20-N

November 20, Wednesday

20-N is a symbolic abbreviation used to denote the date of death of two of the best known and controversial figures in 20th-century Spanish history. The first date, 20 November 1936, near the end of the first year of the Spanish Civil War, marks the execution in Alicante of 33-year-old José Antonio Primo de Rivera, the founder of the fascist party, Falange Española (Spanish Phalanx), who became extolled as a cult figure during the years of post-civil war Francoist Spain led by Francisco Franco.

The second date, 39 years later, is 20 November 1975, when Generalísimo Franco – aged 82, and having ruled Spain for close to four decades as its dictator, or as he called himself, caudillo (Spanish for leader) – died in bed following a lengthy illness. The date continues to be commemorated by far-right groups which mark it by organizing public demonstrations.

20-N