Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés led the conquest of the Aztec Empire (1519-1521) with 500 Spaniards and tens of thousands of indigenous allies, destroying Tenochtitlan and founding New Spain. His strategic brilliance and cold political calculation made him the archetypal conquistador. He was later sidelined by the colonial bureaucracy and spent his final years seeking recognition for his conquests.
- Lived: 1485 CE – 1547 CE
- Nationality: spanish
- Roles: conquistador, military_leader, governor
