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1540 CE
1485 CE - 1547 CE: Life of the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés.
1485 CE: Hernán Cortés is born in Medellin, Extremadura, Spain.
1499 CE: Hernán Cortés studies law at the university of Salamanca.
1504 CE: Hernán Cortés sails to the New World and settles on Hispaniola.
1511 CE: Hernán Cortés participates in the Spanish conquest of Cuba.
1519 CE: Veracruz, Mexico is founded by Hernán Cortés.
1519 CE: Hernán Cortés lands on the Tabasco coast of Mexico.
1519 CE: Motecuhzoma II receives Hernán Cortés at the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan.
1520 CE: Cuitláhuac is briefly the successor to Motecuhzoma II as leader of the Aztec Empire.
1520 CE: Hernán Cortés is obliged to leave Tenochtitlan and face a rival force of conquistadors led by Panfilo de Narváez at Veracruz.
1520 CE: The bloody retreat of Hernán Cortés from Tenochtitlan known as the Noche Triste ('Sad Night').
1520 CE: Death of Aztec ruler Motecuhzoma II.
1520 CE: Hernán Cortés defeats a large Aztec army at Otumba.
1520 CE: Hernán Cortés captures the city of Texcoco.
1521 CE - 1525 CE: Cuauhtémoc reigns as leader of the Aztec Empire.
1521 CE: Texcoco provides ships and men to aide the Spanish siege of Tenochtitlan.
1521 CE: Hernán Cortés begins the siege of Tenochtitlan.
1521 CE: Hernán Cortés deploys 13 specially built warships on Lake Texcoco during the siege of Tenochtitlan.
1521 CE: The Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan falls into the hands of Spanish forces led by Hernán Cortés.
1522 CE: Hernán Cortés leads an expedition against the Huaxtecs in Mexico.
1523 CE - 1524 CE: Hernán Cortés organises an expedition to Honduras led by Cristóbal de Olid.
1523 CE: Hernán Cortés is appointed the first governor of the colony of New Spain (Mexico).
1524 CE: Hernán Cortés personally leads an expedition to Honduras.
1528 CE: Hernán Cortés returns to Spain and is honoured by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.
1530 CE: Hernán Cortés returns to Mexico but finds his position usurped by the new governor.
1531 CE - 1532 CE: Hernán Cortés explores the Pacific coast of North America as far as California.
1541 CE: Hernán Cortés campaigns for the Spanish Crown in Algeria.
1547 CE: Hernán Cortés dies of dysentery in Castilleja la Vieja in Spain.