GENERALÍSIMO FRANCO’S LONG REIGN IN SPAIN: One of the funniest lines in the musical Evita is the bouncily sung “Franco’s reign in Spain should see out the ‘40s.” It’s part of “Rainbow Tour,” which recounts the story of Eva Peron’s much-publicized 1947 trip to Europe, during which she met with Franco. Of course, Franco’s dictatorship lasted much longer than the 1940s, and by the early 1970s it seemed like it might be never ending.   He was still more or less controlling Spain when he died in November of 1975. The grim reaper denied him a full 40 years in office only by a number of months.

The music in Evita was first recorded in early 1976. I’ve long wondered if the line in the song was written before or after Franco’s demise. If it was before, it makes the line even better.

All this is a long way around to saying that on this day in 1978, Spain’s Constitution went into effect, completing the country’s transition into a democratic parliamentary system with King Juan Carlos I as head of state.

As an American, I’m not big on princes. But in this case it beats the alternative. And I’m told Juan Carlos hasn’t been half bad in his constitutionally limited role.