Timeline Description: Herdando (Hernan) Cortes was a Spanish conquistador that was largely responsible for the fall of the Aztec Empire and the subsequent colonization of the Americas by the Spaniards. Cortes was also responsible for claiming Mexico for the Spanish Empire.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1485 | Cortes is born in Medellin, Spain. Cortes is born in Medellin Spain to an infantry captain and his wife. |
| 1499 | Cortes studies Latin. Cortes is sent to study Latin in Salamanca, staying with an uncle-in-law. |
| 1504 | Cortes leaves for the New World. Cortes leaves for the island of Santa Domingo in the New World at the age of eighteen. He settles in the town of Azua. |
| 1506 | Cortes participates in the conquest of Hispaniola and Cuba. Cortes takes part in an expedition and conquest of Hispaniola and Cuba. |
| 1511 | Cortes joins an expedition to Cuba. Cortes joins an expedition to Cuba led by Diego Velazquez. Cortes ends up working in civil government for a short time. |
| November 18, 1518 | Cortes sets sail for Mexico. Cortes sets sails for Mexico with 500 men and 11 ships in the hopes of discovering new land and claiming it for Spain. |
| March 4, 1519 | Cortes reaches Mexican coast. Cortes reaches the Mexican coast and immediately claims the new land for Spain. |
| 1521 | Cortes defeats the Aztecs. After suffering a defeat at the hands of the Aztec Empire, Cortes defeats the Aztec Empire, essentially causing the fall of the Empire. |
| August 13, 1521 | Cortes establishes Mexico City. After defeating the Aztecs, Cortes renames the city of Tenochtitlan, calling it Mexico City. |
| 1522 | Cortes appointed governor. Cortes is appointed governor of New Spain by King Charles I of Spain. |
| November 1, 1522 | Cortes' first wife dies. Cortes' first wife, Catalina, dies under mysterious circumstances. |
| 1524 | Cortes travels to Honduras. Cortes travels to Honduras to defeat a rebellion that had been formed in opposition to his rule. Back in Mexico, Cortes was removed from power. |
| 1529 | Cortes remarries. Cortes remarries noblewoman Dona Juana de Zuniga. |
| 1536 | Cortes discovers the Baja California peninsula. After returned to Mexico in 1530, Cortes discovers the Baja California peninsula. |
| 1541 | Cortes retires in Spain. Cortes retires in Spain amidst an atmosphere of neglect and disdain. |
| December 2, 1547 | Cortes dies in Spain. Cortes dies in Castilleja de la Cuesta, Spain due to a fatal case of pleurisy. |