Hernan Cortés was a Spanish conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of what is now mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile in the early 16th century. Cortés was born in Medellín, in the Crown of Castile, around 1485. He arrived in the Americas with the Velázquez expedition in 1518 and soon established himself as a leader among the Spanish. In 1519, he disobeyed orders and led his own expedition into the interior of Mexico, where he made alliances with the native peoples who were subject to the Aztecs. After two years of fighting, he and his allies succeeded in defeating the Aztecs and capturing their capital, Tenochtitlan, on August 13, 1521. Following the conquest, Cortés was appointed governor of New Spain and oversaw the establishment of Spanish rule in Mexico. He returned to Spain in 1528 and was made Marqués del Valle de Oaxaca. He died in Spain in 1547.
Francisco Pizarro was a Spanish conquistador who led an expedition that conquered the Inca Empire and established Spanish rule in Peru in the 16th century. Pizarro was born in Trujillo, Spain, around 1476. He arrived in the Americas in 1502 and participated in several expeditions to the New World. In 1524, he led an expedition to Peru, but was forced to return to Panama after encountering fierce resistance from the Incas. In 1531, he returned to Peru with a larger force and succeeded in defeating the Inca army. He captured the Inca emperor, Atahualpa, and held him for ransom. Atahualpa was later executed by the Spanish. Pizarro founded the city of Lima in 1535 and became the first governor of Peru. He was assassinated in Lima in 1541 by supporters of Diego de Almagro, a rival conquistador.
