Celebrating Black History Month: Fort Mose, the first all-black settlement in the U.S.

The authorities of Spanish Florida in 1689 began offering asylum to escaped slaves fleeing from the British colonies. In 1693, King Charles of Spain issued a royal decree that granted asylum in Florida, if they converted to Catholicism and serving four years in the colonial militia.

In 1738, Manuel de Montiana, the governor of Spanish Florida, established Fort Mose at the Spanish fort near St. Augustine, Florida. It was the first free black settlement in the US.  Any slave from the surrounding British colonies who made it to Fort Mose was granted asylum.

In 1739, slaves from the British colonies staged the Stono Rebellion, as they tried to reach Fort Mose.  They burned plantations as they moved southward, and many slaves joined them.  However, many were caught and publicly executed.

The people of Fort Mose made allies with the Spanish soldiers and fought against British forces who attacked St. Augustine in 1740. The fort was destroyed.

The Spanish returned and rebuilt Fort Mose by 1752, and black were allowed to resettle. When east Florida was ceded to England by the 1763 Treaty of Paris, most of the free blacks emigrated to Cuba with the Spanish settlers.

Fort Mose is consider a premiere site on the Florida Black Heritage Trail, and a precursor to the Underground Railroad. It is now a US National Historic Landmark.

Happy birthday, Spanish astronaut Pedro Duque!

Pedro Duque, born March 14, 1963 in Madrid, Spain, is the first Spanish-born astronaut in space. 

Duque's first flight was aboard Discovery (STS-95) as mission specialist for the European Space Agency in October-November 1998.  He spent almost 10 days in space.

His second and final flight was aboard Soyuz TMA-3 to the International Space Station launched in October 2003 as Flight Engineer.  He remained on board for about 10 days and returned to Earth aboard Soyuz TMA-2.  

After retiring from the ESA, he became the Minister of Science for the Government of Spain.

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month: John Ortega, Civil War recipient of Medal of Honor

John Ortega, born in Spain in 1840, immigrated to the United States and became a resident of Pennsylvania.  He joined the Navy in 1863 and was assigned to the USS Saratoga. In January 1864, Gideon Welles, the Secretary of the US Navy, order the USS Saratoga and its commander George Colvocoresses to participate in the Union blockade of Charleston, South Carolina.  

Ortega participated in several raids from landing parties to capture prisoners, and the destruction of ammunition, supplies, buildings, and bridges.

He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service and promoted to acting master's mate in August 1864.

Happy birthday, Antonio Banderas!

Ultra-suave actor Antonio Banderas, born August 10, 1960 in Malaga, Spain, has one of the sexiest voices in Hollywood, as Steve Colbert proves in the video below.

His made his first appearance in False Eyelash, a Spanish film released in 1982, and has since made over 100 movies to date.  His voice-over as Puss 'N Boots from the Shrek movie franchise is one of his most popular roles.  He came to fame for his performance in Mambo Kings (1992) and then as Tom Hanks' lover in Philadelphia (1993).  He has starred in the Spy Kids franchise and made an appearance in The Expendables 3.

He has been nominated for an Oscar and has plenty of projects on the way, including Indiana Jones 5, which is in post-production.

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: Antonio Banderas, Spanish actor extraordinaire

One of the sexiest men alive, Antonio Banderas, born August 10, 1960 in Malaga, Spain, is a multi-award winning actor.  He's been nominated for an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy,  a Golden Globe among many others.  

He has starred in The Mambo Kings, Philadelphia, and the Expendables 3.  He is the voice of Puss in Boots in the Shrek movies.

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: Santiago Ramón y Cajal, first person of Spanish origin to win a scientific Nobel Prize

Santiago Ramon y Cajal, born May 1, 1852 in Navarre, Spain, is the first person of Spanish origin to win a scientific Nobel Prize.  His work with Italian scientist Camillo Golgi on the structure of the nervous system was recognized in 1906 when they were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

He won many awards, prizes and distinctions throughout his career.  He passed away in October 1934.  

An asteroid 117413 Ramonycajal has been named in his honor.

Soyuz TMA-3 launched 2003

Soyuz TMA-3 crew (L-R): Pedro Duque, Aleksandr Kaleri, Michael Foale

Mission patch

Soyuz TMA-3, launched October 18, 2003, was the seventh trip to the International Space Station.  Its crew consisted of Commander Aleksandr Kaleri (Roscosmos), Michael Foale (British astronaut, NASA) and Pedro Duque (Spanish astronaut, ESA).  Kaleri and Foale were part of Expedition 8, but Pedro Duque returned on Soyuz TMA-2 about a week later. 

Kaleri and Foale returned to Earth in April 2004 with Andre Kuipers (Dutch astronaut, ESA) after more than 194 days.

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Michael López-Alegría!

Michael Lopez-Alegria, born May 30, 1958 in Madrid, Spain, is a veteran of three space shuttle missions and one Soyuz mission.  He was raised in Mission Viejo, California and became a Naval Aviator in 1981.  Part of his naval experience was over here at the NAS Patuxent River, Maryland.

His first mission in space was on Columbia (STS-73) October-November 1995 as mission specialist.

His second trip was on Discovery (STS-92) in October 2000 as mission specialist. He conducted two EVAs with fellow astronaut Peter Wisoff.

His third shuttle mission was as mission specialist on Endeavour (STS-113) November-December 2002.  Lopez-Alegria conducted 3 more EVAs with fellow astronaut John Herrington.

His fourth and final flight was aboard Soyuz TMA-9, launched September 18, 2006 to the International Space Station as a member of Expedition 14.  He returned to Earth April 21, 2007.

He holds the second all-time record for EVA duration (67 hours, 40 minutes).  He has the third longest stay in space of American astronauts - 215 days.

Lopez-Alegria retired from NASA March 12, 2012.

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month - Michael López-Alegría, first Spanish-born astronaut

Michael Lopez-Alegria, born in Madrid, Spain, moved to the U.S. with his parents when he was about two years old.  He grew up in southern California and has been on 3 Space Shuttle flights and one Soyuz mission.

His first mission was on board Columbia (STS-73) in October-November 1995 as a mission specialist.  His second flight was on Discovery (STS-92) in October 2000 also as a mission specialist.  His final flight was on Endeavour (STS-113) in November-December 2002.

In September 2006, Lopez-Alegria took off in Soyuz TMA-9 as Flight Engineer to the International Space Station where he became commander of Expedition 14.  He returned to Earth in April 2007.

Lopez-Alegriz holds the record for an American astronaut for number of EVAs (10) and total duration of EVAs (67 hours, 40 minutes - that's almost 3 days!).  He holds the second-longest record for total duration of EVAs for a human, behind only Anatoly Solovyev.

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month - Major George Farragut, Revolutionary War hero

George Farragut was September 29, 1755, on Minorca, a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea.  According to an entry made by him in a family Bible, he left the island of Minorca April 2, 1772, but did not settle in America until 1776. 

When George Farragut first arrived in North Carolina the war of the Revolution was in full blast, and the patriots of the State had already struck a crushing blow against the royal cause in a battle fought at Moore's Creek Bridge on February 27, 1776. 

He saw much active service, and is said to have saved the life of Colonel William Washington at the battle of Cowpens, January 17, 1781.

By the spring of 1782 Farragut had risen to the rank of captain, May 27, 1782, designating him by that title and allowing him $300 for six months' pay and subsistence money

Just before the close of the war he was promoted from captain to major of North Carolina cavalry, his commission to bear date May 1, 1782 

http://genealogytrails.com/ncar/lenoir/bio_farragut_george.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Farragut

John Glenn returns to space 1998

Space Shuttle Discovery Crew - Back row: Mission Specialist 2 Scott E. Parazynski, Payload Specialist 1 Chiaki Mukai, Mission Specialist 1 Pedro Duque, Payload Specialist 2 John H. Glenn, Jr.

Front row: Pilot Steven W. Lindsey, Commander Curtis L. Brown, Jr.

Astronaut and senator John Glenn returned to space on board the Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-95), October 29, 1998.  He became the oldest man to date to go into space.  Also aboard was Pedro Duque of Spain, the country's first astronaut.  The rest of the crew consisted of Commander Curtis Brown, Pilot Steven Lindsey, Scott Parazynski, Stephen Robinson and Chiaki Mukai.

Glenn made history as part of NASA's Mercury project to become the first American to orbit Earth. in the Friendship 7 in 1962.  His second return to space was at the age of 77 as a payload specialist.  NASA conducted experiments on Glenn while in space to give them an understanding of the effects of space on aging.