2024-08-20

Bernardo O'Higgins was born in 1778

    Bernardo OHiggins
When I was a kid at George R Fishburne Elementary School on Murray Drive in Hanahan, SC I was given a part in a play in the sixth grade and the 1966-1967 school year. We had costumes and just a few lines so it wasn't too forboding and I played the part of Bernardo O'Higgins, a military hero from Chile in the past.

My get up was replete with the finest medals my teacher could draw. They were fabulous !

I had to say "My name is Bernardo O'Higgins and Chile is my country" and a few other things and the whole thing was over in less than an hour. It seems that he and I had mathematics issues in school and this is why I was chosen to play that part .

So on this day in 1778 Bernardo O'Higgins was born born in Chillán and grew to become a founding father of the country of Chile which he freed from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence.

Born 246 years ago, he was a wealthy landowner of Basque-Spanish and Irish heritage. He was the Supreme Director of Chile from 1817 through 1823. He was Captain General of the Chilean Army and Brigadier of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata as well as General Officer of Gran Colombia and Grand Marshal of Peru.