Happy birthday, Pablo Neruda! (July 12, 1904)

A Nobel-Prize winning poet and diplomat, Pablo Neruda is one of the most beloved icons of Chilean culture. Born in central Chile to a working class family, Neruda began to write poetry at the age of 10 and was published by age 13. At age 20 he published Twenty Love Poems and A Desperate Song, a groundbreaking collection of romantic and erotic poems which remains the best-selling Spanish-language poetry book. Neruda became politically radicalized by his experiences in diplomatic missions to Spain and Mexico, the former during the Spanish Civil War. Neruda became an admirer of the Soviet Union, and identified himself with communism, serving as a member of the Chilean Senate for the Communist Party of Chile. Though he was a prospective candidate for President of Chile in 1970, he ultimately threw his support to Salvador Allende, who won the election. Neruda was diagnosed with prostate cancer as the coup of 1973 began, and 12 days after the coup, he was dead, most likely assassinated by reactionary forces.

"You can cut all the flowers but you cannot stop Spring from coming."