António de Spínola
A Portuguese general in a monocle who briefly steered his nation toward democracy after a revolution, only to later attempt a coup against it.
1910–1996 (age 86)·Portuguese president and politician·Birthday: April 11·The Greatest Generation
Biography
António de Spínola cut a anachronistic figure with his monocle and cavalryman's bearing, yet he found himself at the white-hot center of 20th-century Portuguese politics. A career military officer, he earned respect and decorations fighting in the colonial wars in Africa, eventually becoming a deputy commander. His experience there led him to publish the controversial book 'Portugal and the Future,' which argued that the wars were unwinnable—a direct challenge to the entrenched Estado Novo dictatorship. This made him a symbolic figure of dissent. When junior officers overthrew the regime in the bloodless Carnation Revolution of 1974, Spínola, the senior officer, was installed as President to lend legitimacy. His tenure was brief and turbulent. A conservative uneasy with the revolution's rapid leftward shift, he resigned within months. His opposition culminated in the failed coup attempt of March 11, 1975, after which he fled into exile. Spínola's legacy is a paradox: the military man who helped end a dictatorship but could not reconcile himself with the revolutionary democracy that followed.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
António was born in 1910, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When António Was Born
The biggest hits of 1910
António's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1910Born
Halley's Comet makes its closest approach
President: William Howard Taft
1915Started school
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1923Became a teenager
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1926Could drive
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1928Could vote
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1931Turned 21
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1940Turned 30
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1950Turned 40
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1960Turned 50
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 60
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 70
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 80
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1996Died at 86
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
Key Achievements
- Served as the first President of Portugal following the Carnation Revolution in 1974.
- Authored the influential and controversial book 'Portugal and the Future,' which challenged the state's colonial policy.
- Received Portugal's highest military honor, the Grand Cross of the Order of the Tower and Sword, for his service in Africa.
- Led the Military Junta of National Salvation that governed Portugal immediately after the 1974 revolution.
Did You Know?
He was almost always photographed wearing a monocle, which became his personal trademark.
Before the 1974 revolution, he served as Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Portuguese Guinea.
He was a skilled equestrian and maintained the demeanor of a classic cavalry officer.
Following his failed 1975 coup, he lived in exile in Brazil and later Spain.
“Portugal is not ready for democracy without the guidance of the military.”
