Sierra Madre Honored: Ancient Mountains Recognized
The Sierra Gorda's ancient limestone peaks and volcanic intrusions carved deep canyons and caverns that shelter diverse ecosystems ranging from desert scrub to conifer forests. This rugged terrain, shaped by 240 million years of geological activity, created the unique micro-environments where five historic missions now stand in inter-mountain valleys. The region's extreme altitude variations drive a distinct climate that supports everything from sugar cane fields in deep canyons to arid cacti on the western slopes.
May 19, 1997
29 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on May 19
The emperor's bodyguards were somewhere else. Ashina Jiesheshuai and his Turkic warriors rode straight into Jiucheng Palace's summer grounds in 639, swords draw…
The Syrian son of a Roman administrator hadn't planned on becoming pope—he'd planned on living quietly as a priest. But when Gregory II took office in 715, he i…
John Kourkouas reclaimed the strategic fortress of Melitene for the Byzantine Empire, shattering the city's long-standing status as a primary base for Arab raid…
The bride traveled fifteen hundred miles from Kiev to Reims, one of the longest bridal journeys in medieval history. Anne of Kiev could read and write in at lea…
John II of Castile crushed the forces of the Infantes of Aragon at the First Battle of Olmedo, ending their long-standing interference in Castilian governance. …
The signatures happened on a Sunday in May, 2,300 miles apart. Catherine stood before lawyers in a Spanish church while a proxy held Arthur's portrait. Arthur d…
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