In 1521, which event occurred in the Americas?

• A. Columbus sailed to the Americas.
• B. The Inca Empire fell to Pizarro.
• C. Hernán Cortés destroyed the Aztecs.
• D. The Maya cities were discovered by Europeans.

Answer: (C)

The event being tested is the fall of the Aztec capital, a turning point in the conquest of central Mexico. In 1521, Hernán Cortés, aided by indigenous allies, laid siege to Tenochtitlan and forced its surrender, effectively destroying the Aztec Empire and establishing Spanish rule in the region. This is the date that matches the question.

Columbus’s voyage happened in 1492, well before. The Inca conquest occurred later, in the 1530s under Pizarro. The idea that Maya cities were “discovered” by Europeans isn’t a single event tied to 1521, and the region already had prior contact before then.