Cortés was born in Medellín, in the Kingdom of Castile, Crown of Castile, part of modern Spain. He arrived in the Caribbean during the Spanish colonization of the Americas and participated in the conquest of Cuba under the command of Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar. He was appointed captain of the third expedition to the mainland in 1519 and landed near the present-day city of Veracruz. There he made alliances with indigenous groups, notably the _Totonacs_ and _Texcocans_, who resented Aztec rule and provided support for his advance into the Aztec heartland.
Cortés and his men marched to Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital, in November 1519. The Aztecs initially welcomed the Spanish, but tensions soon escalated. In June 1520, the Aztecs expelled the Spanish from Tenochtitlan in what became known as La Noche Triste (the "Night of Sorrows"). Cortés regrouped and, with the help of indigenous allies, laid siege to Tenochtitlan in May 1521. After an 80-day siege, the Aztecs surrendered on 13 August 1521.
Cortés' conquest of the Aztec Empire was a significant turning point in the Spanish colonization of the Americas. It established Spanish rule over a vast territory and paved the way for further Spanish exploration and conquest in the region. However, the conquest was also marked by brutal violence and the destruction of many indigenous civilizations.
After the conquest, Cortés became the first governor of New Spain, the Spanish colony established in Mexico. He was later marginalized by political rivals and returned to Spain in 1528, where he spent the rest of his life.