The Aztecs were one of the thriving civilizations that were located in the New World when the Europeans first came. Much like the Western civilizations, their rise to become a dominant power in the region was gradual and took centuries to develop.
When the Aztec civilization collapsed, it left a vacuum that would be filled with the Spanish and eventual European powers.
These natives would eventually blend into the new rulers of the New World, and their heritage and DNA would never be pure again. Here is a look at a timeline of their rise to power and eventual fall.
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Aztec Timeline: Migration and Settlement of Mexico
6th century:
First Nahuatl, speaking peoples begin to settle in present-day Mexico
1110:
The Mexica travel from their northern homeland of Aztlan. These early dates and the existence and location of Aztlan are often disagreed on.
1110-1248:
The Mexica roam for over a century from place to place until they find a place to settle.
1248:
Mexica settle near Lake Texcoco, in Chapultepec, though they are soon expelled by the Tepanecs
1299:
Mexica settle in Tizapan, by permission of the Culhuacan ruler Cocoxtli.
1325:
Tenochtitlán is settled by the Mexica
Aztec Timeline: Foundations of an Empire
1350:
Building of causeways with canals
1370:
Death of Tenoch, religious ruler of the Mexica
1376-1395:
The first king of Tenochtitlán, Acamapichitli, rules
1390:
Original construction of Templo Mayor beings in Tenochtitlán
1395-1417:
The second king of Tenochtitlán, Huitzilihuitzli, rules. An alliance with the Tepaneca is created.
1417-1427:
The third king, Chimalpopoca, had a relatively short reign. He is assassinated by the Tepaneca.
1427-1430:
War with the Tepaneca. Up to this point, the Tepaneca had been dominant in central Mexico, ruling from Azcapotzalco and taking tribute from the Mexica.
1430:
Azcapotzalco conquered
1431:
Establishment of the Triple Alliance between the Mexica, the Acolhua in the city of Texcoco, and the Tepaneca of Tlacopan. These cities became the foundation of the empire.
1427-1440:
Tenochtitlán's fourth king, Itzcoatl, reigns
1452:
Tenochtitlán severely damaged by flooding
1452-1454:
Famine in Tenochtitlán
Aztec Timeline: Height of the Empire
1440-1469:
Reign of the fifth king, Moctezuma I, who is also referred to as Montezuma I
1469-1481:
Tenochtitlán's sixth king, Azayactl, reigns
1481-1486:
Reign of Tizoc, the seventh king of Tenochtitlán
1486-1502:
Rule of Ahuitzotl, the eighth king of the city
1487:
Dedication of Great Temple (Templo Mayor) at Tenochtitlán. This was the 6th version of the temple.
1492:
(Christopher Columbus's landing at Santa Domingo)
1502-1520:
Reign of Moctezuma II, or Montezuma II, the most famous of the Aztec kings and the ninth king of Tenochtitlán
1510:
Severe floods in Tenochtitlán
Aztec Timeline: The Fall and Conquest of Mexico
1517:
The appearance of a comet is believed to signify impending doom
March 4. 1519:
Landing of Hernan Cortes on the Yucatan Peninsula
November 8, 1519:
Cortes arrives in Tenochtitlán
1520:
Cortes allies with Tlaxcala, enemies of the Aztecs, assault on the empire begins.
July 1, 1520:
The Spanish forces were driven back. The Spanish and their native allies suffered heavy losses. (This is known as la Noche Triste - The Sad Night)
1520:
Rule of Cuitahuac, the tenth king of Tenochtitlán, dies from the first smallpox epidemic to hit the empire. He was the last king of the city
August 13, 1521:
Tenochtitlán falls to Hernan Cortes and the Spanish. The great Aztec city was destroyed
1522:
Rebuilding of the city by the Spanish as Mexico City, the capital of New Spain
1525:
Cuauhetemoc is hung by the Spaniards