Spain On This Day - September 20

Spain On This Day - September 20
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By m.p. - Sep 20, 2007 - 7:40 AM
Saint’s Day for Dionisio, Agapito, Felipa, Eustaquio, Prisco and Imelda.

The Portuguese-born explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, set sail from Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Cádiz province, on 20th September 1519 on the service of the Spanish crown on what was to be the first successful voyage around the world. He was killed in the Philippines two years later, and Juan Sebastián Elcano took over command of the expedition. He brought the only surviving ship back home to Spain in 1522.

Lt Col José Millán-Astray y Terreros founds the Spanish Foreign Legion in 1920 and became its first commander.

The renowned actor Fernando Rey was born as Fernando Casado D’Arambillet in La Coruña in 1917. He was famous for dubbing the voice of Laurence Olivier and achieved international fame for his work with the Spanish director, Luis Buñuel, in the 1960s and 70s. He died in 1994.

The tennis player, Feliciano López Díaz-Guerra, was born in Toledo, on 20th September 1981. He reached the Wimbledon quarter finals in 2005, becoming the first male Spanish tennis player to do so since 1972.

Nicolás Salmerón, President of the First Spanish Republic in 1873, died in 1908.

The Spanish violinist and composer, Pablo Sarasate, also died on this day in 1908.

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