In September of 1810, Chile voted for Independence, severing their bonds with Spain. But things weren't happening fast enough for ambitious young hothead Jose Miguel Carrera. On November 15, 1811, Carrera staged a coup, throwing out the ruling council of Chile (which included his own father!). By December, he had taken control of the nation as dictator. This began years of internal strife which almost derailed Chile on its path to Independence.

From Fidel Castro to Pablo Escobar, some of the most important characters of Latin American History have been defined by their actions...and their beards and mustaches!

Far out in the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean lie the sunny Galapagos Islands, home to frolicking sea lions, lumbering tortoises, swimming iguanas and...a ghost? That's right, Baltra Island, where the USA had a military base in the 1940's, is allegedly haunted by the ghost of a headless woman. Click the link to learn more!

On October 28, 1959, a plane carrying Camilo Cienfuegos, one of the leaders of the Cuban Revolution, disappeared over the ocean. Camilo was a charismatic leader and his devotion to communism was suspect. Is it true what many believe: that Fidel and Raul Castro ordered his death?

On October 16, 1817, Patriot General Manuel Piar was executed on orders from Simon Bolivar. Like Bolivar, Piar was a skilled general, charismatic leader and dedicated patriot and his loss was keenly felt by the rebels. Why, then, did Bolivar have him executed?

On October 13, 1493, Christopher Columbus departed once again to the New World. This time, instead of three second-rate ships, he had 1000 men, seventeen ships and plenty of supplies and provisions to start a colony in the lands he had found the year before. His second voyage would be the most successful of the four that he eventually would take to the New World, as it resulted in a permanent colony on Hispaniola.

On October 12, 1492, Rodrigo de Triana, a sailor on board the Pinta, became the first of Christopher Columbus' expedition to sight land in the New World. Today, Columbus' first New World voyage (he would eventually make four) is considered a triumph of exploration. At the time, however, it was considered a fiasco. Why? Read the article to find out!

That's right, Juan Domingo Peron, former President of Argentina, turns 115 today (no, he's not still around to blow out the candles: he died in 1973). He is remembered for far more than simply being the husband of "Evita." He was, in fact, one of the most powerful politicians in the History of Argentina, and his legacy is still felt today.