Arturo Prat | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | April 3, 1848 Ninhue, Chile |
| Died | May 21, 1879 (aged 31) Off Iquique, Peru (present-day Chile) |
| Allegiance |  Chile |
| Service | Chilean Navy |
| Years of service | 1861–1879 |
| Rank | Frigate captain |
| Commands | |
| Battles / wars | |
| Spouse(s) | Carmela Carvajal |
| Children | Carmela de la Concepción, Blanca Estela and Arturo Héctor |
| Other work | Lawyer, teacher and secret agent |
| Signature |  |
Agustín Arturo Prat Chacón (Latin American Spanish: [aɾˈtuɾo pɾat tʃaˈkon]; April 3, 1848 – May 21, 1879) was a Chilean Navy officer and lawyer. He was killed in the Battle of Iquique, during the War of the Pacific. During his career, Prat had taken part in several naval engagements, including battles at Papudo (1865), and at the Abtao (1866). Following his death, his name became a rallying cry for Chilean forces, and Arturo Prat has since been considered a national hero.
Prat's name is commemorated on numerous plazas (squares), streets, buildings and other structures in Chile. His name has been commemorated by four of Chile's major warships, including a Brooklyn-class cruiser in the 1950s, a British County-class destroyer from 1983 to 2006, and most recently a Dutch Jacob van Heemskerck-class frigate transferred to Chile as Capitan Prat in 2006. One of Chile's Antarctic research facilities, Arturo Prat Station, and the Chilean Naval Academy, Escuela Naval Arturo Prat are named after him. His portrait appears on the 10,000 Chilean peso bank note. Also, in 1984 Arturo Prat University was founded, with its main campus in Iquique where his heroic deed took place.