Pancho Villa

Francisco "Pancho" Villa was a Mexican revolutionary and general in the Mexican Revolution. He was a key figure in the revolutionary movement that forced out President Porfirio Díaz and brought Francisco I. Madero to power in 1911. When Madero was ousted by a coup led by General Victoriano Huerta in February 1913, Villa joined the anti-Huerta forces in the Constitutionalist Army led by Venustiano Carranza. After the defeat and exile of Huerta in July 1914, Villa broke with Carranza. Villa dominated the meeting of revolutionary generals that excluded Carranza and helped create a coalition government. Emiliano Zapata and Villa became formal allies in this period. Like Zapata, Villa was strongly in favor of land reform, but did not implement it when he had power. At the height of his power and popularity in late 1914 and early 1915, the U.S. considered recognizing Villa as Mexico's legitimate authority.

5 June 1878

Born on the same birth day (5 June): Alex Mooney • Antonio García (racing driver) • Beatrice de Cardi • Dean Amadon • Erasmo Carlos • Freddie Stone • Jacques Demy • Justus Jonas • Karin Balzer • Kathleen Kennedy (producer) • Martin Gélinas • Moira Anderson • Phil Neale • Pierre Bruneau (journalist) • Pierre Jean Georges Cabanis • Roger Tuivasa-Sheck • Sandra Stals • Serhat Akın • Susan Lynch • Troye Sivan • Whitfield Diffie

Born in the same month (June 1878): Evan Roberts (minister) • John Masefield • Leopold Löwenheim • Léon Thiébaut • Margaret Abbott • Margarito Bautista