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Mexico was just newly discovered when Hernan Cortes was allowed to lead a small expedition to explore.  The Governor actually changed his mind and cancelled the expedition, but Cortes went anyway on February 18th.  It was 1519 - he would have been about 34 years old.Cortez quickly took control of the situation.  Landing in the Yucatán, he met Jeronimo de Aguilar, a Franciscan priest who knew Mayan.  Cortes claimed the land for Spain, and began his conquest.  He met his future mistress, who knew Mayan and Nahuatl (the language of the Aztecs).  Taking his men to Veracruz, he officially ignored the authority of the Governor and claimed to be acting under the direct authority of Emperor Charles V.  In reality, he was taking charge of the situation absolutely, and ready to claim the gold and power he had been looking for.

In 1519, the Spanish conquistador, Hernan Cortes, sailed from Europe to land in what is now Mexico. After a difficult journey inland, Cortes and his men entered the Aztec capital city and met , the Aztec leader. Normally, the Spanish adventurers would have been captured and sacrificed immediately, because that is what the Aztecs did to invaders.  But the Spanish were lucky. They were allowed to enter the city, and welcomed as valued guests, all because of an old legend. This legend told of the god Quetzalcoatl. The Aztecs believed that the god of night had defeated Quetzalcoatl in a game of tlachtli. As the winner, the god of night could decide what to do with Quetzalcoatl. The god of night decided to banish Quetzalcoatl to the East. Quetzalcoatl had no choice but to leave. He vowed that some day he would return, when the end of the world was near, to save his people. The Aztecs were always worried that the end of the world was always near. That's why they sacrificed so many people. They wanted to keep their gods very happy, so they could save their people. When the Spanish arrived from the East, the Aztecs believed that Quetzalcoatl had kept his promise and had returned. They treated the Spanish as if they were gods. 

Mummy Darling,You recent precious letter of 5.7.42(1 of how series) has arrived this evening - even more infinitely precious than you can imagine. Look at the date and you will see why. Yes - once of we are doing our pre-ordained job - and though it is early to voice too many opportunistic hopes I think we are getting along pretty well. It is always wonderful hearing from you, but at times like this when one is of necessity living under rather a strain, your letters are a great comfort and inspiration. It seems to bring home the fact that we aren't dumped out here in a rather un-attractive desert and told to get on with the fighting, but that we are preventing the further spoilations of our own homes. I hate to think of you worrying about me, really it is not necessary - you probably imagine all sorts of things happening that exist more in the minds of verbose war correspondents than in actual fact. We know by now that physically we can stand anything, and mental endurance being purely an individual spiritual affair. I think I can safely say that I am not in any way worried. I feel very safe and sure and certain, and the end should come in this way, I think its for preferable like this because I do (furiously) believe in the things (are worth) fighting. This is only saying that I have ( )said before, but it is to ( ) now on this third anniversary of our entry into the war as it was on that bright autumn Sunday morning when we first heard the news. Despite what has been happening these last few days have been very happy ones for me as once again Fred and I are temporarily together and once more the mob has been confounded by our own private humour and seemingly vile accusations and public washing of dirty clothing in the best back alley style. Tonight we discovered a bottle of beer - surely the last and consumed it ... .. .

The 8.9-magnitude temblor, which was centered near the east coast of Japan, killed hundreds of people, caused the formation of 30-foot walls of water that swept across rice fields, engulfed entire towns, dragged houses onto highways, and tossed cars and boats like toys. Some waves reached six miles (10 kilometers) inland in Miyagi Prefecture on Japan's east coast.

The earthquake and tsunami led to soul searching in a nation already worn down by two lost decades of economic growth, a rapidly aging and now shrinking population, political paralysis and the rapid rise of its longtime rival, China.