Cuauhtemoc, the last Mexica (Aztec) Emperor, was famously hanged by Hernan Cortés on February 28, 1525.
Numbed by the ancient religious prophecy that the banished god Quetzalcoatl—fair-haired and fair-featured—would return to Mexico from the east in One Reed (1519), the year Cortez arrived in what is now Veracruz, Emperor Moctezuma hesitated in deciding whether the conquistador was a returning deity reclaiming his realm or simply a strange and formidable invader. By the time he made up his mind, it was too late.
Birth and other uncertainties surround Cuauhtemoc, with Mexican anthropologists, historians, and scholars debating his origins. While most agree he was the son of Ahuizotl, the eighth ruler of the Mexica Empire, disputes linger over his birth year—settled by most at 1496, though some suggest 10 Tochtli in 1502. There’s also contention over his mother, with theories pointing to either Cuauyatitlali, a Chontal princess from Guerrero, or Princess Tilalcapatl of Tlatelolco.
What remains clear is that Cuauhtemoc’s father died in 1502, and at the age of 15, Cuauhtemoc entered Tenochtitlan’s Calmecac, known for its rigorous military and religious training. Shortly after Moctezuma’s death on March 1, 1521, while pleading for peace and promising Spanish withdrawal from Tenochtitlan (today’s Mexico City), Cuauhtemoc was crowned emperor. He valiantly defended the Empire’s capital against Cortés’ forces, but despite a spirited defense, Tenochtitlan fell. Cuauhtemoc, at age 26, was captured while attempting to escape and was tortured by Cortés in a futile search for gold.
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