Bernardo O'Higgins

Bernardo O'Higgins
Supreme Director of Chile
In office
17 February 1817 – 27 January 1823
Preceded byJosé Miguel Carrera
Succeeded byRamón Freire
Commander-in-Chief of the Chilean Army
In office
27 April 1819 – 27 January 1823
Preceded byJosé de San Martín
Succeeded byRamón Freire
In office
27 November 1813 – 2 September 1814
Preceded byJosé Miguel Carrera
Succeeded byJosé Miguel Carrera
Personal details
Born(1778-08-20)20 August 1778
Chillán, Kingdom of Chile
Died24 October 1842(1842-10-24) (aged 64)
Lima, Peru
Children2
Alma materRoyal College of San Carlos
OccupationHead of State, Military
Signature
Military service
Battles/wars

Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme (Spanish pronunciation: [beɾˈnaɾðo oˈ(x)iɣins] ; 20 August 1778 – 24 October 1842) was a Chilean independence leader who freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence. He was a wealthy landowner of Basque-Spanish and Irish ancestry.[1] Although he was the second Supreme Director of Chile (1817–1823), he is considered one of Chile's founding fathers, as he was the first holder of this title to head a fully independent Chilean state.

He was Captain General of the Chilean Army, Brigadier of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, General Officer of Gran Colombia and Grand Marshal of Peru.

  1. ^ Julia Ortiz Griffin and William D. Griffin, Spain and Portugal: A Reference Guide from the Renaissance to the Present, p. 288 [ISBN missing]