MILAN OBRENOVITCH I, vich, king of Serbia: b. Jassy, 22 Aug. 1854; d. Vienna, 11 Feb. 1901. He was cousin to Michael Obrenovitch III, Prince of Serbia, by whom he was adopted on the death of his parents. He was educated in Paris at the Lye& Louis le-Grand and upon the assassina tion of Michael in 1868 he succeeded him as Milan Obrenovitch IV, Prince of Serbia, under a regency headed by Ristitch. In 1872, at the age of 18, he took over the government, retain ing, however, the services of Ristitch. He care fully balanced political relations between his country and Austria and Russia, so strengthen ing his position that after the Russo-Turkish War he was successful in having Serbia's inde pendence declared and himself proclaimed as Milan Obrenovitch I, king of Serbia, in 1882. He then entered into a secret treaty with Austria, by whom his subsequent administra tion of affairs was largely influenced. He im proved transportation facilities and developed the country to a considerable extent, but with out due reflection as to expense of the measures, so that heavy taxes and increased military sere. ice influenced the country against him. This state of affairs, coupled with his notorious private life and his offensive quarrels with his queen, Natalie, causedgreat public dissatisfac tion and in 1889 he suddenly decided to abdicate in favor of his 13-year-old son, Alexander. He
returned to Belgrade in 1894, was officially reconciled to the queen and undertook the re organization of the army under the sovereignty of his son. He was appointed commander-in chief in 1897, and is credited with greatly im proving the military service in Serbia. Upon the marriage of his son, Alexander, to Draga Mashin, in 1900, Milan resigned his position as commander-in-chief of the army and was ban ished. He went to live in Vienna and died there in the following year. See SERBIA.
MILANtS Y FUENTES, Jose Jacinto, yi-ken'to me-len-as e twinges, Cuban poet: b. Matanzas, 16 Aug. 1814; d. there, 14 Nov. 1863. He was self-taught, being a poor clerk and later a blacksmith's helper. But when he was 19 some of his verses were published and his excellent drama, 'El Conde Alarcos,) which appeared in 1838, won him a comfortable position. Several other plays followed, notably 'Una Intriga paternal.' But his early hard ships had undermined his reason; he traveled for relief in the United States and in Europe in 1848 and 1849, and spent his last years in melancholia broken only occasionally by intelli gent literary effort. Consult the biographical sketch in the North American Review for 1849.