Cinco De Mayo History: 7 Must-Know Facts About The Annual Celebration (PHOTOS)

Cinco De Mayo, or the Fifth Of May, is being celebrated today in Mexico and parts of the United States.

The observance commemorates a major moment in Mexican history some 148 years ago.

Find out what that moment was and six other key facts about Cinco De Mayo and its history below. Rank each fact based on its importance in your mind.

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A Great Victory

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Cinco De Mayo commemorates the victory of 4,000 Mexican soldiers against 8,000 French forces on the morning of May 5, 1862 in Puebla, Mexico.

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Cinco De Mayo commemorates the victory of 4,000 Mexican soldiers against 8,000 French forces on the morning of May 5, 1862 in Puebla, Mexico.

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this fact

Rank #2  |  Average: 4

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Comments

[JOACOPOL]

12:00 PM on 05/24/2010

The information on side 3 is slightly misleading. To someone who doesn't know that France EVENTUALLY conquered Mexico (very briefly), it sounds like the battle of Puebla turned things around for Mexico, when in fact it did not.

[danielboone]

05:08 PM on 05/10/2010

“France was successful at first in its invasion; however, on May 5, 1862, at the city of Puebla, Mexican forces were able to defeat an attack by the larger French army. In the Battle of Puebla, the Mexicans were led by General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín. Although the Mexican army was victorious over the French at Puebla, the victory only delayed the French advance on Mexico City. A year later, the French occupied Mexico. The French occupying forces placed Emperor Maximilian I on the throne of Mexico in 1864. The French, under pressure from the United States[citation needed], eventually withdrew in 1866-1867. Maximilian was deposed by President Benito Juárez and executed, five years after the Battle of Puebla.”

[Ozarks]

01:01 PM on 05/06/2010

Gee, I thought the Movie "Vera Cruz" portrayed Cinco De Mayo. I figured when good guy, Gary Cooper outdrew bad guy Burt Lancaster , who was working for the forces of French Emporer Maximilian, Gary saved Mexico!

[CPAwADD]

07:33 AM on 05/06/2010

It's a Mexican thing? And to think I've been eating things made with mayo all day.

[johnhuffy]

06:46 AM on 05/06/2010

I'm sure there are many hungover Mexicans today.

[davidlmoore]

01:49 AM on 05/06/2010

true- cinco de mayo isnt a common holiday in mexico, except pueblo.
but mexican-americans celebrate it widely.
everybody`s missing the coolest point- slide two.
european-americans SHOULD BE celebrating it- that victory over the french was a big boost for the union in the civil war.
the french were apprehensive of the growing power of a united states. one aim of their invasion was to arm the confederacy from the south, and try to keep the civil war destablized and brewing.
that victory in pueblo gave lincoln another year or two to wrap up the civil war.
a little known piece of history, that, if european-americans knew about, they WOULD celebrate this date.
that battle in pueblo saved american lives.

[SolarPowerGuy]

03:06 PM on 05/09/2010

"everybody`s missing the coolest point- slide two. european-americans SHOULD BE celebrating it- that victory over the french was a big boost for the union in the civil war."

It's the top-ranked fact in the voting, so I think that some people have indeed noticed.

Also, I have to wonder whether some of those people who call themselves "Confederate Americans" these days DO know how Mexico's victories hobbled the South, and are resentful?

[sngfx]

12:42 AM on 05/06/2010

So, the holiday originated from Mexicans refusing to make good on their debt. What a boondoggle.

I love how the "Mexican Pride" photo is a group of drunk college kids at a baseball game wearing costumes that could only be described as outrageous caricatures of Mexicans.

[Deaninphilly]

06:31 AM on 05/06/2010

LOL, exactly what I thought. 148 years later they still celebrate not paying anything then and now. Amazing.

[land2341]

07:31 AM on 05/06/2010

Personally, if there is anything about this "holiday" to celebrate it is their refusal to pay an illegal debt. France destroyed many of its former colonies by forcing them to pay France back for the "assets" the colonies "took back" from France.

Tye Mexican Pride photo makes as much sense as people drinking green beer and getting plastered to "celebrate" St. Patrick's Day.

[jymfrancais]

12:37 AM on 05/06/2010

Thats ok, Mexico is in our World Cup group this year, so, we'll get them back and send them on their way back to Mexico the 1st week of the tournament :)

[Thomasina Jefferson]

12:54 AM on 05/06/2010

No. Mexico is in Group A, the US in Group C.

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/standings/index.html

[cluedweasel]

01:17 AM on 05/06/2010

From Jymfrancais's name, I'm guessing he's talking about France, who are in group A with Mexico.

The U.S. are in group C of course. Sadly from them, it means humiliation on June 12th.

[jymfrancais]

11:24 AM on 05/06/2010

french citizen here..darn some people are really slow...

[Semper Troll]

02:35 AM on 05/06/2010

Shut the helI up, you don't even have facts right, fact that are easily found on the net.

[jymfrancais]

11:23 AM on 05/06/2010

hey idiot....can you understand "francais"..so you shut the hell up..merci.

[AntonioSaucedo]

12:16 AM on 05/06/2010

5/5/1862? Old news. The world wants to know who'll win on June 17 in South Africa.

[brooklyncitizen]

12:10 AM on 05/06/2010

Wonder what celebrations are like in Arizona.

[prdamericanmom]

01:35 AM on 05/06/2010

They made an exception since Cinco de Mayo celebrations involve lots of beer, and beer overrides everything. "Drinko de Mayo", anyone?

[Stacy Kramer]

11:19 PM on 05/06/2010

Hmmm. I'm not sure what all they celebrate in Arizona but I'm sure it's done by a bunch of sunburned white people who all gather 'round a big giant cactus. Maybe they have the biggest rave ever while using the Grand Canyon as a giant mosh pit!! Or...maybe they travel next door to Nevada to celebrate the "crash of the aliens".

[Halfwit]

11:03 PM on 05/05/2010

Dies y seis de Septiembre is the real holiday.

[Oleg1]

11:00 PM on 05/05/2010

"Cinco De Mayo, or the Fifth Of May, is being celebrated today in Mexico and parts of the United States."

The intern who cobbled this got it all wrong, as usual. The sentence should';ve read:

"Cinco De Mayo,...is being celebrated today in United States and one part of Mexico.

I

[Halfwit]

11:02 PM on 05/05/2010

Exactly.

[ronsmyth2005]

08:39 AM on 05/07/2010

He can't spell Napoleon either.

[Halfwit]

10:56 PM on 05/05/2010

It is a beer company holiday in the US. Mexicans don't really give a damn about Cinco de Mayo. It is a holiday created by US beer companies to sell beer.

[Alan]

10:35 PM on 05/05/2010

--France decided to attack Mexico after it stopped making interest payments for a major debt it owed.

Hmm, we might be in trouble. Let's hope no one in China sees this.

[Ed Hino]

10:32 PM on 05/05/2010

ok here we go cinco de mayo isnt a mexican holiday ,?its a tex mex holiday celebrated by chicanos in the 1950,s 60,s it was part of our civil rights struggle ,we have all grown up around cinco de mayo, its really a texas chicano holiday it has nada to do with mexicans. even the general=a who fought at puebla was texan when texas was spanish he was born in seguin texas , general ignacio zaragoza seguin, his sons or relatives fought in the independence of the republic of texas juan seguin was his family i do believe who fought against santa anna at st jacinto

[EthnicHeart]

01:44 AM on 05/06/2010

Gracias por haberles dado la aclaración. Tu segundo fan.