Aztec king Cuauhtémoc is executed on the order of conquistador Hernán Cortés.

Cuauhtémoc, the last emperor of the Aztec Empire, is remembered as a symbol of resistance and bravery in the face of Spanish conquest. Ascending to the throne in 1520 after the death of Moctezuma II and his successor Cuitláhuac, Cuauhtémoc took charge during the final siege of Tenochtitlán. Despite facing overwhelming odds, he fiercely defended his city against Hernán Cortés and his forces. After months of brutal warfare, starvation, and disease, Tenochtitlán fell in August 1521. Cuauhtémoc was captured while attempting to escape and later tortured by the Spanish in an effort to extract hidden treasures, though he reportedly endured the ordeal with stoic resolve. Eventually, he was executed in 1525 under Cortés’ orders during an expedition to Honduras, accused of plotting a rebellion. Today, Cuauhtémoc is honored in Mexico as a national hero, embodying indigenous resistance and resilience against colonial rule.