Birthday of Artigas (Uruguay)

The Birthday of Artigas is a public holiday in Uruguay, and it is observed on June 19. The holiday commemorates the birthday of José Gervasio Artigas, the national hero of Uruguay. He was often called the father of Uruguayan nationhood.

José Gervasio Artigas was born in Montevideo on June 19, 1764. He became involved in cattle smuggling which made him a wanted man. He started his military career in 1797 during the Anglo-Spanish War.

The outbreak of the Peninsular War in the early 19th century sparked the Spanish-American wars of independence. Artigas supported the ideas and participated in the Uruguay independence war together with the Uruguayan patriots against the Spanish. In 1814, he organized the League of the Free Peoples and conquered almost all of Uruguay except Montevideo.

The continued growth of the influence of the Federal League frightened the Portuguese forces. In 1816, the Portuguese forces from Brazil invaded Uruguay and defeated him. Uruguay became Brazil's Cisplatina province in 1820. He was then in exile in Paraguay until he died on September 23, 1850, at the age of 86. On August 25, 1825, Uruguay declared independence from the Empire of Brazil.

The following is the list of Birthday of Artigas in Uruguay from 2022 to 2026.

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