Who was that guy? Why that name? What happened on that date? What's behind the names of the main streets in downtown Buenos Aires? It's hard to believe, but those were burning questions of an American recently arrived in Buenos Aires. I wanted to know all I could about my adopted country and found the streets to be a mystery; even the most educated of my friends gave me blank looks when I asked. So began the project of finding out about the people behind the street names.

Buenos Aires' downtown streets are more than just a list of famous people or dates. They reflect the early, turbulent history of the country, its politicians, presidents, generals, explorers, writers and poets. To understand the significance of a name, you have to know how the country emerged from the great continent first claimed by Spain in the 1500's. This guide provides both an alphabetical listing of the street names and a short introduction of the history behind the names making exploration of downtown Buenos Aires a real discovery.