12th 1531 remains a major part of Mexican culture today. When Sigüenza y Góngora died, he dedicated his body to science and urged his family and the church not to intervene.

For resources for teaching Spanish, Level 1 through AP, CLICK HERE.

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