On this day, February 28, in 1525

The last Aztec Emperor Cuauhtémoc was assassinated. When Cuauhtémoc came to power 5 years earlier, the Spanish had already begun their conquest of the Americas. The Aztec Empire fought the Spanish off for as long as they could, but in 1521, Emperor Cuauhtemoc was forced to surrender to Hernan Cortes. Four years later, Cortes took Cuauhtemoc to Honduras where he ordered him to be hung. Spanish Colonization of the Americas continued and the indigenous people, once conquered, were often exploited and murdered.