Ten fun facts about Benito Juárez

Fact 1
He resisted the French occupation of Mexico.

Fact 2
He overthrew the Second Mexican Empire, restored the Republic, and used liberal measures to modernize the country.

Fact 3
Today Benito Juárez is remembered as being a progressive reformer dedicated to democracy, equal rights for his nation's indigenous peoples, his antipathy toward organized religion, especially the Catholic Church (motivated by his adherence to Free-masonry), and what he regarded as defense of national sovereignty.

Fact 4
The period of his leadership is known in Mexican history as La Reforma del Norte (The Reform of the North).

Fact 5
He constituted a liberal political and social revolution with major institutional consequences: the expropriation of church lands, the subordination of the army to civilian control, liquidation of peasant communal land holdings, the separation of church and state in public affairs, and also the almost-complete disenfranchisement of bishops, priests, nuns and lay brothers.

Fact 6
La Reforma represented the triumph of Mexico's liberal, federalist, anti-clerical, and pro-capitalist forces over the conservative, centralist, corporatist, and theocratic elements that sought to reconstitute a locally-run version of the old colonial system.

Fact 7
March 21, is a day set to commemorate Juárez. This date has become a national holiday in Mexico, which has continued to grow in acceptance within Mexican culture.

Fact 8
A great number of cities, towns, streets, institutions, and other things are named after Benito Juárez, including the former El Paso del Norte, now called Ciudad Juárez.

Fact 9
Mexico City International Airport is better known in Mexico by its first official name Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juárez, or internationally often as Mexico City Juárez.

Fact 10
The Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was named after Juárez.

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