Hernán Cortés

(1485 - 1547)

Having already acted as a notary to a town in Hispaniola and served twice as a mayor in Cuba, Hernán Cortés set sail for Mexico in February 1519 with 11 ships, 508 soldiers, and 16 horses. With the capture of Tenochtitlán in August 1521, Cortés conquered the Aztec empire, becoming ruler of an area spanning from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean.