Cuauhtémoc << kwow TEHM ohk >> (1495?-1525) was the 11th and last Aztec emperor. He was the son of Ahuitzotl, the eighth Aztec ruler. Cuauhtémoc’s name means descending eagle. He acquired military experience at an early age. He became emperor in 1520, after the death of his uncle Emperor Montezuma II. Cuauhtémoc ruled until 1521, when Spanish forces led by Hernán Cortés conquered Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City), the Aztec capital. Cuauhtémoc proved heroic, rallying his forces and enduring a brutal three-month siege by the Spaniards. After the Spanish conquest, Cortés kept Cuauhtémoc as a war prize. In 1525, Cortés had Cuauhtémoc tried for allegedly starting a rebellion. Cuauhtémoc was executed on February 26. Today, he is a symbol of Mexican pride, civic duty, and social justice.
