LIFE TIMELINE (1884)

Jan. 2 – In a reunion of Filipinos in the Paterno residence in Madrid, Rizal proposed the writings of a
novel about the Philippines written by a group of Filipinos.

(Pedro, Maximino Viola, and Antonio Paterno, Graciano López Jaena, Evaristo Aguirre, Eduardo de Lete,
Julio Llorente, and Valentin Ventura were among the Filipinos present at the time who unanimously
approved his proposal. However, this project was never materialized because the people that were
supposed to help him did not write anything.)

June 24 – Touching incident in Rizal’s life in Madrid wherein he was broke and was unable to take
breakfast.

(Because of drought and locust, the harvest of rice and sugarcane failed in Calamba. The manager of the
Dominican-owned hacienda raised the rent on the Rizal family's lands. Due to this, Rizal’s monthly
allowance are mostly late and sometimes never arrived. Resulting for him to attend university with an
empty stomach.)

June 25 – Rizal attended a banquet that was sponsored by the Filipino community to celebrate the
victory of Luna’s “Spoliarium” and Hidalgo’s “Christian Virgin Exposed to the Populace” .

(Juan Luna, with his Spoliarium won the first prize. Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo won the second prize with
his Christian Virgins Exposed to the Populace. Rizal saluted and praised Luna in his speech on their
artistic achievements)

(In Rizal’s speech, he said “Genius knows no country, genius sprouts everwhere, genius is like light, air,
the patrimony of everybody, cosmopolitan like space, like life, like God.” That means genius is universal.)

Sept. 30 – He was issued the diploma of ordinary prize obtained during the examination given last June
30, in the subjects of Greek and Latin literature at the Central Universidad De Madrid.

Nov. 5 – He receive the news from Paciano that the cause of sickness of their mother was his speech
delivered during the banquet in honor of two Filipino painter. Their mother feared the Rizal could no
longer return to the Philippines as opined by both his friends and enemies in the country.

(According to Paciano, returning to the Philippines would be fatal since a lot of Spaniards were raring to
punish him for claiming that the Indios could be even better than the colonial masters if given the
chance to develop themselves.)

Nov. 16 – He wrote a letter to his family in Calamba asking their permission for him to return to the
Philippines.

Because of the treaty of commerce being negotiated between Spain and United States and the plan of
England to enter into the said treaty, Rizal predicted the fate of the Philippine sugar. He said it would
turn from bad to worse.

Nov. 20 – Rizal witnessed the tumultuous scene in the Central Universidad de Madrid where the
students and professors staged a strike against excommunication imposed by the bishop on the lecture
proclaiming the freedom of science and of the teacher.
(In one his letters dated the year 1884 Rizal wrote his parents and siblings about a protest championing
academic freedom. He mentioned a Dr. Miguel Morayta, professor of history at the Universidad Central
who delivered an address on the subject at the opening of the academic year. Rizal reported in his letter
to Calamba that the bishops excommunicated Morayta for the speech, but there were also calls from
students who wanted the same bishops excommunicated themselves.

“Then the liberal students held an imposing demonstration against the excommunication and as the
liberals formed the immense majority, the demonstration was big. As they went through the streets
there were shouts of “Long live!” and “Down!” That was enough to make the police chase the students,
some of whom were wounded and others were taken prisoner,” Rizal wrote.

“The students were greatly enraged and students of medicine, law, philosophy and letters and others
joined together. It was then that the police committed the barbarous outrage without equal in the
history of the country. They attacked the University with sabers and revolvers in their hands, 200 of
them, upon order of the governor, the rector notwithstanding.
Many were wounded, blood was spilled on the stairways and corridors of the University, they laid their
hands on the rector, seized the secretary, insulted the professors, wounded the children, [and] there
was shooting. I was then at the University, but I was in class. When I came out, the thing had already
taken another turn. . . This occurred on 20 November at 12 noon,” he said.)

Nov. 21-22 – With Valentin Ventura, he escaped from being arrested by a police lieutenant and a secret
service man in connection with strike staged by the University students. He disguised himself three
times to evade arrest by the law agents who were eyeing on him. The indignation rally of the students
continued and more arrest were affected.

Nov. 26 – Desirous to help the family, Rizal in a letter reiterated his wish to return home.

Dec. 11 – Teodora Alonso admonished not to meddle in things which would give her displeasures, not to
fail to comply with the duties of good Christian, and not to expect too many letter from her and she was
already very old and could not see very well due to her failing sight.