Jose Rizal: A Short Biography Jose Rizal is a man of intellect and wisdom.

A man who did not used swords and guns to fight the Spaniards rather he used his wisdom write novels that awakened the Filipino hearts and to free them from the long time slavery. And today, we will learn a short biography about him. Early Life Jose Rizal was born on June 19, 1861 in the town of Calamba, Laguna. His birth name is Jose Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda. He was the seventh child of Francisco Mercado Rizal and Teodora Alonzo y Quintos. His father is an industrious farmer came from Bian, Laguna. Rizal dubbed him as the model of fathers. And his mother is a highly cultured and accomplished woman whom Rizal called a prudent and loving mother; she was born in Meisic, Sta. Cruz, Manila. As a child, Rizal showed signs as an extraordinary child. By the help of his mother as his first teacher, Rizal already learned the alphabet at the age of 3. At the age of 5, he already learned to read and write. And at the age of 8, he already wrote his first and famous Tagalog poem Sa Aking Mga Kababata. The poem revolves around the topic in loving ones own language, an early sign of nationalism and patriotism. Education In 1872, Jose Rizal enrolled in a Jesuit-run school, the Ateneo Municipal de Manila. In 1877, at the age of 16, he obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree with a remark of excellent from his class. In the same year, he enrolled in Sto. Tomas in the course of Philosophy and Letters. And at the same time took a course in Land Surveyor and Assessment course in Ateneo. He passed his surveyors exam on March 21, 1878. But he could not get his license because he is only 17 (a minor during that time). But got it in 1881, when he reached the right age. In 1878, the young man also enrolled in the University of Santo Tomas as a medical student. He later dropped out school, because of the discrimination to the Filipino students done by the Dominican priests. Rizal around the World In May of 1882, Rizal went to Madrid, Spain to study in Universidad Central de Madrid. In June of 1884, he received his medical degree at the age of 23; the following year, he also graduated from the Philosophy and Letters department.

Motivated by his mothers blindness, Rizal enrolled to the University of Paris and then University of Heidelberg to study ophthalmology. At Heidelberg, he studied under the famed professor Otto Becker. Rizal finished his second doctorate at Heidelberg in 1887. Jose Rizal lived 10 years in Europe. In there, he learned other languages. As a ammeter of fact, he can converse in more than 10 languages. Every Filipino he met in Europe was impressed to his charm, intelligent and his mastery of an incredible range of different fields of study. His Novels and Works Jose Rizal wrote his first novel Noli Me Tangere in Spanish. It was published in Berlin in the year of 1887. The novel revealed the arrogance and despotism of Spanish clergy. In 1890, he reprinted it in Paris, in Morgas SUCCESSOS DE LAS ISLAS FILIPINAS with his annotations to prove that the Filipinos had a civilization worthy to be proud of even long before the Spaniards set foot on Philippine soil. And in September 18, 1891, he published the sequel of his novel, El Filibusterismo. A more tragic and more revolutionary novel. Rizal Returned to Philippines In 1892, Rizal went back to his beloved country, Philippines. He then formed the La Liga Filipina. A forum for Filipinos where they can express their feelings and emotions, their hopes for reforms and freedom for Spanish oppressions. But the consequences of his works and novels haunts him. And on 1896, he was imprisoned in Fort Santiago. Then he was exiled to Dapitan, in northwestern Mindanao. While remained as an exiled. He practice medicine and he established a school for boys, promoted community development projects, he applied his knowledge in engineering by constructing a system of waterworks in order to furnish clean water to the towns people. In Dapitan he also met, fell in love and lived with Josephine Bracken. The Last Goodbye On the 26th day of December, 1896. Rizal was sentenced to die. He was convicted of rebellion, treason and of forming of illegal association. But on the eve of his execution, he wrote a poem, titled the Mi Ultimo Adios (My Last Farewell). And hid it inside the gas burner and gave it to Trinidad (his sister) and to Josephine (his wife). And on the 30th day of December, 30, 1896. He was executed in Bagumbayan, Laguna by a firing squad. Bagumabayan, Laguna was now the Luneta Park.