Ruler of Mexico from 1876 to 1910. Díaz (1830-1915), a general in the war against the French, became dictator in 1876 and ruled Mexico until 1910, when the Revolution broke out and he fled into exile. He brought stability of a sort, and modernized the country, but was profoundly insensitive to the corruption of his administration and the poverty and crises that arose. In 1910, a landowner, Francisco Madero campaigned against him under the slogan "full suffrage and no re-election.The Day of the Dead, a Mexican holiday held November 1 and 2. El Día de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, is surely among the most distinctive of Mexican holidays. Occurring over November first and second, the holiday is a syncretic mix of Spanish Catholic and indigenous traditions. This contested election led to the Mexican Revolution, and the ouster of Díaz. Madero was assassinated, and a factional struggle resulted.