Overview
- Franco’s last public appearance came on October 1, 1975 at Madrid’s Royal Palace balcony, where a shaky address contrasted with a regime‑claimed crowd of one million in a square later estimated to hold about 170,000.
- A doctor from Franco’s medical team later recounted that by October he suffered insomnia, a relapse of thrombophlebitis and worsening Parkinson’s symptoms.
- Following late‑September executions of ETA and FRAP members, Spanish facilities abroad were attacked, 16 European countries and Canada recalled their ambassadors, the EEC froze accession talks, and Mexico urged UN action against Spain.
- That same October 1, the newly named GRAPO killed four police officers in Madrid, underscoring the violent climate surrounding the dictatorship’s final stretch.
- Franco presided over two further events on October 4 and 12, fell ill at the Hispanity Day ceremony, and died on November 20, 1975, with Prime Minister Carlos Arias Navarro announcing the death on Spanish television at 10 a.m.