On This Day

Spanish conquistadors are expelled from Tenochtitlan following an Aztec revolt against their rule under Hernán Cortés du

Spanish conquistadors are expelled from Tenochtitlan following an Aztec revolt against their rule under Hernán Cortés during "La Noche Triste" (the Night of Sadness). Many soldiers drown in the escape, and Aztec emperor Moctezuma II dies in the struggle.

Spanish conquistadors are expelled from Tenochtitlan following an Aztec revolt against their rule under Hernán Cortés during "La Noche Triste" (the Night of Sadness). Many soldiers drown in the escape, and Aztec emperor Moctezuma II dies in the struggle.

Key People

Hernán Cortés

conquistador and explorer

Spanish conquistador and explorer

Moctezuma II

Tlahtoāni of the Aztec Empire until 1520

Tlahtoāni of the Aztec Empire until 1520

Events Before

  1. Hernán Cortés leaves Cuba for the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, with 11 ships and 500 men

    Hernán Cortés leaves Cuba for the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, with 11 ships and 500 men

  2. King Carlos I is elected Holy Roman Emperor Charles V

    Charles V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain (as Charles I) from 1516 to 1556, King of Sicily and Naples from 1516...

  3. Public debate between Martin Luther and theologian Johann Eck at Pleissenburg Castle in Liepzig, during which Luther den

    Public debate between Martin Luther and theologian Johann Eck at Pleissenburg Castle in Liepzig, during which Luther denies the divine right of the Pope

  4. Francisco Pizarro receives a royal charter for the west coast of South America

    Francisco Pizarro receives a royal charter for the west coast of South America

  5. Spanish expedition led by Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan sets off on the first successful circumnavigation of t

    Spanish expedition led by Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan sets off on the first successful circumnavigation of the globe (Magellan is killed en route)

Events After

  1. Martin Luther is excommunicated by Pope Leo X from the Roman Catholic Church for refusing to recant parts of his Ninety-

    Martin Luther is excommunicated by Pope Leo X from the Roman Catholic Church for refusing to recant parts of his Ninety-Five Theses, which started the Protestant Reformation

  2. Holy Roman Emperor Charles V opens the Diet of Worms in Worms, Germany, which lasts until May 25 and produces the "Edict

    Holy Roman Emperor Charles V opens the Diet of Worms in Worms, Germany, which lasts until May 25 and produces the "Edict of Worms" denouncing Martin Luther

  3. Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan reaches the Philippines, landing on Homonhon Island after crossing the Pacific O

    Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan reaches the Philippines, landing on Homonhon Island after crossing the Pacific Ocean

  4. Spanish conquistadors led by Hernán Cortés capture Aztec Emperor Cuauhtémoc in Tenochtitlan, bringing the Aztec Empire t

    Spanish conquistadors led by Hernán Cortés capture Aztec Emperor Cuauhtémoc in Tenochtitlan, bringing the Aztec Empire to an end

  5. Inquisitor-General Adrian Boeyens bans Lutheran books

    Inquisitor-General Adrian Boeyens bans Lutheran books

More from the 1520s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on June 30, 1520?
Spanish conquistadors are expelled from Tenochtitlan following an Aztec revolt against their rule under Hernán Cortés during "La Noche Triste" (the Night of Sadness). Many soldiers drown in the escape, and Aztec emperor Moctezuma II dies in the struggle.
Why is Spanish conquistadors are expelled from Tenochtitlan following an Aztec revol... historically important?
Many soldiers drown in the escape, and Aztec emperor Moctezuma II dies in the struggle.
Who was involved in Spanish conquistadors are expelled from Tenochtitlan following an Aztec revol...?
Key figures include Hernán Cortés (conquistador and explorer), Moctezuma II (Tlahtoāni of the Aztec Empire until 1520).

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