Dr. Jose Rizal

Facts about Dr. Jose Rizal 1. Dr. Jose Rizal could write and read at the age two and grew up to speak in 22 languages including Tagalog, Ilokano, Spanish, Portuguese, Latin, Greek, Sanskrit, English, French, German, Arabic, Hebrew, Catalan, Dutch, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Swedish, Russian, Malay, Bisayan, and Subanun.

2. He mastered various skills and subjects. He was an ophthalmologist, novelist, educator, farmer, historian, playwright, sculptor, painter, and journalist.

3. He studied under the guidance of Justiniano Aquino Cruz in Biñan Laguna; Ateneo Municipal de Manila (he graduated); University of Sto. Tomas (Philosophy and Letters & Medicine specializing in Opthalmology); Universidad Central de Madrid (Licentiate in Medicine); University of Paris; University of Heidelberg.

4. The whole name of Dr. Jose Rizal is Jose Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda.

5. The date of birth of Dr. Jose Rizal is June 19, 1861. It was moonlit night, between eleven and twelve.

6. December 30, 1896 when Dr. Jose Rizal died. He is 35 when he died.

7. This is the Siblings of Dr. Jose Rizal: Saturnina, Paciano, Narcisa, Olympia, Lucia, Maria, Concepcion, Josefa, Trinidad, Soledad.

8. He was born in Calamba, Laguna.

9. His parents are Francisco Engracio Rizal Mercado y Alejandro and Teodora Morales Alonso Realonda y Quintos.

10. The height of Rizal is 4’11”

11. There were at least nine women linked with Rizal; namely Segunda Katigbak, Leonor Valenzuela, Leonor Rivera, Consuelo Ortiga, O-Sei San, Gertrude Beckette, Nelly Boustead, Suzanne Jacoby and Josephine Bracken. These women might have been beguiled by his intelligence, charm and wit.

12. “Sa Aking Mga Kababata”is the first poem he wrote at the age of eight.

13. Jose Rizal wrote “Noli Me Tangere”in Spanish; it was published in 1887 in Berlin. In 1891, he published sequel, titled“El Filibusterismo”.

14. Jose Rizal is remembered today throughout the Philippines for his brilliance, his courage, his peaceful resistance to tyranny, and his compassion. Filipino school children study his final literary work, a poem called Mi Ultimo Adios or "My Last Goodbye", as well as his two famous novels.

15. Considering that he lived during the latter part of the 19th century where the only means of long distance travel is by ship, he can be considered a very well traveled man. He traveled extensively and had been to the United States, Spain, Great Britain, France, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Italy, Singapore, Borneo, Hong Kong, China and Japan.

16. Rizal’s most famous quotation: “Ang hindi magmahal sa sariling wika, daig pa ang hayop at malansang isda”. (He who does not love his own language is worse than an animal and smelly fish).

17. While in Dapitan, Dr. Jose Rizal discovered new species of beetle, frog and lizard which were named after him. Draco rizali, a species of flying dragon, Rachophorous rizali, a species of toad and Apogonia rizali, a beetle species.

Apogonia rizali