World History Map

Explore key world events by century and location through an interactive dark-themed world map.

Explore history

Choose a century, then browse the key events within it.

Century
Events in this century
The Fall of the Aztec Empire
The Fall of the Aztec Empire
1519–1521Tenochtitlan, Mexico
The Battle of Lepanto
The Battle of Lepanto
1571Gulf of Patras, Greece
Akbar Consolidates the Mughal Empire
Akbar Consolidates the Mughal Empire
1556–1605Agra, India
The Arrival of the Portuguese in Japan
The Arrival of the Portuguese in Japan
1543Tanegashima, Japan
The Fall of the Aztec Empire
16th century
North America

The Fall of the Aztec Empire

1519–1521

Tenochtitlan, Mexico

The Spanish conquest brought an end to the Aztec Empire.

Hernán Cortés, supported by Indigenous allies, laid siege to Tenochtitlan and defeated the Aztec Empire. The fall of the city marked a major turning point in the Spanish colonization of the Americas.