Mexico City

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

In 1325, the Mexica founded Tenochtitlan on an island in Lake Texcoco. Between 1325 and 1521, it grew to dominate other city-states around the lake and in the Valley of Mexico. Hernán Cortés arrived on 8 November 1519, and after a struggle known as 'La Noche Triste' in June 1520, he began a siege in May 1521. Cuauhtémoc surrendered in August 1521. The Spaniards razed Tenochtitlan and rebuilt the city, preserving its basic layout but constructing Catholic churches over old Aztec temples. In 1524, the municipality was established as México Tenochtitlán, becoming officially known as Ciudad de México from 1585 onward.

In Their Own Story

On 8 November 1519, Moctezuma II greeted Hernán Cortés and his men on the causeway leading into Tenochtitlan from Iztapalapa. Tensions rose until the night of 30 June 1520, when the Aztecs drove out the Europeans during 'La Noche Triste.' After regrouping at Tlaxcala, Cortés returned to siege the city for three months in May and August 1521. The city suffered from a lack of food, water, and smallpox before Cuauhtémoc surrendered. Following this, the Spaniards rebuilt the site according to Spanish urban standards, using indigenous labor. In 1824, the surrounding territory became the federal district (Distrito Federal). On 29 January 2016, it was officially renamed Ciudad de México, or CDMX.

Reader's Guide

The city is divided into 16 boroughs and subdivided into neighborhoods. The Zócalo remains the central plaza of the nation, where the Metropolitan Cathedral sits across from the National Palace (formerly imperial palaces). Residents formally call themselves capitalinos but colloquially use chilango. While the informal demonym was historically pejorative, many residents now embrace it. The city has adopted progressive policies including legal abortion and same-sex marriage. In 2013, CDMX replaced DF as the common abbreviation.

Did You Know?

• Mexico City is one of only two capital cities in the Americas founded by Indigenous peoples.
• In 2013, if Mexico City were an independent country, it would have had the fifth-largest economy in Latin America.
• The Peñón woman, found near San Bartolo Atepehuacan, was dated to 12,700 years old by a 2003 study, making her one of the oldest human remains in the Americas.
• Historically, residents living outside the city used 'chilango' as an insult for someone loud and arrogant, but many locals now proudly claim the term.
• The city's motto during the colonial period was 'Muy Noble e Insigne, Muy Leal e Imperial,' while a 2018 political slogan called it 'la Ciudad de la Esperanza.'