When was Hernán Cortés born?

Hernán Cortés was born on 1485 in Medellín.

What positions has Hernán Cortés held?

Positions held by Hernán Cortés include: Viceroy of New Spain (1526–1526); Viceroy of New Spain (1521–1524); Viceroy of New Spain (1521–1521).

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Hernán Cortés

हर्नान कोर्टस

Spanish conquistador

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Hernán Cortés, 1st Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca (c. 1485 – 2 December 1547) was a Spanish conquistador, military commander, explorer, captain general, and writer, best known for his expedition that led to the Spanish conquest 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 had been part of the generation of Spanish explorers and conquistadors who began the first phase of the Spanish colonization of the Americas (the broader European colonization of the Americas).

Quick facts

Born: 1485 wd
Place of birth: Medellín wd
Died: 2 December 1547 wd
Place of death: Castilleja de la Cuesta wd
Citizenship: Spain, Mexico wd
Occupation: explorer, governor, conquistador, writer, Conqueror wd
Spouse: Catalina Suárez Marcayda, Juana Ramirez de Arellano y Zúñiga wd

Positions held wd

Viceroy of New Spain (25 June 1526 – 3 July 1526)
Viceroy of New Spain (30 December 1521 – 12 October 1524)
Viceroy of New Spain (13 August 1521 – 24 December 1521)

Awards wd

Order of Santiago

About

Born in Medellín, Spain, to a poor family of nobility, Cortés chose to pursue adventure and riches into the New World. He went to Hispaniola and later to Cuba, where he received an encomienda (the right to the labour of certain subjects). For a short time, he served as alcalde (magistrate) of the second Spanish town founded on the island. In 1519, he was elected captain of the third expedition to the mainland, which he partly funded. His enmity with the governor of Cuba, Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar, resulted in the recall of the expedition at the last moment, an order which Cortés ignored.

Arriving on the continent, Cortés executed a successful strategy of allying with some American Indians against others, using the divide and conquer tactic. He also used Amerindian woman, Doña Marina, as his personal interpreter. She later gave birth to his first son. When the governor of Cuba sent emissaries to arrest Cortés, he fought them and won, using the extra troops as reinforcements. Cortés wrote letters directly to the king asking to be acknowledged for his successes instead of being punished for mutiny. After he overthrew the powerful Mesoamerican Aztec Empire, Cortés was awarded the title of marqués del Valle de Oaxaca, while the more prestigious title of viceroy was given to a high-ranking nobleman, Antonio…

Questions

When was Hernán Cortés born?: Hernán Cortés was born on 1485 in Medellín.
What positions has Hernán Cortés held?: Positions held by Hernán Cortés include: Viceroy of New Spain (1526–1526); Viceroy of New Spain (1521–1524); Viceroy of New Spain (1521–1521).

Sources

Last updated 31 October 2026 · facts checked 5 November 2026

Cite this page

"Hernán Cortés". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/hernan-cortes. Retrieved 5 November 2026.

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Text from the Wikipedia article Hernán Cortés, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Retrato de Hernán Cortés.jpg — Unknown artist Unknown artist, Public domain.

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