Antonio Fontán
A Spanish journalist who wielded a pen against dictatorship, founding a critical newspaper and helping draft a new democratic constitution.
1923–2010 (age 87)·Spanish journalist and anti-Francoist·Birthday: October 15·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Antonio Fontán pursued a simple, dangerous idea in Franco's Spain: that a newspaper could tell the truth. A committed Catholic and member of Opus Dei, his faith informed a vision of human dignity incompatible with authoritarianism. As the founding editor of the newspaper 'Madrid' in the 1960s, he navigated the regime's censorship to create a publication of surprising intellectual rigor and subtle criticism. The dictatorship eventually shut it down, but Fontán's stature only grew. After Franco's death, he was elected to parliament, where he applied his belief in free expression to the foundational document of a new Spain, serving as a key figure in the Senate committee that drafted the 1978 Constitution. His journey from shuttered editor to a marquess in a democratic monarchy embodied Spain's turbulent transition from repression to liberty.
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.
Antonio was born in 1923, 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 Antonio Was Born
The biggest hits of 1923
#1 Movie
The Covered Wagon
Antonio's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1923Born
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1928Started school
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1936Became a teenager
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1939Could drive
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1941Could vote
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1944Turned 21
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1953Turned 30
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1963Turned 40
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 50
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 60
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 70
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 80
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2010Died at 87
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
Key Achievements
- Founded and edited the influential newspaper 'Madrid', which became a symbol of independent journalism before being forcibly closed by the Franco regime in 1971.
- Served as a Senator and was President of the Senate during Spain's crucial transition to democracy after Franco's death.
- Played a significant role in the drafting of the Spanish Constitution of 1978 as part of the parliamentary committee.
Did You Know?
He was awarded the title of 'Marquess of Guadalcanal' by King Juan Carlos I in recognition of his service to democracy.
His newspaper, 'Madrid', was the first Spanish paper to use the phrase 'Head of State' instead of 'Caudillo' (leader) when referring to Franco.
He was a professor of Latin and Classical Philology at the University of Navarre.
“A free press is the first instrument of a free people.”
