Hernán Cortés

Hernán Cortés landed on the coast of Veracruz in 1519 and, allied with Indigenous enemies of the Mexica such as the Tlaxcaltecs, captured México-Tenochtitlan on August 13, 1521. Mexico City, the capital of New Spain, was founded on the ruins of the Mexica capital. Don’t confuse him with Francisco Pizarro, who conquered the Inca Empire in Peru.