La Noche Triste — Spanish Expelled from Tenochtitlán

After Moctezuma II died (circumstances disputed: Spanish say stoning by his own people; Mexica say murdered by Spanish), the new emperor Cuitláhuac led a massive Aztec uprising. On the night of June 30–July 1, 1520, Cortés attempted to flee Tenochtitlán with his army and gold. Caught on the causeways, the Spanish suffered catastrophic losses — some 800–1,000 Spanish dead and thousands of Tlaxcalan allies killed. Cortés reportedly wept under a tree ('La Noche Triste'). He quickly regrouped and counterattacked.