This 19 January marks another anniversary of the death of Bartolomé Mitre, who passed into immortality in 1906 at the age of 84, with his remains laid to rest at Casa Rosada. Mitre was a prominent Argentine politician, military man and historian who played a crucial role in the consolidation of the nation and the formation of a patriotic identity.

Born in Buenos Aires on 26 June 1821, his youth was marked by experiences in Uruguay, Bolivia, Peru and Chile. He returned to Argentina after the overthrow of Juan Manuel de Rosas and became a key figure in the defence of the State of Buenos Aires against Justo José de Urquiza. With Derqui's concessions in 1860, Mitre finally accepted the union with the Argentine Republic.

The Battle of Pavón in 1861 was a turning point in his career. As the victor of this decisive contest, he put an end to the Argentine Confederation and consolidated national unification. The following year, he was elected as the first constitutional president of a unified Argentina, marking the beginning of the three historic presidencies that re-founded the country and consolidated the modern state.

During his term of office (1862-1868), Mitre took fundamental measures for the organisation of the National State:

* Institutionalised the National Army and started the debate on the federalisation of Buenos Aires.
* He promoted the drafting of the Civil Code, led by Dalmacio Vélez Sarsfield, and the creation of the Supreme Court of Justice.
* He ordered the fiscal system and led the country during the Paraguayan War.
* Consolidated the predominance of Buenos Aires over the provinces and put down the rebellions led by figures such as Chacho Peñaloza and Felipe Varela.

After his presidency, Mitre continued to leave his mark on Argentine history. He published two fundamental works: Historia de Belgrano y la Independencia Argentina (1859) and Historia de San Martín y la Emancipación Sudamericana (1869), which gave birth to national historiography and promoted the country's sovereign identity. He founded the newspaper La Nación in 1870, a medium that still survives today, and participated in politics as a senator, ambassador and leader of opposition movements, eventually founding the Unión Cívica party, precursor of the Unión Cívica Radical.

A curious detail about his memory is in the Hall of Honour of Casa Rosada, where there is a bust of Bartolomé Mitre with a hole in his forehead. This peculiarity has generated diverse interpretations, turning it into an object loaded with symbolism.

Bartolomé Mitre is remembered as a ‘man of the times’, whose influence on political and cultural events transcended his presidency, leaving a lasting legacy in Argentine history.