Hernando Cortez, a Spanish conquistador born in 1485 in Medellin, led the conquest of the Aztec Empire between 1519 and 1521. After arriving in Tenochitlan, he captured Emperor Montezuma and leveraged Aztec myths to gain an advantage, resulting in Spanish victory and the establishment of New Spain. Cortez's actions radically transformed the region, setting the stage for further colonization in the Americas.