1000 CE - The southern cities of the Mayan culture begin to collapse.
1200
1200 CE - The Aztecs arrive in the Valley of Mexico.
1325
1325 CE - The Aztecs found the city of Tenochtitlan.
1440
1440 - Montezuma I becomes leader of the Aztecs and expands the Aztec Empire.
1517
1517 - Spanish explorer Hernandez de Cordoba explores the shores of southern Mexico.
1519
1519 - Hernan Cortez arrives in Tenochtitlan. Montezuma II is killed.
1521
1521 - Cortez defeats the Aztecs and claims the land for Spain. Mexico City will be built on the same spot as Tenochtitlan.
1600s - Spain conquers the rest of Mexico and Spanish settlers arrive. Mexico is part of the colony of New Spain.
1810 - The Mexican War of Independence begins led by Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo.
1811 - Miguel Hidalgo is executed by the Spanish.
1821 - The War of Independence ends and Mexico declares its independence on September 27th.
1833 - Santa Anna becomes president for the first time.
1846 - The Mexican-American War begins.
1848 - The Mexican-American War ends with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The U.S. gains territory including California, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada.
1861 - The French invade Mexico and install Maximilian of Austria as president in 1864.
1910 - The Mexican Revolution begins led by Emiliano Zapata.
1917 - The Mexican Constitution is adopted.
1923 - Revolutionary hero and military leader Poncho Villa is assassinated.
1930 - Mexico experiences a long period of economic growth.
1942 - Mexico joins the Allies in World War II declaring war on Germany and Japan.
1985 - A huge 8.1 level earthquake hits Mexico City. Much of the city is destroyed and over 10,000 people are killed.
1993 - The North American Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Canada and the United States is ratified.
2000 - Vicente Fox is elected president. He is the first president not from the PRI party in 71 years.
