Argentine Republic

State · 1930–2026 CE · at its largest around 1930 CE

Argentina in the age of tango, Borges and football, and of sharp political swings. Juan and Eva Perón built a workers' movement that still shapes politics, while repeated coups culminated in the 1976-83 dictatorship and its thousands of 'disappeared'.

On its lands while it lasted

Jorge Luis Borges (1899 CE – 1986 CE): Argentine writer whose short stories and essays, collected in works such as Ficciones, explore labyrinths, infinity and imaginary books.
Pablo Neruda (1904 CE – 1973 CE): Chilean poet and diplomat, author of Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair and Canto General; Nobel Prize in Literature 1971.
Eva Perón (1919 CE – 1952 CE): Argentine First Lady and political figure, known as Evita, who championed labour rights and women's suffrage.
First FIFA World Cup (1930 CE): The first football World Cup was held in Montevideo, Uruguay, and won by the host nation.
Pope Francis (1936 CE – 2025 CE): Argentine Jesuit Jorge Mario Bergoglio, archbishop of Buenos Aires, elected in 2013 as the first pope from the Americas.
1960 Valdivia earthquake (1960 CE): The most powerful earthquake ever recorded (magnitude about 9.5) struck southern Chile, triggering a Pacific-wide tsunami.
1973 Chilean coup (1973 CE): On 11 September 1973 the armed forces bombed La Moneda palace and overthrew Allende, beginning Augusto Pinochet's 17-year dictatorship.
Dirty War (1976–1983 CE): Period of state terrorism under the Argentine military dictatorship, in which thousands of people were "disappeared".
Falklands War (1982 CE): Ten-week war after Argentina invaded the British-held Falkland Islands; British forces retook the islands and the Argentine junta fell soon after.