Hernando Cortes

Hernando is born

Jan 1, 1485

C Hernan Cortes is born in Medelin, Spain

Life of Hernando Cortes

Period: Jan 1, 1485 to Dec 2, 1547

Life of Hernan

Hernan goes to study

Jan 1, 1499

C Hernan decides he needs a higher education, and so he travels to somewhere near Salamanca, Spain.

Hernan gets expelled from his university

Jan 1, 1503

C Hernan gets expelled from his school so he decides to travel.

Hernan sails to the New World

Jan 1, 1504

C Hernan sails to th New World to seek fortune, he landed on the island of Santo Domingo. There he serves as a notary, a person who certifies legal docs and such.

Hernan goes on an expedition

Jan 1, 1506

C Hernan joined an expedition of Cuba led by Diego Velázquez. While on the expedition he served in the civil government and was mayor of Santiago for a time.

Hernan captures Cuba

Jan 1, 1506

C On the conquest for Cuba, they succeeded and the Spanish conquered Cuba.

Rewarded at expedition

Jan 1, 1511

C Because of the capture of Cuba, Hernan was rewarded with being one of Velázquez's top officials.

Expedition to Mexico

Feb 18, 1518

Hernan goes against Velázquez's rule and goes on an expedition to Mexico. He goes with 500 men and 11 ships.

Reach Mexican coast

Jan 1, 1519

C After a long journey, Hernan finaly reaches his destination to Mexico again after hiding from the troops

Conqueres Veracruz

Jan 1, 1519

C Hernan sailed to Veracruz and captured it with brutal force. He then tried to meet with Montezuma, the Aztec KIng, but Montezuma refused.

Takes Aztec Empire

Jan 1, 1519

C The Aztecs tried to please Cortes, but he didn't trust them. He then took hostage of the city, and had his soldiers raid the city. After this, he soon found out that Spanish troops were coming to arrest him for disobeying orders. He then fled away from there ASAP.

What he does in Mexico

Jan 1, 1519

C Hernan quickly becomes allies with some of the natives there, but some he did not want to ally with. He murdered them to take their country.

Hernan goes back to Aztecs

Jan 1, 1520

C Hernan failed to escape the Spanish troops from finding him, so they faced off in a battle. After retreating, he returns to the Aztecs to find a rebellion going on, the Aztecs eventually drove out all of the Spanish.

Kills Montezuma

Jan 1, 1521

C Hernan goes back to the Aztecs again to try and defeat Montezuma, he succeeds.

Gets appointed to governor of New Spain

Jan 1, 1522

C Hernan gets appointed to Governor by King Charles I of Spain (also known as Holy Roman Emperor Charles V).

Hernan tries to stop a rebellion

Jan 1, 1524

C Hernan, being Governer, tried to stop a rebellion going on in Honduras. (The rebellion was over his power and he lost all of it in Mexico) He went to Spain to plead his case but found himself removed from being Governer.

Hernan decides to retire

Jan 1, 1540

C Hernan decides to stop his leading days, and retires to Spain. There he tries to get recognition for all of his acheivements in the earlier years.

Hernan dies

Jan 1, 1547

C Hernan died at age 62, he was mostly ignored and had no impotance in his later years.