Juan Marichal (historian) facts for kids

Juan Marichal (born February 2, 1922 – died August 9, 2010) was a famous Spanish historian, writer, and literary critic. He was also a professor at Harvard University. Marichal lived in exile for many years during the time of the Francoist State after the Spanish Civil War ended.

Early Life and Education

Juan Marichal was born on February 2, 1922, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which is in the Canary Islands of Spain. In 1935, when he was 13, his family moved to Madrid. Later, he lived in Valencia and Barcelona before going to school in Paris, France. He finished school in Casablanca, Morocco, around the end of the Spanish Civil War.

Moving to Mexico

In 1941, when Juan Marichal was just 19 years old, he left Casablanca. He boarded a ship with other people who were also leaving Spain after the Civil War. They sailed to Mexico.

In Mexico, he went to the National Autonomous University of Mexico. There, he studied literature and philosophy. To pay for his classes, he worked at a box factory.

Studying in the United States

Later, Marichal became a professor at the Luis Vives Institute in Mexico. This organization was started by Spanish people who had moved to Mexico. He then moved to the United States.

He received a scholarship to study at Princeton University. A Mexican historian named Edmundo O'Gorman helped him get this scholarship. In 1949, Marichal earned his Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) from Princeton. This is a very high degree you can get at a university. His special study was about modern languages and literature.

Career and Writings

After getting his doctorate, Juan Marichal taught literature at Harvard University in Massachusetts. His courses focused on Spain and the Spanish language. One of the topics he taught was about El Cid, a famous Spanish hero.

Important Books

Marichal spent more than 10 years writing his most famous work. This was The Complete Works of Manuel Azaña. Manuel Azaña was an important Spanish politician.

In 1976, Marichal also published the writings of his father-in-law, the Spanish poet Pedro Salinas. This book was called Three Voices of Pedro Salinas.

Awards and Recognition

Juan Marichal received several important awards for his work.

• In 1987, he was given the Canary Prize for Literature.
• In 1996, he won the Spain National Prize in Literature. This was for his work as a historian.

Later Life and Legacy

Juan Marichal passed away on August 9, 2010. He was 88 years old. He died at his home in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. The government of the Canary Islands announced his death.

His wife, Solita, had passed away before him. She was the daughter of the poet Pedro Salinas. Juan and Solita Marichal had two sons: Miguel Marichal Salinas and Carlos Marichal Salinas.

See also

In Spanish: Juan Marichal (escritor) para niños