Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy
1869--1964
Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy was born into the local elite of Cavite on the Island of Luzon in the Philippines. His father had been mayor of Kawit (Cavite viejo) at the time of his death in 1878, a post Aguinaldo himself would hold in 1895. That same year Aguinaldo joined the secret, nationalist brotherhood Katipunan founded by Andrés Bonifacio. After the Philippines erupted in revolt against the Spaniards in 1896, Aguinaldo won several victories in Cavite Province. When Bonifacio came out of hiding in March 1897 and tried to reassert his leadership of Katipunan, Aguinaldo ordered his arrest, imprisonment, and eventual execution on May 10, 1897.
Katipunan forces retreated into the mountains in the face of Spanish attacks. Ultimately he entered into an accord with the Spaniards, agreeing to exile in Hong Kong in exchange for 400,000 pesos. Soon after his arrival there, Aguinaldo purchased the weapons his troops would require to continue the struggle.
After the U.S. declared war on Spain, Aguinaldo saw a possibility that the Philippines might achieve its independence; the U.S. hoped instead that Aguinaldo would lend his troops to its effort against Spain. He returned to Manila on May 19, 1898 and declared Philippine independence on June 12.
When it became clear that the United States had no interest in the liberation of the islands, Aguinaldo's forces remained apart from U.S. troops. On January 1, 1899 following the meetings of a constitutional convention, Aguinaldo was proclaimed president of the Philippine Republic. Not surprisingly, the United States refused to recognize Aguinaldo's authority and on February 4, 1899 he declared war on the U.S. forces in the islands. After his capture on March 23, 1901, Aguinaldo agreed to swear allegiance to the United States, and then left public life. His dream of Philippine independence came true on July 4, 1946. He died in Manila in 1964.
Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (March 22, 1869 – February 6, 1964) was a Filipino general, politician, and independence leader. He played an instrumental role in Philippine independence during the Philippine Revolution against Spain and the Philippine-American War that resisted American occupation. He eventually pledged his allegiance to the US government.
In the Philippines, Aguinaldo is considered to be the country's first and the youngest Philippine President.
General Emilio Aguinaldo
(1899-1964)
He officially proclaimed the Philippine independence in Malolos, Bulacan, on January 23, 1899, with him as the first president. It was the first republic in Asia. Born in Kawit, Cavite, on March 22, 1869. Died at the Veterans Memorial Hospital, Quezon City, on February 6, 1964.
References:
http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/aguinaldo.html