Fall of Tenochtitlan — End of the Aztec Empire

On August 13, 1521, Emperor Cuauhtémoc attempts to escape by boat and is captured. He surrenders formally, ending 75 days of siege and the Aztec empire. The city lies in ruins — Cortés writes that there is not a house standing. Bernal Díaz says the bodies were so many that soldiers had to walk over them. The population of Tenochtitlan, perhaps 300,000 before the siege, is reduced to a fraction. Mexico City is built on the ruins. The conquest of New Spain is complete.