| 1485 | Hernan Cortes is born | Hernan Cortes was born in Spain. |
| 1499 | Hernan goes away to study | Hernan was sent away to get a higher education. Historians believe he studied Latin and law. |
| 1504 | A voyage to the New World | Hernan decided to sail to the New World and make a life for himself there. He sailed to what is now Haiti. |
| 1506 | The Spanish take Cuba | Cortes worked with the governor of Hispaniola, who took Cortes on a conquest of Cuba. Cortes was rewarded with land and slaves. |
| 1511 | Hernan is promoted in Cuba | Diego Valasquez became the governor of Cuba. He made Cortes one of his top officials. |
| 1518 | Hernan Cortes is sent to Mexico | Diego Valasquez named Cortes the captain of an expedition to Mexico. After a fight, though, he revoked Cortes' status. |
| 1519 | Cortes goes against the governor | Cortes went against Valasquez's wishes and sailed on to Mexico against orders. |
| July 1519 | Cortes took over Veracruz | Cortes sailed into Veracruz and took it by force. He tried to meet with Montezuma, the Aztec king, but Montezuma refused. |
| November 1519 | Cortes takes Montezuma hostage | The Aztec people tried to appease Cortes by giving him gold and other treasures. Cortes didn't trust the people, though, and he took Montezuma hostage. |
| 1519 | Cortes is named governor of "New Spain" | With the conquest of the land, King Charles V of Spain named Cortes the governor of New Spain. |
| 1520 | A fight with the governor of Cuba | Valasquez sent men to go to war with Cortes in Mexico. Cortes' men came out the winners. |
| July 1520 | Cortes kills Montezuma | When Montezuma couldn't get the Aztecs to accept Cortes as their leader, Cortes had Montezuma killed. |
| 1521 | Cortes takes over the Aztec Empire | With Montezuma dead, Cortes took over the Aztec's capital city. It was the end of the Aztec Empire. |
| 1524 | Cortes develops the land | Cortes worked to develop farms throughout New Spain, or Mexico. He also helped spread Christianity. |
| 1527 | Cortes is accused of poisoning his enemies | The king of Spain sent other rulers to New Spain to aid Cortes. When they became sick, others accused Cortes of poisoning them. |
| 1528 | Cortes returns to Spain | Cortes had to return to Spain to prove his innocence to the King. |
| 1530 | Cortes returned to Mexico | Cortes was freed from the charges and returned to Mexico, although the king had demoted him from governor. |
| 1567 | Cortes dies | Hernan Cortes died at the age of 62. In his later life he was mostly ignored and barely respected. He left a legacy of a great explorer, but also of a man full of greed. |
