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Founding of Cruz Roja
On this day, a presidential decree recognized the Red Cross, but made it an auxiliary of the Army. In 1919, it was recognized by the International Red Cross and received a charter in 1923. Since then, the organization has been prohibited from accepting any financial aid from any government agency. It is financed by private donations only. It also severed its ties with the Army. -
Start of the Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was brought on by a tremendous disagreement among the Mexican people over the dictatorship of President Porfirio Diaz. The Anti-Reelection Party was discovered and armed revolt began in 1911 until 1915 when President Diaz resigned. -
Zapatista Movement
The Zapatista Movement, which began as a mass movement of uneducated peasant farmers and agricultural laborers, became co-opted by a group of sophisticated left-wing intellectuals in Mexico City. These men were urban radicals who Emiliano Zapata in a revolution. Its predecessor in the 1990's flourished in an exploited underclass that benefited little from this wealthy state and both Zapatista regions had an entrenched economic oligarchy that violently resisted attempts at revolution. -
President Larzaro Cardenas
Being the governor of Michoacan, Cardenas developed the ability to reach out to the Mesican masses in the 1920's. About 15,000 villages and a quarter of the population benefitted from the reform. Half the cropland was taken rom the hacendos and given to ejidos. Also, his party established an official trade union, the Confederation of Mexican Workers and two peasant organizations. -
Oil Crisis
Lázaro Cárdenas became an international villian but a national hero by expropriating the foreign oil companies in 1938. But then Mexico faced a grim period two-year period when the United States, Great Britain, and Holland boycotted their oil. World War II saved Mexican oil because the allies didn't want Mexico selling to Adolf Hitler. Oil would become a truly major factor in Mexican politics in the late 1970s and early 1980s when new fields are found. -
PAN (National Action Party)
The PAN was founded in 1939 by Manuel Gómez Morán and was the first genuine opposition party to develop in Mexico. The PAN emerged as a conservative reaction against the nationalizations and the taking of land by the Cárdenas government during the 1930s. -
War on the Axis Powers
Mexico declared war on Germany, Japan, and Italy (the Axis Alliance) after two sunken U-boats. -
Presidency of Gustavo Diaz Ordaz
Ruling with an authoritarian hand, Ordaz was most famously known for the Tlatelolco Massacre of 1968, when the government cracked down on a nonviolent protest. -
Tlatelolco Massacre
During the presidency of Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, there were several antecedents to the 1968 student confrontations with the Mexican government. But on this night, 6,000 to 15,000 people were gathered in the plaza, listening to CNH leaders speak. By midnight the military was in control. As many as 300 people have been reported killed, with many more bodies being dumped into the Gulf of Mexico by military planes. -
Corpus Christi Massacre
10,000 protestors marched through the Avenida San Cosme. Officers dressed in civilian clothing killing 25 students and wounding many more. -
Presidency of Miguel de la Madrid
Called a "tecnico," de la Madrid spoke of democratic reform and a shift toward a more market-based economy. During his presidency, he inherited a massive earthquake, over 100% inflation, and a 25% unemployment rate. -
Earthquake
Reaching an 8.1 on the Richter Scale, this earthquake contained an estimated 10,000 people killed and 50,000 more injured. That fateful day made 250,000 people homeless and left an estimated amount of $9-12 billion of damaged properties. Over 800 buildings crumbled. -
Immigration Reform and Contorl Act
This law was passed in order to control and prevent illegal immigration to the United States. Its main ideas is to stipulate legalization of undocumented aliens who had been illegally present since 1982, legalization of certain agricultural workers, sanctions for employers who knowingly hire undocumented workers, and increased enforcement at U.S. borders. -
Party of Democratic Revolution
Founded by Cuautemoc Cardenas and Porfirio Munoz Ledo, the PRD is the leading opposition party to the PRI. After being weakened during the 1990's, they made an impressive comeback in 1997 and finished in a dead heat with PAN. Also, Cardenas scored a landslide victory to become Mexico City's mayor, winning 47% of the vote. -
North American Free Trade Agreement
This removed most barriers to trade and investment among the United States, Canada, and Mexico Under the NAFTA, all non-tariff barriers to agricultural trade between the United States and Mexico were eliminated. In addition, many tariffs were eliminated immediately, with others being phased out over periods of 5 to 15 years. This allowed for an orderly adjustment to free trade with Mexico, with full implementation beginning January 1, 2008. -
Ernesto Zedilla
After winning his election fair and square, Zedillo was greeted by a financial crisis that required even more foreign loans. His popularity and the party's soon plummeted after scandals reached the top ranks. -
San Fernando Massacre
The Los Zetas cartel murdered 72 illegal immigrants 90 miles south of the US border. The cartel reportedly killed them because they would not agree to work for them. The police arrested Edgar Huerta Montriel for this horrendous crime. -
Victory of Vicente Fox
Vicente Fox, a member of the National Action Party (PAN), unprecedently won the 2000 election, becoming the first non-PRI member in over 70 years to be elected president. -
Bibliography
Comparitive Politics Book by Hauss
http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/3148-mexico-mexican-history-time-line-overview-resource-page
