Biography of Pancho Villa

  • Was born

    Pancho Villa was born June 5, 1878 in Hacienda de Río Grande, San Juan del Río, Durango, Mexico.
  • Villa joined Francisco Madero’s uprising against the dictator of Mexico, Porfirio Díaz.

    Villa joined Francisco Madero’s uprising against the dictator of Mexico, Porfirio Díaz.
    In 1910 Villa joined Francisco Madero’s uprising against the dictator of Mexico, Porfirio Díaz and After the success of the revolution, Villa remained in the irregular army.
  • Villa was sent to prison

    Villa was sent to prison
    In 1912, during the rebellion of Pascual Orozco, Villa aroused the suspicion of Gen. Victoriano Huerta, who condemned him to death, but Madero ordered a stay of execution and sent Villa to prison instead. Villa escaped from prison in November and fled to the United States.
  • Division of the North

    Division of the North
    After Madero’s assassination in 1913, Villa returned to Mexico and formed a military band of several thousand men that became known as the famous Division of the North.
  • Villa became governor

    Villa became governor
    In December 1913 Villa became governor of the state of Chihuahua.
  • Victory of revolution

    Victory of  revolution
    With Carranza, Villa won a decisive victory over Huerta in June 1914. Together Villa and Carranza entered Mexico City as the victorious leaders of a revolution.
  • Villa was forced to flee Mexico City

    Villa was forced to flee Mexico City with the revolutionary leader Emiliano Zapata in December 1914. Badly defeated by Carranza in a series of battles, he and Zapata fled to the mountains of the north.
  • Overthrow of the Carranza government

    Overthrow of the Carranza government
    After the overthrow of Carranza’s government in 1920, Villa was granted a pardon and a ranch near Parral, Chihuahua, in return for agreeing to retire from politics.
  • Villa´s death

    Villa´s death
    Villa was assassinated amid a barrage of gunfire while traveling home in his car from a visit to Parral in 1923.