Porfirio Díaz (1830–1915)
Born 1830 CE, died 1915 CE.
José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori (; Spanish: [poɾˈfiɾjo ˈði.as]; baptized 15 September 1830 – 2 July 1915), commonly known as Porfirio Díaz, was a Mexican army general and politician who was the president of Mexico from 1876 until his overthrow in 1911. Seizing power in a military coup, he served on three occasions, a total of over thirty years, the longest of any Mexican ruler. This period is known as the Porfiriato and has been called a de facto dictatorship. Díaz was born to a Oaxacan family of modest means. He initially studied to become a priest but eventually switched his studies to law, and among his mentors was the future President of Mexico, Benito Juárez. Díaz increasingly became active in Liberal Party politics fighting with the Liberals to overthrow Santa Anna in the Plan of Ayutla, and also fighting on their side against the Conservative Party in the Reform War. During the second French intervention in Mexico, Díaz fought in the Battle of Puebla in 1862, which temporarily repulsed the invaders, but was captured when the French besieged the city with reinforcements a year later.
Text from the Wikipedia article Porfirio_Díaz, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.