José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda^[1] (June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896, Bagumbayan), was a Filipino polymath, nationalist and the pre-eminent advocate for reforms in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era. Rizal's 1896 military trial and execution made him a martyr of the Philippine Revolution. He is widely considered the greatest Filipino hero^[2] and a de facto^[2] national hero. The anniversary of Rizal's death is commemorated as a holiday.