Mexico: timeline and key events
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Culture
Olmec civilization, Mesoamerican cradle
The Olmec civilization develops in the Gulf Coast lowlands from 2000 BC, inventing the calendar, early writing, and ritual ball game that will influence all Mesoamerican cultures.
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Culture
Apogee of Teotihuacan
Around 100 AD, Teotihuacan is one of the largest cities in the world with 200,000 inhabitants, dominated by the Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon, a spiritual and commercial center of all Mesoamerica.
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Culture
Decline of the Classic Maya civilization
In the 9th century, the great southern Maya cities like Tikal, Palenque, and Copan are progressively abandoned in a collapse linked to wars, drought, and resource exhaustion.
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Culture
Foundation of Tenochtitlan by the Aztecs
In 1325, the Aztecs found Tenochtitlan on an island in the middle of Lake Texcoco, where they witnessed an eagle devouring a snake on a cactus, fulfilling a divine prophecy.
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Politics
Formation of the Aztec Triple Alliance
In 1428, Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan ally to form the Triple Alliance, the foundation of the Aztec Empire that will dominate central Mexico and impose tribute on dozens of peoples.
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War
Arrival of Hernán Cortés, start of the Conquest
In April 1519, Hernán Cortés lands on the Mexican coast with 600 men. Allied with enemies of the Aztecs, he marches toward Tenochtitlan and meets Emperor Moctezuma II in November 1519.
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War
Fall of Tenochtitlan, end of the Aztec Empire
On August 13, 1521, after 80 days of siege, Tenochtitlan falls to Cortés and his indigenous allies. The end of the Aztec Empire marks the beginning of three centuries of Spanish colonization of Mexico.
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Culture
Apparition of the Virgin of Guadalupe
According to Catholic tradition, the Virgin Mary appears to the Indian Juan Diego on Cerro del Tepeyac in December 1531, leaving her image on his cloak. Our Lady of Guadalupe becomes the central symbol of Mexican identity.
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Politics
Cry of Dolores, start of Independence
On September 16, 1810, priest Miguel Hidalgo rings the bells of Dolores and issues his call to rebellion against Spanish rule, triggering the Mexican War of Independence. This date is the national holiday.
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Politics
Independence of Mexico
On September 27, 1821, after eleven years of war, Agustín de Iturbide triumphantly enters Mexico City at the head of the Army of the Three Guarantees, confirming Mexico's independence from Spain.
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War
Mexican-American War, territorial loss
The war of 1846 to 1848 against the United States concludes with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo: Mexico loses over half its territory, including present-day Texas, California, and New Mexico.
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Politics
Liberal Reform of Benito Juárez
The Constitution of 1857, championed by Indigenous president Benito Juárez, separates Church and State, abolishes clergy and army privileges, and lays the foundations of a modern secular state in Mexico.
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War
Battle of Puebla, victory over France
On May 5, 1862, General Zaragoza's Mexican army defeats Napoleon III's French troops at Puebla, a symbolic victory against a European power celebrated annually as Cinco de Mayo.
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Politics
Mexican Revolution, fall of Porfirio Díaz
The Mexican Revolution breaks out in November 1910 against Porfirio Díaz's dictatorship, mobilizing millions of peasants led by Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa in a decade of transformative civil war.
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Politics
Revolutionary Constitution of 1917
The 1917 Constitution, adopted in Querétaro, is one of the most progressive in the world: it enshrines agrarian reform, workers' rights, the secular state, and the nationalization of natural resources.
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Economy
Oil nationalization, creation of Pemex
On March 18, 1938, President Lázaro Cárdenas nationalizes foreign oil companies and creates Pemex, a major sovereign act that triggers national popular mobilization and strengthens Mexican identity.
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Politics
Tlatelolco massacre before the Olympics
On October 2, 1968, ten days before the opening of the Mexico City Olympics, the Mexican army fires on thousands of student protesters at Tlatelolco: dozens to several hundred deaths depending on sources.
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Other
Mexico City earthquake
The earthquake of September 19, 1985 (magnitude 8.1) destroys thousands of buildings in Mexico City and kills over 10,000 people, giving birth to an organized civil society in the face of a failing state.
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Politics
NAFTA and Zapatista uprising
On January 1, 1994, NAFTA enters into force at the same time as the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) uprising in Chiapas, two opposing faces of Mexico confronting globalization.
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Politics
Vicente Fox victory, end of PRI rule
On July 2, 2000, Vicente Fox of the National Action Party wins the presidential election, ending 71 years of uninterrupted PRI government and inaugurating alternating democracy in Mexico.