Mexico Timeline and History Highlights

Mexico Timeline Highlights:

B.C.

1400 – Olmec civilization begins to develop.

1000 – Maya civilization begins to form.

100 years – The Mayans build the first pyramids.

CE

1000 – Southern cities of Mayan culture begin to fall apart.

1200 – The Aztecs reach the Valley of Mexico. 1325 – The Aztecs discover the city of Tenochtitlan.

1440 – Montezuma I becomes leader of the Aztecs and expands the Aztec Empire.

1517 – Spanish explorer Hernandez de Córdoba explores the southern coast of Mexico.

1519 – Hernan Cortes arrives in Tenochtitlan. Montezuma II is murdered.

1521 – Cortes defeats the Aztecs and claims Spanish lands. Mexico City will be built on the same site as Tenochtitlan.

1600s – Spain conquers the rest of Mexico and Spanish settlers arrive. Mexico is part of the colony of Nueva Spain.

1810 – The Mexican War of Independence begins under the leadership of Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo.

1811 – Miguel Hidalgo is executed by the Spaniards.

1821 – The War of Independence ends and Mexico declares independence on September 27.

1822 – Agustín de Iturbide is proclaimed first emperor of Mexico.

1824 – Guadalupe Victoria becomes the first President of Mexico. Mexico becomes a republic.

1833 – Santa Anna becomes president for the first time.

1835 – The Texas Revolution begins.

1836 – Mexican forces under Santa Anna are defeated by Texans under Sam Houston at the Battle of San Jacinto. Texas declares independence from Mexico as the Republic of Texas.

1846 – The Mexican-American War begins. 1847 – US forces occupy Mexico City.

1848 – The Mexican-American War ends with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The United States acquired territory including California, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Nevada.

1853 – Mexico sells parts of New Mexico and Arizona to the United States as part of the Gusden Purchase.

1857 – Santa Anna is exiled from Mexico. 1861 – France invades Mexico and installs Maximilian of Austria as president in 1864.

1867 – Benito Jaurès ousts the French and becomes president.

1910 – The Mexican Revolution begins under the leadership of Emiliano Zapata.

1911 – After 35 years as dictator, President Porfirio Diaz is overthrown and replaced by revolutionary Francisco Madero.

1917 – The Mexican Constitution is adopted. 1923 – Revolutionary hero and military leader Poncho Villa is assassinated.

1929 – The Mexican National Party is formed. It would later be called the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). PRI he would rule the Mexican government until 2000.

1930 – Mexico experiences a long period of economic growth. 1942 – Mexico joins the Allies in World War II and declares war on Germany and Japan.

1968 – The Summer Olympics are held in Mexico City.

1985 – A magnitude 8.1 earthquake hits Mexico City. Most of the city was destroyed and over 10,000 people died.

1993 – The North American Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Canada and the United States is ratified. 2000 – Vicente Fox is elected president. He is the first non-PRI president in 71 years.

Mexico History Highlights

Mexico was home to many great civilizations, including the Olmecs, Mayans, Zapotecs, and Aztecs. These civilizations flourished more than 3000 years before the arrival of the Europeans.

The Olmec civilization lasted from 1400 to 400 BC. BC, followed by the rise of the Maya culture. The Maya built many large temples and pyramids. The great ancient city of Teotihuacan was founded between 100 BC and 100 BC. And 250 AD. The largest city in the region, with a population probably he was over 150,000. The Aztec Empire was the last great civilization before the arrival of the Spaniards. They seized power in his 1325 and ruled until 1521.

In 1521, Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztecs and Mexico became a Spanish colony. Spain ruled this country for her 300 years until his early 19th century. At that time, native Mexicans rebelled against Spanish rule. Father Miguel Hidalgo proclaimed Mexico’s independence with the famous slogan “Viva Mexico”. In 1821 Mexico defeated Spain and gained full independence. Heroes of the Mexican Revolution include General Augustin de Iturbide and General Antonio López de Santa Anna.