This public holiday is always celebrated in Chile on September 18th and marks the date when the Chilean people declared independence from Spain in 1810. On September 18th 1810, Chile broke from Spanish rule, declaring their independence. The Spanish had ruled Chile since the middle of the 16th Century. The movement to independence had been driven by other South American countries revolting against colonial rule, the French and Spanish warring in Europe and the appointment of an unpopular Governor in 1808.
