Paquito Cordero (born Fransisco Cordero Baez in 1932 in Santurce, Puerto Rico) was a comedian and T.V. producer and also one of the pioneers of Puerto Rican television. 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will take you to a full 1932 calendar). ... San Juan from space, July 1997 Nickname: The Walled City Motto: Official website: http://www. ...

Paquito Cordero (seated) and Eddie Miró

Paquito was born to Don Paco and Doña Berta Cordero in Santurce, a poor section of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Paquito attended Santurce Central High School upon finishing his primary and secondary education. He was a member of his high school's drama club and participated in its plays, where he discovered the art of comedy. Paquito was geatly influenced by his aunt on his father's side, Mapy Cortés. Mapy Cortés had moved to Mexico from Puerto Rico, where she became a famous actress. There she met and married the equally famous Mexican actor, Fernando Cortés. After Paquito graduated from high school, he enrolled and attended the University of Puerto Rico and married his childhood sweetheart, a hairdresser whom everyone knew as "Chiqui". With Chiqui he had three children, two boys and one girl. Image File history File links Paquito_Cordero. ... Image File history File links Paquito_Cordero. ... Mapy Cortes (1910-1998), born Maria del Pilar Cordero in Santurce, Puerto Rico, was a famous actress that participated in many films during the Mexican film industrys golden era. ... The University of Puerto Rico (UPR) is the university system of Puerto Rico. ...

Paquito auditioned for a role in a comedy skit which was transmitted through Radio El Mundo and was subsequently hired. He did this in his spare time. His aunt Mapy and her husband Fernando returned to the island and presented an idea for a comedy show to Mr. Angel Ramos, owner of El Mundo Enterprises. On March 28, 1954, Puerto Rico received its first television transmition from Angel Ramos' WKAQ-TV Telemundo Channel 2. The first comedy show to go on the air was "Mapy Y Papi" with Mapy and Fernando Cortés, María Judith Franco and Paquito Cordero. Angel Ramos (1902 – 1960), born in the town of Manati, Puerto Rico, was the founder of Telemundo, the second largest Spanish Language speaking television network in the United States. ... March 28 is the 87th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (88th in Leap years). ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Telemundo is a U.S. television network based in Hialeah, Florida. ... Telemundo Puerto Rico is one of Puerto Ricos most popular TV channels. ...

Recognizing the comical talents of Paquito, Telemundo came up with the idea of joining him with comedian Ramon "Diplo" Rivero in a new comedy show called "La Taverna India" (The India Tavern). Paquito played the role of "Reguerete", an inocent but wise blackman. In order for Paquito to get "into" character, he had to smear black makeup on his face and hands. During this period in his life, he fell in love with one of the show's dancers, a young girl by the name of Nora. He soon divorced his first wife and asked Nora to marry him. She accepted and together they had a daughter. Ramón Rivero (May 29, 1909 - August 24, 1956) —better known as Diplo— was a comedian and actor from Nagüabo, Puerto Rico. ...

In the 1960's, Paquito formed his own production company which he named Paquito Cordero Productions, Inc. His younger sister, Bertita became his assistant and eventually his younger brother, Jorge, would also join the company in the future as a co-producer. On January 11, 1965, Telemundo transmitted the first program produced by Paquito called "El Show de las 12" (The 12 O'Clock Show). The first show included the participation of El Gran Combo, Tito Lara, Los Hispanos and Olga y Tony. It also included a section within the show, dedicated to the teenage crowd, called "Canta la Juventud" (Singing Youth). This section included the participation of Alfred D. Herger and Puerto Rican teen idols Lucecita Benitez and Chucho Avellanet. "El Show de Las 12" had Miguel Angel Alvarez as the animator and Eddie Miró as the script writer. The show was a success and was watched by over 80% of the population, becoming one of Puerto Rico's most beloved programs for over 40 years. 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... January 11 is the 11th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... El Gran Combo is a Puerto Rican Salsa music orchestra. ... Tito Lara (December 23, 1932 – June 23, 1987) born in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, was considered by many to be Puerto Ricos first television singing idol. ... Alfred D. Herger (born November 4, 1942) is a famous former Puerto Rican television show host and a psychologist. ... Luz Esther Benitez (born approx. ... Chucho Avellanet (born circa 1945) is a Puerto Rican singer. ... Miguel Angel Alvarez a. ... Eddie Miró (born 1936 in San Juan, Puerto Rico), is a television show host in Puerto Rico. ...

Paquito also produced the following popular shows: "El Show Sultana", "2 a Go Go", "Walter, las Estrellas Y Usted" (Walter, the Stars and You), "Mi Hippie Me Encanta" (I love my hippie) with Yo Yo Boing and Myrna de Casenave, "Su Estrella Favorita" (Your Favorite Star), "El Show de Iris Chacon" and "Jueves de Gala" with Eddie Miró and Marisol Malaret. Walter Mercado (March 9, 1929) is a Puerto Rican astrologer who has become a personal astrologer for celebrities. ... Iris Chacon (b. ... Marisol Malaret (born October 13, 1949) was the first Puerto Rican to be crowned Miss Universe, winning in Miami in 1970. ...

On April 14, 1983, Telemundo was sold to John Blair and Co. and finally, in 2004 became part of the NBC Universal network. This led to many changes and one of the changes was the substitution of locally produced programs with programs produced in other countries such as Mexico. April 14 is the 104th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (105th in leap years). ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... NBC Universal is a media and entertainment conglomerate formed in May 2004 by the combination of General Electrics NBC with Vivendi Universal Entertainment, part of Vivendi Universal. ...

On May 6, 2004, televison producers Paquito Cordero and Tommy Muñiz received a special recognition on behalf of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico as part of the celebration of the 50 years of uninterrupted transmisión on the Telemundo and Televicentro channels. May 6 is the 126th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (127th in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Tommy Muñiz (born approx. ...

On February 25, 2005, Telemundo canceled Paquito Cordero's "El Show de las 12", the longest running television show in Puerto Rico. Telemundo no longer transmits locally produced television programs and thus, is no longer a source of income to the local artistic class. February 25 is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On the last airing of the show, Eddie Miró took the microphone and said these words:

Señoras y Señores..., "El Show de las 12" ha muerto.

(Ladies and Gentlemen..., "The 12 O'Clock Show" has died.)

Señoras y Señores..., reflexionemos ante su deceso.

(Ladies and Gentlemen..., a moment of silence for the deceased.)

See also

• List of famous Puerto Ricans