Basque Firsts

People Who Changed the World

Vince J. Juaristi

• Publisher: University of Nevada Press
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN: 9781943859207
• eBook ISBN: 9780874170009
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Historical Biographies
• Index: History

Throughout history, Basque men and women have made contributions in navigation, education, science, fashion, politics, and many other fields. Too often these achievements have been overlooked, or have been claimed as the accomplishments of others. Basque Firsts: People Who Changed the World profiles seven remarkable Basques who were the first in their fields to do something—something extraordinary—that had a dramatic impact on others who followed them.
 
The profiles use primary sources to tell fresh stories and offer a wonderful variety, showing the astonishing breadth of Basque contributions. They include Juan Sebastían Elcano, the first person to circumnavigate the earth; St. Ignatius of Loyola, the first Jesuit to seed a worldwide movement in education; Santiago Ramón y Cajal, the Father of Neurology and a Nobel laureate; Cristóbal Balenciaga, the king of haute couture; Paul Laxalt, one of Ronald Reagan's closest friends in politics; and Edurne Pasaban, the first woman to climb the world's fourteen tallest mountains.
 
Basque Firsts provides a rare look at a culture's people, revealing the significant contributions they have shared.
 

Index

Al filo de lo imposible (Basque TV program), 157, 160, 164

Alcala, 37

Alecop cooperative, 114

Alfonso (king), 63, 65

Amsterdam Island, 20

Annapurna (mountain), 168, 169

Aquino, Corazon, 138-139

Araoz, Antonio, 47-48

Arizmendiarrieta, José María, 100, 119; bicycle, 107; childhood, 110; death, 119; economic theories, 103-104; founding of Caja Laboral Popular bank, 109-110; founding of Ikerlan, 119; founding of Professional Polytechnic School, 104-105; founding of ULARCO, 115-116; founding of Ulgor, 107; legal research, 109; priesthood, 102-103; Spanish Civil War, 109-110, 122n5; sports, 103; women, 114. See also worker cooperatives

Armada de Molucca: Atlantic crossing, 10-13; Cape of Good Hope passage, 20-21; crew, 10; Moluccas arrival, 18; Moluccas departure, 19-20; mutiny, 11-12; Pacific crossing, 13-14; route of, 25; second armada, 26; Spain departure, 9; Spain return, 22-23; Strait of Magellan passage, 13. See also specific ships (Concepción, San Antonio, Santiago, Trinidad, Victoria)

art: influence on Balenciaga, 89-90

Arthur (king), 29, 31

Artiaga, Juan de, 37, 39

Ayerbe: Santiago Ramón y Cajal, 57

Baker, Howard, 130, 143

Balenciaga, Cristóbal, 97; apprenticeship in San Sebastián, 82; baby doll dress, 91-92, 91; bankruptcy, 84; barrel silhouette, 88, 91; Basque/Spanish influences, 89-90; childhood, 80-83; customer, 83-85, 95, 98n4; death, 96; designs, 79, 85, 88-93; envelope dress, 92; Fabiola wedding dress, 80, 81; first collection, 85; first salon, 83; models, 88; Paris, 84-87; privacy, 85-86, 89; relationship with Ramón Esparza, 89, 96; relationship with Vladimir Zawrorowski, 83-84, 89. See also Coco Chanel; Florette Chalot; Pierre Balmain; Christian Dior

Balmain, Pierre, 87, 98n5

banking. See Caja Laboral Popular

Barbosa, Duarte, 15

Barcelona, and Eneko Lopez, 34, 36; and Santiago Ramón y Cajal, 66

Basque country/provinces, x, xiii; independence movement, x;

Basque: Catholicism, xii; definition, x, 175; influence on Balenciaga, 89-90; influence on world, 175; oral tradition, 176; shipbuilding industry, 8; stubbornness, 175; work ethic, xiii

B...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Preface
• Juan Sebastián Elcano: Primus Circumdedisti Me
• St. Ignatius of Loyola: The First Jesuit
• Santiago Ramón y Cajal: The Father of Neurology
• Cristóbal Balenciaga: The King of Haute Couture
• José María Arizmendiarrieta: The First Social Entrepreneur
• Paul Dominique Laxalt: The First Friend
• Edurne Pasaban: The First Woman to Summit 14 × 8,000m
• Afterword
• Acknowledgments
• Works Consulted
• Further Reading
• Author’s Note
• Index