Miguel de Cervantes was born to Lenor de Cortinas and Rodrigo de Cervantes in Alcala de Henares, Spain in 1547.  No one knows the exact date he was born but, one theory is he was born on the feast day of Saint Michael on September 29th, or on the present day calendar, October 9th.  Miguel was the fourth of seven children and his family had some nobility, but it was minor.  His family was Christian and took religion seriously. They were often bankrupt and in debt, even though his father was an apothecary surgeon. 

     He moved around frequently with his family, but still got his schooling in.  Miguel was said to be very smart and bright and went to an elementary school in Cordoba.  He studied Latin at the Jesuit College of Santa Catarina for about two years.  After that, his family became even more in debt, so he didn't go to school for a few years.  Later when Miguel was about twenty, he began to become concerned with his education and he started to attend the City School of Madrid  (El Estudio de la Villa), with Juan Lopez de Hoyos as his professor.

    Cervantes went to school in Madrid for about six years before joining the military.  He fought in Lepanto on the ship Marquesa and got shot in the hand.  He earned his nickname "The Cripple of Lepanto", from this event.  He was stationed with his brother in Naples.  Then in 1575 the Cervantes brothers decided to go back to Spain, but there ship got captured by pirates and they were taken to Algiers as slaves.  His brother Rodrigo was ransomed before he was and Miguel had to stay there for about five years. He was said to have carried  letters  written by important people, so they thought he was a valuable captive.

      Later in 1584 he married  Catalina de Salazar y Palocios , but left her in the late 1580s and had no children with her.  He did however have a daughter named Isabel, who was his servant, from a love affair with Anna Franca de Rojas.  To support his family, he was a purchasing agent and a tax collector, but despite his efforts he was still imprisoned twice for being in debt.  Cervantes  wrote Don Quiote de la Mancha in 1605 and the sequel in 1615.  It was very  famous throughout Spain, but he didn't make much money.

    Miguel died on April 23, 1616, having written twenty plays, numerous novels, and poems. He was an inspiration during the Renaissance and still is today too. Miguel had an influence on some famous people such as Walter Scott, Charles Dickens, Benito Perez Galdos, William Hograth, and Pablo Picasso.  He continues to influence people with his works of adventure, loyalty, tradgedy, and courage.  He will always be a remembered writer.  Cervantes's most famous works are Don Quixote de la Mancha, El Trato Argel, La Galatea, La Numancia, Ocho Comedias y Ocho Entremeses Nuevos, El Gallardo Espanol, La Gran Sultana, and Dona Catalina de Oviedo.




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