-
The Spanish continue to expand their colonial empire in the Americas, including the territory of what is now Mexico.
-
On September 16, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a Catholic priest, issues the Grito de Dolores, calling for the end of Spanish rule in Mexico. -
Mexico officially achieves independence from Spain on September 27, through the Treaty of Córdoba.
-
Mexico transitions from an empire to a federal republic with the promulgation of its 1824 Constitution. -
he United States and Mexico go to war, resulting in Mexico losing about one-third of its territory, including present-day California, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada, through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
-
On May 5 (Cinco de Mayo), Mexico defeats French forces in the Battle of Puebla, a victory that symbolizes Mexican resistance to foreign domination. -
Maximilian I, a European noble, is installed as Emperor of Mexico by French Emperor Napoleon III, but his reign is short-lived.
-
Initiated by Francisco I. Madero against longtime dictator Porfirio Díaz, this conflict leads to significant social, economic, and political changes, including land reforms and the establishment of a constitutional republic.
-
The Constitution of 1917, still in effect today, is promulgated, introducing significant reforms including land redistribution and labor rights. -
Cárdenas implements significant social reforms, nationalizes the oil industry, and redistributes land to peasants, strengthening the state's role in the economy.
-
The United States and Mexico agree on the Bracero Program, allowing millions of Mexican men to work temporarily in the U.S. agricultural sector until 1964.
-
Government forces massacre hundreds of student protesters in Mexico City, just days before the city hosts the Olympic Games. -
A devastating earthquake hits Mexico City on September 19, causing widespread destruction and thousands of deaths.
-
NAFTA comes into effect, creating a trilateral trade bloc between Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
-
The Zapatista Army of National Liberation leads an uprising in Chiapas, demanding improved rights for Indigenous peoples.
-
Vicente Fox of the National Action Party (PAN) wins the presidential election, ending the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI)'s 71-year hold on the presidency. -
Felipe Calderón's presidency marks a period of intense violence in the Mexican Drug War, with a significant increase in military action against drug cartels.
-
Enrique Peña Nieto of the PRI wins the presidency, marking the party's return after a 12-year hiatus. -
43 students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers' College are forcibly abducted and disappeared in Iguala, Guerrero, leading to international condemnation.
-
Mexico, like the rest of the world, faces the health and economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, impacting millions of lives across the country.