September 20th

On September 20th, 1519, the Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés and his expeditionary force entered the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán, located on the site of present-day Mexico City. This event marked a crucial moment in the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire.

Cortés had arrived in Mexico in 1519 with the intention of exploring and potentially claiming territory for Spain. Over the course of the following years, he formed alliances with indigenous groups who were opposed to the Aztecs and sought to overthrow their rule.

The entry of Cortés and his forces into Tenochtitlán marked the beginning of a series of events that ultimately led to the fall of the Aztec Empire. The Spanish and their indigenous allies laid siege to the city, and after months of conflict, they captured the Aztec ruler Montezuma II. The city finally fell to the Spanish in 1521.

The conquest of the Aztec Empire was a significant chapter in the history of Spanish colonization in the Americas. It resulted in the establishment of New Spain, a Spanish colony that covered much of present-day Mexico and parts of Central America. The encounter between the Spanish and the indigenous peoples of the Americas had profound and lasting consequences, including cultural exchange, conflict, and the introduction of European diseases to the New World.