On this day in Latin American history…

1836- The Siege of the Alamo began in San Antonio, Texas.

1903- The Cuban government leased Guantanamo Bay “in perpetuity” to the U.S. Navy.

1958- Argentine racing legend Juan Manuel Fangio was kidnapped by Cuban revolutionaries.

1974- Mexican rockero Jaime Villarreal was born.

1981- 200 members of Spain’s Civil Guard stormed the parliament in a failed coup attempt.

1990- Former president of El Salvador Jose Napoleon Duarte died from cancer.

2002- Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt was kidnapped by leftist guerillas.

Below is a harrowing video (via YouTube)of the first moments of the 1981 coup when shots rang out through a panicked legislative chamber:

Links- San Jacinto Museum, U.S. Navy, Wikipedia, narcopop.com, BBC News, CNN