Porfirio Diaz (1830-1915) became a war hero during the French invasion of 1861, helping to defeat the invaders at the famous Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. Carolyn Jean Spellmann Shoemaker (born June 24, 1929) is an American astronomer and is a... Gallup, New Mexico, United States of America. Hernán Cortés (1485-1547) was a Spanish conquistador who conquered native populations in the Caribbean before setting his sights on the Aztec Empire.
Juarez ruled another five years, until his death in 1872.
As a respected parish priest and valued member of his community, Father Miguel Hidalgo (1753-1811) was the last person anyone would have expected to kick off a revolution in Spanish colonial Mexico. Some of the people below are celebrities born in New Mexico, while others are simply notable locals. He is remembered for introducing many reforms, including curtailing church influence and for his efforts to modernize Mexican society.

Born Doroteo Arango in impoverished northern Mexico, Villa changed his name and joined a local bandit gang where he soon earned a reputation as a skilled horseman and a fearless mercenary. Demetria Devonne Lovato ( lə-VAH-toh; born August 20, 1992) is an American singer,... Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America.

Juarez and his forces rallied against Maximilian, eventually driving the French out in 1867. Kahlo incorporated the vivid colors and signature imagery of traditional Mexican culture into her paintings. This list includes people who were born and raised in New Mexico, as well as those who were born there but moved away at a young age. Bain Collection / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain. NFL Draft - Players from New Mexico State. The Mexico City Games were the 16th occurrence of the modern Olympic Games. When it comes to football, the first name that comes to our mind is Lionel Messi who plays for the Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team. Many of her best works are self-portraits that reflect her physical anguish as well as the torment she sometimes suffered during her troubled marriage to Rivera. The French installed a European nobleman, Maximilian of Austria, as Emperor of Mexico in 1864. Hidalgo was captured and executed in 1811—but the revolution he inspired lived on. Nevertheless, inside the facade of a dignified clergyman known for his command of complex Catholic theology beat the heart of a true revolutionary. Here are a few of the more interesting and well-known figures who left their indelible mark on the history of the great nation of Mexico.