Hernan Cortez

By acornman23
  • Jan 1, 1485

    Birth

    Birth
    Hernan Cortez was born on January 1, 1485. He was born in Medellín, Spain. His parents' names were Martin Cortes and Catalina Pizarro Altamirano. Hernan Cortez was born into a Spanish nobility.
  • Period: Jul 9, 1499 to Sep 13, 1501

    School

    When Hernan Cortes was 14 years old,in 1499, he was sent to study at the University of Salamanca in west-central Spain to study law. But he wasn't happy at school, too restless to follow the rules. He did learn a little Latin, and became good at writing. In 1501 he returned from school.
  • Feb 2, 1502

    Going to the West Indies

    Going to the West Indies
    Cortes traveled to the West Indies where Velasques, the governor, gave him command of a fleet and sent on a voyage of discovery.
  • Jul 6, 1511

    Joined Diego Velasquez

    Joined Diego Velasquez
    In 1511 he joined Diego Velasquez’s, an aide of the Governor of Hispaniola, expedition to conquer Cuba. There, Cortés served as a clerk to the treasurer and later as mayor of Santiago.
  • Nov 18, 1518

    Santiago

    Santiago
    18th of November 1518, he set out from Santiago with 10 vessels, 600 or 700 Spaniards, 18 horsemen and some pieces of cannon.
  • Sep 4, 1519

    Tricking the Aztecs

    Tricking the Aztecs
    In 1519, he tricked the Aztecs into giving him a lot of gold when he first arrived in Mexico. One of the treasures he found was chocolate. After a three-month attack, Spanish forces under Hernán Cortés capture Tenochtitlán, the capital of the Aztec empire. Cortés’ men leveled the city and captured Cuauhtemoc, the Aztec emperor.
  • Apr 2, 1529

    Marraige and Kids

    Marraige and Kids
    He got married April 2, 1529. His spouse was Catalina Suárez Marcaida. They had 10 kids. The girls names were Leonor Cortés Moctezuma, Catalina Pizarro, María Cortés de Moctezuma, María Cortés de Zúñiga, Juana Cortés de Zúñiga,and Catalina Cortés de Zúñiga. His boys names were Martín Cortés, Luis Cortés y Ramírez de Arellano, Luis Cortés, and Martín Cortés, 2nd Marquis.
  • Apr 12, 1532

    Nickname

    Nickname
    He was a great soldier. While he was in the military, his nickname was Killer because of how good he was.
  • Mar 14, 1540

    Retirement

    Retirement
    In 1540, Cortés retired to Spain. He spent much of his later years seeking recognition for his achievements and support from the Spanish royal court.
  • Dec 2, 1547

    Death

    Death
    Hernan Cortez died on December 2, 1547. He died of Pleurisy on his way back to Mexico. Hernan Cortes passed away near Seville when he was 62 years old.