He was born at Alhama la Seca in the province of Almería, was educated at Granada and became assistant professor of literature and philosophy at Madrid.

When Amadeo of Savoy resigned the Spanish crown on 11 February 1873 Salmerón was naturally marked out to be a leader of the party which endeavoured to establish a republic in Spain.

Salmerón took part in the attack made on him in the Cortes on 3 January 1874, which provoked the generals into closing the chamber and establishing a provisional military government.

In 1886, he was elected to the Cortes as Progressive deputy for Madrid, and unsuccessfully endeavoured to combine the jarring republican factions into a party of practical moderate views.

Among the winners in the different categories are Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (2020), José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (2009), la Casa Sefarad-Israel (2010), Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (2011), El Intermedio y El Gran Wyoming (2012), Jesús Caldera (2012), Jordi Évole (2013), Pedro González Zerolo y Marcos Ana (2014)