July 12

August 22, 2025 - Reading time: 9 minutes

Saints Days : Juan Gualberto, Epifania and Paulino

1801 – British ships inflict heavy damage on Spanish and French ships in the Second Battle of Algeciras.
1873 - Cartagena, a federalist uprising establishes the Canton of Cartagena, which will withstand six months a government siege.
1985 - The city of Santiago de Compostela receives the Europe award granted by the Council of Europe in recognition of its Europeanism.

2010 - Spain's victorious 2010 FIFA World Cup "campeones" return to Madrid where they are met by millions of people in the streets, the royal family and politicians

2023 - Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez recently announced that Spain will deploy military forces in Slovakia and increase those in Romania to strengthen NATO's eastern flank.

Sanchez spoke about these deployments in statements to journalists upon arrival at the Vilnius summit,

The conflict in Ukraine is at the center of the summit, and the Spanish prime minister will reiterate Spain's full support for Ukraine. It will be the first time Spain sends troops to Slovakia, while the number of troops in Romania will be increased, although the exact figure has not been specified.

Ana Torrent - photo www.zombio.com

Births
1468 – Juan del Encina, poet, playwright, and composer (d. 1530)

1651 - Margaret Theresa of Spain, daughter of Felipe IV, wife and niece of Leopold 1.Holy Roman Emperor (the child in Velázquez Las Meninas, born in Madrid (d. 1673)
1707 - Esteban Terreros, philologist (d. 1782)
1751 - Francisco Salvá Campillo, physician and physicist (d. 1828)
1767 - Sangenís Antonio Torres, military engineer (d. 1809)
1870 - Juan José Gárate, painter (d. 1939)
1887 - Pío García-Escudero y Fernández de Urrutia, engineer (d. 1977).
1923 - Miguel Artola Gallego, historian
1947 - Mari Trini, singer songwriter (d. 2009)
1951 - Jaime Mayor Oreja, PP Politician
1964 - Carles Campuzano, Catalan politician.
1966 – Ana Torrent, actress

1971 - Andriy Kovalenco. Ukranian-Spanish rugby player

1991 - Pablo Carreño Busta, tennis player (Davis Cup 2019; US Open doubles 2016 runner up, born in Gijón

Deaths
1936 - José del Castillo Sáenz de Tejada, soldier (b. 1901)
1951 - Juan Alcaide, poet (b. 1907)
1959 - Carles Riba, Catalan writer (b. 1893)
1987 - Amelia de la Torre, actress
2007 - Joseíto, (José Iglesias Fernández) footballer (b. 1926)
2014 - Nestor Basterretxea, painter and sculptor (b. 1924)