Element1 - Birthdate and
Place
Ernesto “Che” Guevara was born in Rosario, Santa Fe in Argentina
in June 14, 1928. His birth there was not intended, as his father had planned
to start growing Argentine Tea leaves, then known as “green gold.”
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| Photograph of Che Guevara |
Che grew up with both of his parents, Celia de la Serna and
Ernesto Guevara Lynch. He is the eldest of five siblings. His other siblings
are Celia, Ana Maria, Roberto and Juan Martin; however their mother would be
closest to Che. His first wife’s name was Hilda, and his second wife’s name was
Aleida. In total, Che would have 5 children.
Element 3 - Childhood
and School Life
Che grew up with Asthma that he developed at an early age. He
suffered from his first pulmonary crisis 40 days after birth and became a
nearly daily occurrence through June 1933. Pneumonia played a key role, due to
his mother constantly taking him to the river. It was because of this incident
that she was overrun by guilt; however it is this guilt that causes her to form
such a strong bond with her son. The family went as far as moving to a place
that wouldn't aggravate Che's condition and settled in a summer resort near
Cordoba named Alta Gracia.
The Guevara’s constant relocation, be it from city to city or
house to house, added a sort of spice to an otherwise monotonous life. Che’s
family was constantly relocating up until his teen years. It was through this
constant relocation that Che was able to meet such a broad spectrum of people;
be it from different social classes or otherwise.
It was in his mother’s lap that Che learned to read and write. Che
consistently attended second and third grade, however his asthma kept him from
attending the majority of fifth and sixth grades. In the time he spent out of
school, his father managed to pass on a love for sports and exercise.
Element 4 – Hobbies and
Activities
Following his
father's guidance, Che learned to play chess and even began participating in
tournaments at the age of 12. As a teenager, he discovered a profound fondness
of poetry and an insatiable hunger for literature. By a young age he had
already finished all the classics of his time.
Element 5 – Anecdotes
When Che was younger, his mother, an excellent swimmer,
would often go down to the river. She failed to account for the strong winds
affecting the weather at the time and when Che’s father found him he saw his
son standing soaking wet and shivering. Two weeks before his second birthday,
Che suffered from his first asthma attack.
In 1948, Che began attending the University of Buenos
Aires to study medicine. It was during this time that Che went on two different
expeditions through South America. The second trip he was accompanied by his
friend Alberto Granado. It was on this trip that Che saw the economic
conditions of the majority of the country. He felt his eyes open to the working
class that he felt was being exploited.
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| Che next to Fidel Castro |
After attending the University of Buenos Aires, Che went
on to become a doctor. However after witnessing a socialist president be
overthrown by an American coup, he felt almost obligated to fight back, and did
so by joining the Guerillas in Cuba. Though he signed on as the group’s combat
medic, Che participated in the field training. In 1956, Che participated in an
attempt to overthrow President Fuglencio, accompanying Fidel Castro and the
Unit that would be later known as the July 26 Movement
.
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| One of the more popular contour depictions of Che Guevara |
Che assisted Fidel Castro in his rise to power, however
today he is revered as a martyr. He is commonly associated with revolution and
Guerrilla warfare.
Element 9 - Death
Following his success in Cuba, Che began trying to spread the
influence of revolution in other places in the world. He traveled to Bolivia
trying to spark revolution; however he had little success only being in charge
of a small group of guerrillas. Eleven months after arriving in Bolivia, almost
all the guerrillas had been killed and Che had been executed by the Bolivian
Government.
