Mexico's history spans thousands of years of Indigenous civilization, three centuries of Spanish colonial rule, and two centuries as an independent nation — the timeline below hits the major turns.
~1200 BCE–300 CE
Olmec civilization rises along the Gulf Coast — often called Mexico's "mother culture," with early monumental stone heads and religious traditions later cultures built on.
~300–900 CE
Classic-era Maya civilization flourishes in the south and Yucatán — advanced astronomy, mathematics (including the concept of zero), and city-states like Palenque and Chichén Itzá.
1325–1521
The Aztec (Mexica) Empire rises from the island city of Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City), building a tribute empire across central Mexico through military conquest and alliance.
1519–1521
Hernán Cortés arrives and, with Indigenous allies opposed to Aztec rule and aided by devastating European diseases, conquers Tenochtitlan — beginning three centuries of Spanish colonial rule as "New Spain."
1810–1821
The War of Independence, sparked by Miguel Hidalgo's "Grito de Dolores," ends Spanish rule after 11 years of fighting.
1846–1848
The Mexican-American War ends with Mexico ceding roughly half its territory (including present-day California, Arizona, and New Mexico) to the US under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
1910–1920
The Mexican Revolution overthrows longtime dictator Porfirio Díaz — figures like Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa become national icons — and reshapes land, labor, and political rights.
1917–present
The 1917 Constitution (still in force, heavily amended) establishes the modern Mexican state; the 20th century brings single-party rule under the PRI, then a multi-party democracy from 2000 onward.
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