San Martin Day commemorates José Francisco de San Martin y Matorras, one of the founding fathers of Latin America, who perished on August 17, 1850.
San Martin Day is a holiday observed annually on the third Monday of August. This year, Saint Martin’s Day falls on August 21. On San Martin Day, Argentina commemorates the anniversary of the demise of José Francisco de San Martin, its founding father. He was a general in the Argentine army and the foremost commander in the fight for independence from Spain by Argentina and other southern nations of South America. His death is commemorated as a national holiday in Argentina, where he is revered as a national hero.
San Martin Day commemorates José Francisco de San Martin y Matorras, one of the founding fathers of Latin America, who perished on August 17, 1850. General San Martin was a statesman, lawmaker, soldier, and national icon. He led the revolution against Spanish authority in Argentina, Chile, and Peru to liberate these nations.
After resigning from the Spanish army in 1812, General San Martin joined the Buenos Aires-based patriot forces that led the revolution that granted Argentina temporary independence from Spanish authority. General San Martin believed that removing Spanish forces from Peru, Chile, and Bolivia was necessary for Argentina’s complete independence.
General Martin assumed the administration of the province of Cuyo in 1814. In Cuyo Province, Argentina, he established a new army unit dubbed the “Army of the Andes” in order to advance his liberation plans. He freed Argentina from Spanish authority in 1816. His liberation conquest continued when he led the Crossing of the Andes into Chile, where he won the Battles of Chacabuco and Maip in 1818 and freed Chile from royalist rule.
Following the liberation of Chile, General Martin set out to free Lima, Peru, from the Spanish regime. In July of 1821, Peru was declared an independent nation. In 1821, he obtained partial control of Lima. He is still revered in Argentina as the “Padre de la Patria,” or Father of the Nation, and as the Liberator of Chile and Peru.
Argentine Federals acknowledged Martin as a national icon both while he was alive and after his death.
San Martin established the Peruvian National Library.
In 1824, San Martin retired to France to live a quiet existence.
Young subaltern officer in the Spanish Army
San Martin was promoted to the rank of Sub-Lieutenant at the age of 15 in 1793.
San Martin was awarded a gold medal and promoted to lieutenant colonel for his military achievements.
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | August 15 | Monday |
| 2023 | August 21 | Monday |
| 2024 | August 19 | Monday |
| 2025 | August 18 | Monday |
| 2026 | August 17 | Monday |
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