RIZAL'S LIFE: A TIMELINE

Rizal's mother was his first teacher who taught him how to read and write. During these years, his parents got him private tutors. The first was Maestro Celestino and the second, Maestro Lucas Padua. Later, an old man named Leon Monroy, a former classmate of Rizal's father, became the boy's tutor. At the age of 8, Rizal wrote a poem entitled Sa Aking Mga Kabata.

Dr. Jose P. Rizal was born on Calamba, Laguna on a Wednesday between 11 :00 pm and midnight.

When he was just 4 years old, he lost his little sister (Concha), who made her feel the sisterly love.

Rizal was accompanied by his older brother ( Paciano ) to Binan, at his aunt's house, where he stayed. He studied at Binan for a year and a half.

During this time, his uncle named Jose Alberto arrived from Europe. It was also by this time when the injustice to Dona Teodora happened. Jose Alberto found out that his wife failed to be responsible and abandoned the house and his children. After the continuous search, he finally got her back- thanks to Dona Teodora who persuaded him not to go on separate ways. However, this was also the beginning of her calvary. She was accused of being an accomplice of a poisoner (Jose).

RIZAL LEFT BINAN AND HEADED BACK TO CALAMBA, LAGUNA.

RIZAL'S ARRIVAL IN ATENEO
1872

Paciano took him to Manila to take entrance examinations and study the secondary course at the Ateneo Municipal. During his first year, he was crowned with a grade of sobresaliente. In his second year in Ateneo, he took private Spanish lessons in Sta. Isabel College. The following year, Rizal was excellent in all subjects. This was also the year when his mother was finally released from Prison. In his fourth year, Professor Francisco de Paula Sanchez inspired Rizal to write poetry, This was also the year when none of his classmates top him. Lastly, his last year was exceptional. He obtained the highest grades in any subjects there were.

On this day, the GOMBURZA martyrs were garrotted on Bagumbayan Field, Manila. The priests that make up GOMBURZA are Fr. Gomez, Fr. Burgos and Fr. Zamora. They were falsely charged of complicity in the Cavite Mutiny in the early 1872.

During this time, Rizal began devoting himself in reading novels such as the Count of Montecristo.