Jose Rizal facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jose Rizal
Born	José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda June 19, 1861 Calamba, Laguna, Spanish Philippines
Died	December 30, 1896(1896-12-30) (aged 35) Bagumbayan, Manila, Spanish Philippines
Cause of death	Execution by firing squad
Monuments	Luneta Park, Manila, Calamba, Laguna, Daet, Camarines Norte, Carson, California
Other names	Pepe, Jose (nicknames)
Alma mater	Ateneo Municipal de Manila University of Santo Tomas Universidad Central de Madrid
Organization	La Solidaridad, La Liga Filipina
Spouse(s)	Josephine Bracken (1896)
Parent(s)	Francisco Mercado Rizal (father) Teodora Alonso Realonda (mother)
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José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda, widely known as José Rizal(June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896), was a Filipino nationalist and polymath during the tail end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. An ophthalmologist by profession, Rizal became a writer and a key member of the Filipino Propaganda Movement which advocated political reforms for the colony under Spain.

He was executed by the Spanish colonial government for the crime of rebellion after the Philippine Revolution, inspired in part by his writings, broke out. Though he was not actively involved in its planning or conduct, he ultimately approved of its goals which eventually led to Philippine independence.

He is widely considered one of the greatest heroes of the Philippines and has been recommended to be so honored by an officially empaneled National Heroes Committee. However, no law, executive order or proclamation has been enacted or issued officially proclaiming any Filipino historical figure as a national hero. He was the author of a number of poems and essays.

Family and early life

He was the seventh child in a family of 11 children (2 boys and 9 girls). His parents went to school and were well known. His father, Francisco Rizal Mercado, worked hard as a farmer in Biñan, Laguna. Rizal looked up to him. His mother, Teodora Alonso Realonda y Quintos, was born in Meisic, Sta. Cruz, Manila. She read a lot and knew about art and many other things. Rizal said she was loving and very smart. He learned the alphabet from his mother when he was three years old. At age five, while learning to read and write, he also showed that he could draw and paint. He surprised his family and relatives with his pencil drawings and sketches and with his moldings of clay.

Education

In 1877, at the age of 16, he finished school (Bachelor of Arts) from the Ateneo Municipal de Manila. In the same year, he went to another school to study Philosophy and Letters at the University of Santo Tomas. At the same time, he took classes to become a surveyor and assessor at the Ateneo. In 1878, he went to the University of Santo Tomas to become a doctor. He stopped in his studies when he felt that the Filipino students were not being treated right by the priests who were also their teachers.

On May 3, 1882, he went by boat to Spain. In Spain, he continued his studies at the Universidad Central de Madrid. On June 21, 1884, at the age of 23, he got his degree and became a doctor. On June 19,1885, at the age of 24, he got another degree in Philosophy and Letters. Having traveled throughout Europe, America and Asia, he spoke 22 languages

Later life and death

The Hong Kong Government erected a plaque beside Dr. José Rizal's residence in Hong Kong

When the Philippine Revolution (the war of Filipinos against the Spaniards) started on August 26, 1896, his enemies went after him fast. They were able to get people to say bad things against him and connected him with the war. He was never allowed to talk to these people. Because the Spanish authorities thought he was responsible for the activities of the rebels, he was exiled to the city of Dapitan in Zamboanga, in the Southern Philippines.

From November 3, 1896 until his death, he was imprisoned at Fort Santiago. During his last days in prison, he wrote a poem which is now known as the Mi Ultimo Adios. The poem contains Rizal's final farewell.

After a trial by the military, he was convicted of rebellion (going against the government), sedition (making trouble) and of illegal association (having meetings that are not allowed by the government). He was sentenced to death and was executed by firing squad in the early morning hours of December 30, 1896 at Bagumbayan Field. His body was initially buried in an unmarked grave in the Paco Cemetery. His bones were then exhumed and are now located in their final resting place at the Rizal Monument.

Images for kids

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  José Rizal's baptismal register

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  Francisco Rizal Mercado (1818–1898)

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  Teodora Alonso Realonda (1827–1911)

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  José Rizal in P2 note

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  Rizal's house in Calamba, Laguna

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  Rizal, 11 years old, a student at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila

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  Rizal as a student at the University of Santo Tomas

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  Rednaxela Terrace, where Rizal lived during his self-imposed exile in Hong Kong (photo taken in 2011)

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  Business card showing Dr. José Rizal is an ophthalmologist in Hong Kong

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  A crayon portrait of Leonor Rivera by José Rizal

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  Josephine Bracken was Rizal's common-law wife whom he reportedly married shortly before his execution.

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  Leaders of the reform movement in Spain. Left to right: Rizal, del Pilar, and Ponce (c. 1890).

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  Bust of Padre Guerrico in clay, by Rizal

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  Rizal's pencil sketch of Blumentritt

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  A photographic record of Rizal's execution in what was then Bagumbayan

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  The Triumph of Science over Death, by Rizal

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  An engraving of the execution of Filipino insurgents at Bagumbayan (now Luneta)

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  Historical marker of José Rizal's execution site

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  Government poster from the 1950s

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  Close-up image of Rizal's statue at the Rizal Monument in Manila

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  Rizal Monument

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  Rizal on the obverse side of a 1970 Philippine peso coin

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  The Rizal Park at the Bulacan State University

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  The Portrait of Rizal, painted in oil by Juan Luna

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  The USS Rizal (DD-174) launched in 1918

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  The statue of Rizal at the Rizal Park in Wilhelmsfeld, Germany

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  The National Historical Institute logo for the 150th birth anniversary of José Rizal

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  BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150) during the launching ceremony

See also

In Spanish: José Rizal para niños