On This Day

Francisco Pizarro orders the death of the last Sapa Inca Emperor, Atahualpa

The Inca Empire, officially known as the Realm of the Four Parts, was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America.

The Inca Empire, officially known as the Realm of the Four Parts, was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political, and military center of the empire was in the city of Cusco. The Inca civilisation rose from the Peruvian highlands sometime in the early 13th century. The Portuguese explorer Aleixo Garcia was the first European to reach the Inca Empire in 1524. Later, in 1532, the Spanish began the conquest of the Inca Empire, and by 1572 the last Inca state was fully conquered.

From 1438 to 1533, the Incas incorporated a large portion of western South America, centered on the Andean Mountains, using conquest and peaceful assimilation, among other methods.

Historical Significance

The Inca Empire, officially known as the Realm of the Four Parts, was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America.

Key People

Francisco Pizarro

conquistador

Spanish conquistador

Atahualpa

Last Inca Emperor

Last Inca Emperor

Events Before

  1. Lisbon hit by Earthquake; about 30,000 die

    The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, also known as the Great Lisbon earthquake, hit the Iberian Peninsula and Northwest Africa on the morning of Saturday, 1 November, Feast of All Saints, at around 09:40…

  2. King Henry VIII is recognized as the supreme head of the Church in England by the Convocation of Canterbury

    King Henry VIII is recognized as the supreme head of the Church in England by the Convocation of Canterbury

  3. King Henry VIII of England secretly marries Anne Boleyn (officially married January 25, 1533)

    Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547.

  4. Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro captures Inca Emperor Atahualpa after a surprise ambush at Cajamarca in the Peruv

    Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro captures Inca Emperor Atahualpa after a surprise ambush at Cajamarca in the Peruvian Andes

  5. Parliament of England bans payments by the English Church to Rome

    Parliament of England bans payments by the English Church to Rome

Events After

  1. French explorer Jacques Cartier claims for France the lands around Gaspé by erecting a 30-foot cross at Pointe-Penouille

    French explorer Jacques Cartier claims for France the lands around Gaspé by erecting a 30-foot cross at Pointe-Penouille [1]

  2. English Parliament passes the Act of Supremacy, making Henry VIII and all subsequent monarchs the Head of the Church of

    English Parliament passes the Act of Supremacy, making Henry VIII and all subsequent monarchs the Head of the Church of England

  3. Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent occupies Baghdad

    Suleiman I (6 November 1494 – 6 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent, was the Ottoman sultan from 1520 to 1566.

  4. French King Francis I signs classified treaty with Landgrave of Hesse

    French King Francis I signs classified treaty with Landgrave of Hesse

  5. Pope Paul II affirms George van Egmond as Bishop of Utrecht

    Pope Paul II affirms George van Egmond as Bishop of Utrecht

More from the 1530s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on July 26, 1533?
The Inca Empire, officially known as the Realm of the Four Parts, was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political, and military center of the empire was in the city of Cusco. The Inca civilisation rose from the Peruvian highlands sometime in the early 13th century.
Why is Francisco Pizarro orders the death of the last Sapa Inca Emperor, Atahualpa significant?
The Inca Empire, officially known as the Realm of the Four Parts, was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America.
Who was involved in Francisco Pizarro orders the death of the last Sapa Inca Emperor, Atahualpa?
Key figures include Francisco Pizarro (conquistador), Atahualpa (Last Inca Emperor).

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