Jose Rizal’s

Timeline
Francisco, Jodi Joshua T.
41E1
 Advent of a National Hero
1861 - Jose Rizal was born on June 19, 1861 in
Calamba, Laguna. He’s the 7th child of Francisco
Mercado Rizal and Teodora Alonso Realonda
Childhood Years in Calamba - Calamba was an hacienda
town which belonged to the Dominican Order, which
also owned all the lands around it.​
Early Education in Calamba - The first teacher of Rizal was
his mother, who was a remarkable woman of good
character and fine culture. ​
1861 - One Sunday afternoon in June, 1869, Jose,
after kissing the hands of his parents and a tearful
parting from his sisters, left Calamba for Binan. ​First
Day in Binan - Paciano, brought his younger brother to
the school of Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz.​
Best Student in School​ - In academic studies, Jose beat all
the Binan boys. He surpassed them all in Spanish,
Latin, and other subjects. ​
Injustice to Hero’s Mother​ - Rizal’s mother got
imprisoned for a malicious charged that she and her
brother, Jose Alberto, tried to poison Jose
Alberto’s wife. ​
Scholastic Triumphs at Ateneo de Manila University

- 1872, Rizal passed the entrance in Ateneo

- Fr. Jose Bech is the name of his first professor.
Summer Vacation - Rizal spent his summer at Calamba.
- Rizal returned to Manila when his vacation ended.
Second Year in Ateneo - Nothing unusual happened during his 2nd year.
-
At the end of the term, Rizal received an excellent grades and gold
medal. The Highest Honor.

Third Year in Ateneo - Rizal

returned to Manila for his junior
year. He was too glad to see his
mother a free woman.
Fourth Year in Ateneo - He became
an interno at Ateneo during his
fourth year course.
- Fr. Francisco Paula de
Sanchez, Rizal’s professors
inspired him to study harder
and write poetry
Last Year in Ateneo - Rizal finished
his last year at Ateneo in a
blaze of glory, graduated with
 Medical Studies at the University of Santo Tomas
- After graduating with the highest honor from
Ateneo, Rizal had to go the University of Santo
Tomas for higher studies.
April 1877 – nearly 16 years old, matriculated in
University of Santo Tomas, taking the course on
Philosophy and Letters.
Victim of Officer’s Brutality – Rizal was freshman
medical student at the University of Santo Tomas ,
he experienced his first state of Spanish brutality.
1879 - Artistic-Literary Lyceum of Manila, a society
of literary men and artists, held a literacy contest.
It offered a prize for the best poem by a native or a
mestizo.
- The winning poem of Rizal is classic in Philippines
Literature.
Champion of Filipino Students – Rizal was the champion
of Filipino students in their frequent fights againts
the arrogant Spanish student. Filipinos and Spanish
were always insulting each other.
Unhappy Days at the UST – in his novel, El
Filibusterismo, he described how the Filipino
students were humiliated and insulted by their
Dominican professors and how backward the
method of instruction was, especially in the teaching
 Paris to Berlin
1882 - In May Rizal gets money from his brother and
travels secretly from Manila to Spain aboard a French ship
and railroad entering Spain at the Port Bou.
-In June St. Tomas University realizes Rizal is nowhere to
be found and threatens to take land away from his father
who is a tenant even though his father has no idea of his
whereabouts.
-June 15 Rizal makes his arrival in Barcelona and begins
to study again in Madrid in October of that same year.
Paris to Berlin - Rizal went to Paris and Germany in order to
specialize in ophthalmology.
-He chose this branch because he wanted to cure his
mother’s eye ailment.
IN GAY PARIS November 1885 , Rizal was living in Paris
where he sojourned for about four months-Dr. Louis de
Weckert (1852-1906) leading French ophthalmologist
wherein Rizal worked as an assistant from November
1885 to February 1886. -April 22, 1886- Rizal wrote a fine poem “A Las
IN HISTORIC HEIDELBERG - February 1, 1886- Rizal Flores de Heidelberg” (To the Flowers of
reluctantly left gay Paris fro Germany- February 3, 1886- Heidelberg)
Rizal arrived in Heidelberg, a historic city in Germany
-August 9, 1886- Rizal left Heidelberg
famous romantic surroundings
-August 14, 1886- boarded by a train. Rizal
arrived in Leipzig.
Noli me Tangere published in Berlin
BERLIN- Rizal was enchanted by Berlin because of its scientific
atmosphere and the absence of race prejudice- Rizal met for the first
time Dr. Feodor Jagor, celebrated German scientist-traveler and
author of Travels in the Philippines, a book which Rizal read and
admired during his student days in Manila
Rizal’s Life in Berlin -
- Five reasons why Rizal stayed in Berlin:
- To gain further knowledge of ophthalmology
- To further his studies of science and languages
- To observe the economic and political conditions of the German
nation
-To associate with famous German scientists and scholars
- To publish his novel, Noli Me Tangere
- Rizal worked as an assistant in the clinic of Dr. Scweigger, and at
night, he attended lectures in the University of Berlin.
- He also took private lessons in French under Madame Lucie Cerdole.
Noli Me Tangere by José Rizal. First Published in Berlin, Germany 1887
- Noli Me Tángere, Latin for "Touch me not", is an 1887 novel by José
Rizal during the colonization of the Philippines by Spain to describe
perceived inequities of the Spanish Catholic friars and the ruling
government.
 Rizal’s Grand Tour of Europe with Viola
- May 11, 1887 Rizal and Viola left Berlin by train First Homecoming (1887 – 88) - Because of the
-
May 13 to May 16, 1887- Rizal and Viola stayed in publication of the Noli Me Tangere and the
Leitmeritz. uproar it caused among the friars, Rizal was
VIENNA - May 20, 1887 Rizal and Viola arrived in the warned by Paciano (his brother), Silvestre
beautiful city of Vienna, capital of Austria-Hungary. Ubaldo (his brother-in-law), Chengoy (Jose M.
DANUBIAN VOYAGE TO LINTZ - May 24, 1887- Rizal and Cecilio) and other friends not to return home.
Viola left Vienna on a river boat to see the beautiful sights of -Rizal was determined to return to the
the Danube River. Philippines for the following reasons: (1) to
operate on his mother’s eyes (2) to serve his
people who had long been oppressed by
Spanish tyrants (3) to find out for himself how
Noli and his other writings were affecting
Filipinos and Spaniards in the Philippines and
(4) to inquire why Leonor Rivera remained
silent· July 29, 1887- Rizal wrote to his father,
announcing his homecoming, “on the 15th of
July, I shallembark for our country, so that
from the 15th to the 30th of August, we shall
see each other”
 Delightful Trip to Manila
- Rizal left Rome by train for Marseilles, a French
port, which he reached without mishap.- July 3,
1887-Rizal boarded the steamer Djemnah, the same
streamer which brought him to Europe 5years ago-
July 30, 1887-at Saigon, Rizal transferred to
another steamer, Haiphong, which was Manila-
bounded- August 2, 1887- the steamer left Saigon
for Manila
ARRIVAL IN MANILA- August 3, 1887- the moon
was full and Rizal slept soundly the whole night. The
calm sea, illuminated by the silvery moonlight, was
a magnificent sight to him- Near midnight of August
5, 1887 , the Haiphong arrived in Manila
HAPPY HOMECOMING- August 8, 1887- Rizal
returned to Calamba- In Calamba, Rizal established
a medical clinic. His first patient was his mother,
who was almost blind.- Rizal, who came to be called
“Doctor Uliman” because he came from Germany,
treated their ailments
 In Hong Kong and Macau

– Rizal arrived at Hong Kong on February 8, In Hong

Kong, Rizal stayed at Victoria Hotel. He was welcomed
by the Filipino community in Hong Kong. During this
time , a Spaniard, Jose Varanda, was shadowing Rizal’s
movements in Hong Kong. It is believed that he was
ordered to spy one Rizal.
February 18 – Rizal accompanied by Basa, boarded the
ferry steamer Kiu-Kiang for Macao.
-
Rizal describe Macao as a small, low and gloomy.
During his two day stay in Macao, he visited the
theater, casino. Cathedral and churches, pagodas and
botanical gardens and the bazaars. He also saw the
famous Grotto of Camounes.
February 22 – Rizal left Hong Kong on board the Oceanic,
an American steamer and his destination was Japan.
Rizal did not like the meals on board but like the ship
because it was clean and efficiently managed.
 Romantic Interlude in Japan
-
Feb. 28, 1888, Tuesday, Early in the morning, Rizal arrived in Yokohama. He registered at the Grand Hotel.
-
Shortly after Rizal’s arrival in Tokyo, he was visited at his hotel by Juan Perez Caballero.
-
During his first day in Tokyo, Rizal was embarrassed because he did not know the Japanese language.
-
Rizal wrote to Professor Blumentritt: “Tokyo is more expensive then Paris. The walls are built in cyclopean
manner. The streets are large and wide.”
-
Juan Perez Caballero-secretary of the Spanish Legation, who visited Rizal at his hotel who latter invited him to
live at the Spanish Legation
-
Rizal accepted the invitation for two reasons: (1) he could economize his living expenses by staying at the
legation (2) he had nothing to hide from the prying eyes of the Spanish authorities.
-
March 7, 1888- Rizal checked out of Tokyo Hotel and lived at the Spanish Legation
-
Rizal was favorably impressed by Japan. The things which favorably impressed Rizal in Japan were: (1) the
beauty of the country—its flowers, mountains, streams and scenic panoramas, (2) the cleanliness, politeness,
and industry of the Japanese people (3)the picturesque dress and simple charm of the Japanese women (4)
there were very few thieves in Japan so that the houses remained open day and night, and in hotel room one
could safely leave money on the table (5) beggars were rarely seen in the city, streets, unlike in Manila and
other cities
-
Rickshaws-popular mode of transportation drawn by men that Rizal did not like in Japan
-
April 13, 1888-Rizal left Japan and boarded the Belgic, an English steamer, at Yokohama, bound for the United
States
-
Tetcho Suehiro- a fighting Japanese journalist, novelist and champion of human rights, who was forced by the
Japanese government to leave the country passenger which Rizal befriended on board the Belgic
-
December 1, 1888- after a last warm handshake and bidding each other “goodbye”, Rizal and Tetcho parted
ways—never to meet again
 Rizal’s Visit to the United States
-
April 28, 1888- the steamer Belgic, with Rizal on board, docked at San
Francisco on Saturday morning
-
May 4, 1888- Friday afternoon, the day Rizal was permitted to go
ashore
-
Palace Hotel- Rizal registered here which was then considered a first-
class hotel in the city
-
Rizal stayed in San Francisco for two days—May 4 to 6, 1888
-
May 6, 1888-Sunday, 4:30PM, Rizal left San Francisco for Oakland
-
May 13, 1888-Sunday morning, Rizal reached New York, thus ending
his trip across the American continent
-
Rizal stayed three days in this city, which he called the “big town.”
-
May 16, 1888- Rizal left New York for Liverpool on board the City of
Rome. According to Rizal, this steamer was “the second largest ship in
the world, the largest being the Great Eastern”
-
Rizal had good and bad impressions of the United States. The good
impressions were (1) the material progress of the country as shown in
the great cities, huge farms, flourishing industries and busy factories
(2) the drive and energy of the American people (3) the natural
beauty of the land (4) the high standard of living (5) the opportunities
for better life offered to poor immigrants
-
One bad impression Rizal had of America was the lack of racial
equality: “America is the land par excellence of freedom but only for
the whites”
 Rizal in London
-
After visiting the United States, Rizal lived in London from May, 1888 to March, 1889 for three reasons: (1) to
improve his knowledge of the English language (2) to study and annotate Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, a
rare copy of which he heard to be available in the British Museum (3) London was a safe place for him to carry on
his fight against Spanish tyranny.
-
May 25, 1888- a day after docking at Liverpool, Rizal went to London
-
Rizal stayed as guest at the home of Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor, an exile of 1872 and a practicing lawyer in London.
By the end of May, Rizal found a modest boarding place at No. 37 Chalcot Crescent, Primrose Hill
-
Dr. Reinhold Rozt- librarian of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and an authority on Malayan languages and customs
-
He was impressed by Rizal’s learning and character and he gladly recommended him to the authorities of the
British Museum. He called Rizal “a pearl of a man” (una perla de hombre)
-
Both good and bad news from home reached Rizal in London. Of the bad news, were the injusticescommitted by
the Spanish authorities on the Filipino people and the Rizal Family
-
The greatest achievement of Rizal in London was the annotating of Morga’s book, Sucesos de las
-
Islas Filipinas (Historical Events of the Philippine Islands), which was published in Mexico, 1609.
-
September 1888- Rizal visited Paris for a week in order to search for more historical materials in the Biblio the que
Nationale
-
Rizal was entertained in this gay French metropolis by Juan Luna and his wife (Pas Pardo de Tavera), who proudly
showed him their little son Andres (nickname Luling)
-
December 11, 1888-Rizal went to Spain, visiting Madrid and Barcelona
-
Rizal met, for the first time, Marcelo H. del Pilar and Mariano Ponce, two titans of the Propaganda Movement 19
-
December 24, 1888-Rizal returned to London and spent Christmas and New Year’s Day with the Becketts
-
Rizal sent as Christmas gift to Blumentritt a bust of Emperador Augustus and a bust of Julius Caesar to another
friend, Dr. Carlos Czepelak (Polish scholar)
-
The Life and Adventures of Valentine Vox, the Ventriloquist-a Christmas gift from Rizal’s landlady, Mrs Beckett
 Rizal’s Second Sojourn in Paris and the Universal
Exposition in 1889
-
In March, 1889, it was extremely difficult for a visitor to
find living quarters in Paris
-
Valentin Ventura- a friend of Rizal where he lived—No. 45
Rue Maubeuge, where he polished hisannotated edition
of Morga’s book
-
Rizal used most of his time in the reading room of the
Bibliotheque Nationale (National Library) checking up his
historical annotations on Morga’s book
-
Rizal was a good friend of the three Pardo de Taveras—
Dr. Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera, a physician by vocation
and philologist by avocation, Dr. Felix Pardo de Tavera,
also physician by vocation and an artist and sculptor by
avocation, and Paz Pardo de Tavera, wife of Juan Luna
-
June 24, 1889- a baby girl was born to Juan Luna and
Paz Pardo de Tavera, she was their second child
-
Her baptismal godfather was Rizal, who chose her name
“Maria de la Paz, Blanca, Laureana,Hermenegilda Juana
Luna y Pardo de Tavera”
-
May 6, 1889- opening of Universal Exposition of Paris
-
The greatest attraction of this exposition was the Eiffel
Tower, 984 feet high, which was built by Alexander Eiffel,
celebrated French engineer
 Misfortunes in Madrid

- Early in August, 1890, Rizal arrived in Madrid

-
Upon arrival in Madrid, Rizal immediately sought help of the Filipino colony, The Asociacion Hispano-Filipina, and
the liberal Spanish newspaper in securing justice for the oppressed Calamba tenants
-
El Resumen- a Madrid newspaper which sympathized with the Filipino cause, said: “To cover the ear, open the
purse, and fold the arms—this is the Spanish colonial policy
-
La Epoca- an anti-Filipino newspaper in Madrid
1. Jose Ma. Panganiban, his talented co-worker in the Propaganda Movement, died in Barcelona on August
19, 1890, after a lingering illness
2. Aborted Duel with Antonio Luna—Luna was bitter because of his frustrated romance with Nellie
Boustead. Deep in his heart, he was blaming Rizal for his failure to win her, although Rizal had previously
explained to him that he had nothing to do about it. Luna uttered certain unsavory remarks about Nellie,
Rizal heard him and angered by the slanderous remarks, he challenged Luna, his friend, to a duel.
Fortunately, Luna realized that he had made a fool of himself during his drunken state, he apologized for his
bad remarks about the girl and Rizal accepted his apology and they became good friends again
3. Infidelity of Leonor Rivera —Rizal received a letter from Leonor, announcing her coming marriage to an
Englishman (the choice of her mother) and asking his forgiveness
4. Rizal-Del Pilar Rivalry —toward the closing days of 1890 where arose an unfortunate rivalry between Rizal
and M.H. del Pilar for supremacy. Because of this, the Filipinos were divided into two hostile camps—the
Rizalistas and the Pilaristas. The situation was becoming explosive and critical. Despite of winning the votes,
Rizal graciously declined the coveted position
- Rizal wrote a brief note thanking his compatriots for electing him as Responsible. It was the last time he
saw Madrid
 Biarritz Vacation and Romance with Nelly Boustead

- To seek solace for his disappointments in Madrid, Rizal took a vacation in the resort city of Biarritz on the
fabulous French Riviera. He was a guest of the rich Boustead family at its winter residence—Villa Eliada-
February, 1891- Rizal arrived in Biarritz- Frustrated in romance, Rizal found consolation in writing.
Evidently, while wooing Nellie and enjoying so “many magnificent moonlight nights” with her, he kept
working on his second novel which he began to write in Calamba 1887- March 29, 1891- the eve of his
departure from Biarritz to Paris, he finished the manuscript of El Filibusterismo- March 30, 1891-Rizal bade
farewell to the hospitable and friendly Bousteads and proceeded to Paris by train- April 4, 1891-Rizal wrote
to his friend, Jose Ma. Basa, in Hong Kong from Paris, expressing his desire to go to that British colony and
practice ophthalmology in order to earn his living- Middle of April, 1891- Rizal was back in Brussels- Since
abdicating his leadership in Madrid in January, 1891, owing to the intrigues of his jealouscompatriots, Rizal
retired from the Propaganda Movement or reform crusade- May 1, 1891-Rizal notified the Propaganda
authorities in Manila to cancel his monthly allowance anddevote the money to some better cause- Rizal’s
notification was contained in a letter addressed to Mr. A.L. Lorena (pseudonym of Deodato Arellano)- May
30, 1891-revision of the finished manuscript of El Filibusterismo was mostly completed- June 13, 1891-Rizal
informed Basa that he was negotiating with a printing firm
 El Filibusterismo Published in Ghent

- Rizal was busy revising and polishing the manuscript of El Filibusterismo

so that it could be ready for the press- Rizal had begun writing it in
October, 1887, while practicing medicine in Calamba, the following year
(1888), in London; he made some changes in the plot and corrected some
chapters already written. He wrote more chapters in Paris and Madrid, and
finished the manuscript in Biarritz on March 29, 1891. It took him,
therefore, three years to write his second novel
-
July 5, 1891- Rizal left Brussels for Ghent, a famous university city in
Belgium
-
Rizal reasons for moving to Ghent were (1) the cost of printing in Ghent
was cheaper than in Brussels (2) to escape from the enticing attraction
of Petite Suzanne Rizal met two compatriots while in Ghent, Jose
Alejandro (from Pampanga) and Edilberto Evangelista (from Manila),
both studying engineering in the world-famed University of Ghent
-
September 18, 1891- El Filibusterismo came off the press
-
Rizal dedicated El Filibusterismo to Gom-Bur-Za (Don Mariano Gomez,
73 years old; Don Jose Burgos, 35 years old; Jacinto Zamora, 37 years
old)
-
The original manuscript of El Filibusterismo in Rizal’s own handwriting in
now preserved in the Filipiana Division of the Bureau of Public Libraries,
Manila. It consists of 270 pages of long sheets of paper
 Ophthalmic Surgeon in Hong Kong
-
Rizal left Europe for Hong Kong, where he lived from November, 1891 to
June, 1892. His reasons for leaving Europe were (1) life was unbearable
in Europe because of his political differences with M.H. del Pilar and
other Filipinos in Spain (2) to be near his idolized Philippines and family.
-
October 3, 1891-two weeks after the publication of Fili, Rizal left Ghent
for Paris, where he stayed a few days to say goodbye to the Lunas, the
Pardo de Taveras, the Venturas and other friends; Rizalproceeded by
train to Marseilles
-
October 18, 1891- Rizal boarded the steamer Melbourne bound for Hong
Kong
-
On the same date, his brother-in-law, Manuel T. Hidalgo, sent him a
letter relating the sad news of the“deportation of twenty-five persons
from Calamba, including father, Neneng, Sisa, Lucia, Paciano and the
rest of us.”
-
January 31, 1892- Rizal wrote to Blumentritt, recounting pleasant life in
Hong Kong
-
To earn a living for himself and for his family, Rizal practiced medicine
-
Dr. Lorenzo P. Marques- a Portuguese physician, who became Rizal’s
friend and admirer, who helped him to build up a wide clientele. In
recognition of Rizal’s skill as an ophthalmic surgeon, he turned over to
him many of his eye cases
-
Rizal successfully operated on his mother’s left eye so that she was able
to read and write again.