Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire (1519–1521)

1. Cortés sails from Cuba for Mexico

   Feb 18, 1519Labels: Hern n, Cuba, Expedition

   • Britannica

2. Cortés expedition sails from Cuba

   Feb 18, 1519Labels: Hern n, Cuba, Vel zquez

   • Britannica
   • WHE Cort s

3. Cortés departs Cuba for the mainland

   Feb 10, 1519Labels: Hern n, Cuba, Expedition

   • Britannica
   • WHE

4. Battle of Centla and first major mainland victory

   Mar 14, 1519Labels: Battle of, Tabasco, Maya-Chontal

   • Batalla Centla
   • Britannica

5. Battle of Centla and Malintzin joins

   Mar 1, 1519Labels: Battle of, Malintzin, Maya

   • WHE Malinche
   • Britannica Malinche

6. Spanish victory at Centla and Malintzin’s entry

   Mar 25, 1519Labels: Battle of, La Malinche, Tabasco

   • Britannica
   • WHE

7. Battle of Centla opens foothold in Tabasco

   Mar 14, 1519Labels: Battle of, Tabasco, Maya-Chontal

   • Britannica
   • Wikipedia ES

8. Cortés receives Malinche as interpreter

   Mar 15, 1519Labels: Malintzin, Do a, Interpreter

   • Britannica

9. Cortés establishes Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz

   Apr 22, 1519Labels: Villa Rica, cabildo, Hern n

   • Veracruz city
   • History com Veracruz

10. Malintzin (Doña Marina) becomes key interpreter

    Mar 15, 1519Labels: Malintzin, Do a, Interpreter

    • Britannica
    • World History

11. Cortés founds Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz

    Apr 22, 1519Labels: Veracruz, Villa Rica, Cort s

    • Britannica
    • Batalla Nautla

12. Alliance formed with Tlaxcala

    Sep 1, 1519Labels: Tlaxcala, alliance, Tlaxcalans

    • Britannica Tlaxcala
    • Britannica Tenochtitlan

13. Alliance forms with Tlaxcala after fighting

    Sep 7, 1519Labels: Tlaxcala, Alliance with, Indigenous allies

    • Britannica
    • WHE

14. Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz established

    Apr 22, 1519Labels: Villa Rica, Veracruz, Settlement

    • Britannica
    • Britannica

15. Alliance forms between Spaniards and Tlaxcala

    Sep 1, 1519Labels: Tlaxcala, Alliance, Tlaxcalans

    • ThoughtCo
    • Chichimecatecuhtli

16. Massacre at Cholula

    Oct 18, 1519Labels: Cholula, massacre, Cort s

    • Cholula massacre
    • Britannica Cort s

17. Massacre at Cholula shocks central Mexico

    Oct 18, 1519Labels: Cholula, Massacre at, Religious center

    • Britannica
    • WHE

18. Cholula massacre during march and alliance-building

    Oct 18, 1519Labels: Cholula, Massacre, Alliances

    • Wikipedia
    • Britannica

19. Cholula massacre during march to the capital

    Oct 18, 1519Labels: Cholula, Massacre, Tlaxcala

    • Cholula
    • ThoughtCo

20. Cortés enters Tenochtitlan

    Nov 8, 1519Labels: Tenochtitlan, Moctezuma II, Hern n

    • Conquest overview
    • Britannica Tenochtitlan

21. Moctezuma II meets Cortés at Tenochtitlan

    Nov 8, 1519Labels: Moctezuma II, Tenochtitlan, Hern n

    • Britannica
    • Smithsonian

22. Cortés enters Tenochtitlan and meets Moctezuma

    Nov 8, 1519Labels: Tenochtitlan, Moctezuma II, Hern n

    • Britannica
    • Moctezuma II

23. Moctezuma II taken prisoner by the Spanish

    Nov 14, 1519Labels: Moctezuma II, hostage taking, Tenochtitlan

    • Conquest overview
    • Britannica Cort s

24. Moctezuma taken captive within his own capital

    Nov 14, 1519Labels: Moctezuma II, Captivity, Tenochtitlan

    • Britannica
    • WHE

25. Toxcatl Massacre triggers uprising in Tenochtitlan

    May 22, 1520Labels: Toxcatl Massacre, Pedro de, Tenochtitlan

    • Wikipedia
    • Britannica

26. Moctezuma is seized and ruled through as captive

    Nov 14, 1519Labels: Moctezuma II, Captivity, Cort s

    • Conquest Aztecs

27. Toxcatl Massacre sparks open revolt

    May 22, 1520Labels: Toxcatl Massacre, Pedro de, Mexica

    • Great Temple massacre
    • Conquest overview

28. Toxcatl festival massacre ignites uprising

    May 22, 1520Labels: Toxcatl festival, Pedro de, Massacre

    • Britannica
    • Wikipedia

29. Moctezuma II dies amid conflict and captivity

    Jun 30, 1520Labels: Moctezuma II, Death, Tenochtitlan

    • Britannica
    • Wikipedia

30. Toxcatl festival massacre triggers full-scale uprising

    May 22, 1520Labels: Toxcatl, Massacre, Pedro de

    • Great Temple
    • Conquest Aztecs

31. La Noche Triste: Spaniards flee Tenochtitlan

    Jun 30, 1520Labels: La Noche, Cort s, Tenochtitlan

    • La Noche Triste
    • Britannica Tenochtitlan

32. Moctezuma II dies amid the conflict

    Jun 30, 1520Labels: Moctezuma II, Death of, Tenochtitlan

    • Britannica
    • History com

33. La Noche Triste: Spanish forces flee the capital

    Jun 30, 1520Labels: La Noche, Retreat, Causeways

    • Wikipedia
    • Britannica

34. Cortés defeats Narváez and gains reinforcements

    May 27, 1520Labels: Narv ez, Cempoala, Reinforcements

    • Cempoala
    • Conquest Aztecs

35. Battle of Otumba enables retreat to allies

    Jul 7, 1520Labels: Battle of, Cort s, Tlaxcalans

    • Battle of Otumba
    • Conquest overview

36. La Noche Triste: Spanish forced to flee

    Jun 30, 1520Labels: La Noche, Retreat from, Spanish forces

    • Britannica
    • Wikipedia

37. Battle of Otumba allows Spanish escape to allies

    Jul 7, 1520Labels: Battle of, Tlaxcala, Spanish forces

    • Wikipedia
    • Britannica

38. La Noche Triste: Spaniards forced to flee Tenochtitlan

    Jun 30, 1520Labels: La Noche, Retreat, Tenochtitlan

    • Embamex
    • Noche Triste

39. Smallpox epidemic hits the Valley of Mexico

    Oct 1, 1520Labels: Smallpox epidemic, Valley of, Cuitl huac

    • Fall of Tenochtitlan
    • EBSCO smallpox

40. Smallpox outbreak devastates the Valley of Mexico

    Oct 1, 1520Labels: Smallpox outbreak, Valley of, Epidemic

    • Britannica
    • Wikipedia

41. Battle of Otumba opens retreat route to Tlaxcala

    Jul 7, 1520Labels: Battle of, Otumba Plain, Retreat

    • Otumba

42. Brigantines launched for the lake siege

    Apr 28, 1521Labels: brigantines, Lake Texcoco, naval force

    • Cambridge Core
    • Fall of Tenochtitlan

43. Siege of Tenochtitlan begins with encirclement

    May 22, 1521Labels: Siege of, Brigantines, Lake Texcoco

    • Britannica
    • HistoryNet

44. Cuitláhuac dies; leadership shifts to Cuauhtémoc

    Oct 1, 1520Labels: Cuitl huac, Cuauht moc, Leadership change

    • Britannica
    • Britannica

45. Smallpox epidemic devastates the Valley of Mexico

    Oct 1, 1520Labels: Smallpox, Valley of, Epidemic

    • Fall Tenochtitlan
    • Britannica

46. Siege of Tenochtitlan begins

    May 22, 1521Labels: Siege of, causeways, coalition forces

    • Britannica siege
    • HistoryNet siege

47. Cuauhtémoc captured as Tenochtitlan falls

    Aug 13, 1521Labels: Cuauht moc, Fall of, Surrender

    • Britannica
    • History com

48. Siege of Tenochtitlan begins with land-and-lake assault

    May 22, 1521Labels: Siege of, Causeways, Lake assault

    • Britannica
    • Wikipedia

49. Cuauhtémoc becomes tlatoani to lead resistance

    Jan 25, 1521Labels: Cuauht moc, Tlatoani, Mexica resistance

    • Cuauht moc
    • Britannica

50. Tenochtitlan falls and Cuauhtémoc is captured

    Aug 13, 1521Labels: Fall of, Cuauht moc, Spanish conquest

    • Britannica fall
    • History com 1521

51. Mexico City rebuilt as capital of New Spain

    Dec 1, 1521Labels: Mexico City, New Spain, Reconstruction

    • Britannica
    • Britannica

52. Siege of Tenochtitlan begins by land and water

    May 22, 1521Labels: Siege of, Brigantines, Causeways

    • Britannica
    • HistoryNet

53. Tenochtitlan falls; Cuauhtémoc captured

    Aug 13, 1521Labels: Fall of, Cuauht moc, New Spain

    • Britannica
    • Fall Tenochtitlan