Hernán Cortés | Timeline

Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro Altamirano, Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca; (1485 – December 2, 1547) was a Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile in the early 16th century. Cortés was part of the generation of Spanish colonizers who began the first phase of the Spanish colonization of the Americas. (intro from Wikipedia)

January(?) 1(?), 1485 - Medellín, Castille - Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro Altamirano is born

January(?) 1(?), 1499 - Salamanca - 14-year old Cortés is sent to Salamanca to study

February 1(?), 1502 - Seville - Nicolás de Ovando puts together a fleet of 32 ships and 2,500 men (1,500 colonists, mostly nobles). Sailing down the Guadalquivir River from Seville to Sanlúcar de Barrameda, youngsters Hernán Cortés, Francisco Pizarro, Ponce de León and Bartolomé de las Casas go on the expedition =(START)

February 13, 1502 - Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Castile and León - Cortés misses Ovando's expedition after fetting injured jumping out of a woman's window

April(?) 1(?), 1504 - Santo Domingo - Hernán Cortés arrives in Hispaniola with the expedition of Alonso Quintero, as a colonial officer and planter

August 29, 1506 - Santo Domingo - Hernán's father buys a passage to Spain for his son, aboard the "San Juan Bautista" =(crossofburgundyflag)

November(?) 1(?), 1511 - Punta de Maisi, SE tip of Cuba - Cortés sails to Cuba on the expedition of Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar - 4 ships and 400 men

October 23, 1518 - Santiago de Cuba - Hernán Cortés receives a command to obtain territories in México

November 18, 1518 - Santiago de Cuba - Cortés weighs anchor with eleven ships and sails South to recruit soldiers and obtain supplies and weapons

February 10, 1519 - Guaniguanico, West of Cuba - Cortes gathers eleven small ships with 518 soldiers, 32 crossbowmen, 13 light cavalrymen, 10 horsemen, 110 sailors, 200 Indians and blacks, 10 cannons, 4 swivel cannons and 15 horses

February 18, 1519 - Guaniguanico - Cortés sails to Mexico with his expedition. Soon they face a great storm

February 21, 1519 - Cozumel Island, Yucatán, Mexico - The expedition arrives to Cozumel Island, with a ship scattered somewhere. Cortés meets Gerónimo de Aguilar, who lived among the mayas for eight years

March 12, 1519 - Mouth of Grijalva River - The expedition arrives on the Mouth of Grijalva River. The attempt to establish friendly relations with the local indians, since they were totally hostile, was useless. The confrontation was inevitable, but at least it allowed Pedro de Alvarado to demonstrate his qualities as a good soldier when at the head of a hundred men he fought bravely against the numerically superior Indians

March 24, 1519 - Mouth of Grijalva River - Skirmishes with the mayas become a great battle. The Mayas panic as they see horses for the first time

April 17, 1519 - Mouth of Grijalva River - The expedition sails West along the coast

April 21, 1519 - San Juan de Ulúa, Vera Cruz - Arrival to San Juan de Úlua, then, an island.

April 22, 1519 - Coast of Mexico opposite to San Juan de Úlua - Cortés founds "Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz". He transfers his army to the continent and builds a fort. The spanish are welcomed.

April 24, 1519 - Coast of Mexico opposite to San Juan de Úlua - A maya embassy arrives. Cortés communicates that he wants to meet the Emperor

May 1, 1519 - Coast of Mexico opposite to San Juan de Úlua - Another maya embassy arrives, bringing with them even richer gifts to Cortés

May 10, 1519 - Coast of Mexico opposite to San Juan de Úlua - In yet another visit, the maya ambassador transmits his emperor's rejection to Cortés' request

June 7, 1519 - Between Quiahuiztlan and Zempoala - Cortés changes his base to 70 kilometers north

June 28, 1519 - Between Quiahuiztlan and Zempoala - Battle between aztecs and totomac / zempoala rebels, supported by Cortés

July 1, 1519 - Vera Cruz - Return to Vera Cruz to direct tasks and order the manufacture of bricks

August 8, 1519 - Zempoala, Mexico - The defenses at Vera Cruz are completed and garrisoned. Cortés marches to Zempoala

August 16, 1519 - Zempoala - Cortés renames Zempoala as Nueva Sevilla (New Seville) and departs to inland Mexico. Behind him, in Vera Cruz, he leaves 100 soldiers to guard the new town and receive reinforcements from Spain

August 31, 1519 - Tlaxcala Region - Cortés' vanguard enters in combat. The dead horses are hidden

September 12, 1519 - Tlaxcala Region - The leader of Tlaxcala, Xicoténcatl, asks for forgiveness to Cortés for the attacks

September 18, 1519 - Tlaxcala - Cortés enters in Tlaxcala, with great festivities in his honor

October 18, 1519 - Cholula, Mexico - Cholula Massacre. Cortés has aztec conspirators killed and sacks villages

November 1, 1519 - Cholula - The Spanish army leaves Cholula devastated as Cortés heads to Huejotzingo

November 8, 1519 - Amecameca - Cortés arrives in Amecameca, after crossing the snow laden mountains of Popocatepl and Iztac

November 14, 1519 - Tenochtitlán - Cortés receives news of aztec attacks in Vera Cruz. Moctezuma is taken to the spanish headquarters and placed in check.

December 3, 1519 - Tenochtitlán - Cualpopoca, the aztec chief responsible for the Vera Cruz attacks, arrives with another fifteen officials and his sons. They are tortured and burned alive at Tenochtitlán's main square. Moctezuma is arrested.

May 29, 1520 - Zempoala, Mexico - During the night, Cortés' men climb to Zempoala's Pyramid where Pánfilo de Nárvaez slept and arrest him, wounding him in the eye with a pike. His army surrenders to Cortés.

June 24, 1520 - Tenochtitlán - Cortés returns to Tenochtitlán to reprimand Alvarado

June 25, 1520 - Tenochtitlán - Cortés releases Moctezuma's brother to open commerce, however, the aztecs attack

June 28, 1520 - Tenochtitlán - Spanish forces are stuck in Tenochtitlán by a large number of aztecs

"Noche Triste", July 1, 1520

June 29, 1520 - Tenochtitlán - Moctezuma dies, three days after being stoned by his own people

July 1, 1520 - Tenochtitlán - "Noche Triste" (Sad Night). The Spanish army tries to sneak out of Tenochtitlán during the night of June 30th to July 1st seizing a thick mist. However, they are detected in one of Tenochtitlán's bridges, and unable to use horses and cannons, they are easy prey to the aztecs in canoes. 450 Spanish soldiers are killed, along with 46 horses and 4,000 tlaxcalan auxiliaries.
July 2, 1520 - Cuajimalpa, SW Tenochtitlán - Survivors of the "Noche Triste" arrive in Cuajimalpa
July 7, 1520 - Otumba (Toluca) - The Spanish are attacked by a large number of aztecs, but defeat them
July 11, 1520 - Tlaxcala Region - Cortés arrives in allied territory
August 1, 1520 - Cholula - Cortés departs on a punitive expedition against Tepeaca
August 6, 1520 - Tepeaca - 400 Spanish and 40,000 tlaxcalans destroy 400 aztecs in battle. Cruelties are committed
September 15, 1520 - Tepeaca - Cortés is contacted by enemies of the aztecs and attracted to further expeditions.
September 18, 1520 - Huaquechula, SW Puebla - Cortés attacks Huaquechula. The aztecs counterattack.
October(?) 1(?), 1520 - Izucar de Matamoros, SW Puebla - Izucar de Matamoros is attacked. 6,000 aztec warriors are massacred
October 15, 1520 - Tepeaca - Back to Tepeaca, Cortés meets with shipbuilders
December 13, 1520 - Tepeaca - Cortés leaves sixty men in Tepeaca and departs to Tlaxcala
December 25, 1520 - Tlaxcala - Cortés spends Christmas in Tlaxcala, with the army
December 27, 1520 - Tlaxcala - Cortés summons the allied chiefs and informs them of the beginning of the offensive for December 29th
January 1, 1521 - Coatepec, South of Texcoco - Cortés advances to Coatepec
January 2, 1521 - Coatepec, South of Texcoco - Cortés advances to Texcoco
January 9, 1521 - Iztapalapa, SE Tenochtitlán - Cortés advances to Iztapalapa
April 3, 1521 - Tlalmanalco, SE Tenochtitlán - Cortés advances to Tlalmanalco to disperse an aztec army
April 15, 1521 - Xochimilco, South of Tenochtitlán - The Spanish storm the city. Skirmishes against canoes on the next day
April 20, 1521 - Coyoacán, South of Tenochtitlán - Cortés marches to Coyoacán, which was deserted. Short reconaissance to Tenochtitlán
April 22, 1521 - Texcoco - Return to Texcoco
April 28, 1521 - Texcoco - Spanish ships are launched at Texcoco. Emissaries are sent to allies to prepare final attack
June 1, 1521 - Acachinanco, Texcoco - Cortés sets sail in his new ships
June 15, 1521 - Acachinanco - Advance against Iztapalapa
June 30, 1521 - Tlaltelolco, Central Tenochtitlán - Great assault to the central capital, where the Spanish are defeated
July 24, 1521 - Tenochtitlán - Cortés surprises Tenochtitlán's inhabitants and massacres 800 of them
August 3, 1521 - Tenochtitlán - The joint forces of Cortés and Alvarado kill 12,000 civilians
August 13, 1521 - Tenochtitlán - Fall of Tenochtitlán. Emperor Cuauhtémoc is caught while trying to escape
November 1, 1522 - Coyoacán, Mexico City - Catalina Juarez Marcaida, the first wife of Cortés, dies.
December 6, 1523 - Tenochtitlán (Mexico City) - Cortés dispatches Alvarado to conquer territories south from Mexico, 160 horses, 300 footmen (160 of those crossbowmen and arquebusiers) and 4 cannons
October(?) 1(?), 1524 - Mexico City - Cortés departs to Honduras to break a rebellion lead by Olid
February(?) 1(?), 1525 - Ixcateopan de Cuahtémoc - Cortés arrives in Ixcateopan after a long hard way through the jungle
February 20, 1525 - Ixcateopan de Cuahtémoc - Cortés orders the hanging of Cuauhtémoc and a franciscan, for conspiracy
(information needed - Cortés in Havana)
May 13, 1526 - Havana, Cuba - Letter sent from Cortés about the alliances made in Mexico, just before setting sail to Vera Cruz
May 24, 1526 - Vera Cruz - Cortés arrives in Vera Cruz after a visit to Havana
June(?) 1(?), 1526 - Mexico City - Cortés returns to Mexico City in triumph
March 17, 1528 - San Juan de Ulúa, Vera Cruz - Cortés boards a ship bound to Spain
May(?) 1(?), 1528 - Seville(?) - Cortés arrives in Spain to ask for more Colonial power
June(?) 1(?), 1528 - Seville - Pedro de Alvarado spends the year of 1528 in Seville. Alvarado and Cortés ignore each other, because Alvarado had promised Cortés that he would marry Cecilia Vázquez, Cortes' cousin. Alvarado broke his promise and instead married Francisca de la Cueva
July 6, 1529 - Barcelona - Emperor Charles V grants Cortés lands and the title of Marquis of Oaxaca Valley
July 26, 1529 - Toledo - Cortés meets Francisco Pizarro
(information needed - Voyage to Mexico in 1530)
July 15, 1530 - Vera Cruz - Cortés lands in Vera Cruz with his new wife, Juana de Zuniga
June 30, 1532 - Mexico City - Cortés sends his cousin, Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, to explore the Pacific Coast and islands
November 1(?), 1532 - Puerto de Santiago (Manzanillo, Colima) - Cortés settles in Manzanillo to prepare an expedition to the Pacific Coast
September 4, 1534 - Toluca - Cortés receives a royal letter in an audience, ordering a stop in the explorations
January(?) 1(?), 1535 - Colima - Another expedition begins
February 24, 1535 - Nayarit - Passage through Nayarit
May 3, 1535 - Pichilingue, Acapulco - Arrival in Pichilingue
April 17, 1536 - Acapulco - Cortés signs a contract with the Merchant Juan Domingo de Espinoza
January 1(?), 1540 - Vera Cruz - Cortés boards a ship bound to Spain
January 31(?), 1540 - Seville(?) - Arrival in Spain

Hernán Cortés, c.1540

April 10, 1540 - Valladolid (?) - Cortés is received coldly in audience with Charles V
September 28, 1541 - Palma, Majorca - Cortés sets sail with the royal armada to Argel
October 19, 1541 - In front of Algiers - After facing contrary winds for many days, the armada arrives in front of Algiers
October 23, 1541 - Near Algiers - As it starts raining and winding, the soldiers are bogged down and some of the landing ships sink
October 25, 1541 - Near Algiers - Landing of the soldiers
November 23, 1541 - In front of Algiers - Departure to the high seas
December 3, 1541 - Cartagena - Return to Cartagena
January(?) 1(?), 1542 - Valladolid - Cortés establishes himself in the humanist environment of Valladolid, restarting his business
July(?) 1(?), 1542 - Monzón, Aragon - Charles V arrives in Monzón. Cortés meets Bartolomé de las Casas
August 1(?), 1542 - Barcelona - Cortés follows Charles V to Barcelona
November 12, 1543 - Salamanca - Cortés attends Felipe II's marriage
February 3, 1544 - Valladolid - Cortés sends a letter to the Emperor, asking for a reward after a lifetime of conquests
January(?) 1(?), 1545 - Seville - Cortés moves to Sevilla with the intention of travelling again to the New World, maybe dying there
December 2, 1547 - Castilleja de la Cuesta, Seville - Hernán Cortés dies, aged 62, as he was preparing to sail to Mexico. =(END)