Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes, who defeated the Aztec Empire and colonized large parts of Mexico, dies of pleurisy. 1697: ...

In 1177BC, Amurapi, the last king of Ugarit in modern-day Syria, wrote in cuneiform on baked clay to the Hittite emperor ...

A turquoise-encrusted mask of Xiuhtecuhtli, Aztec fire god, symbolises renewal and is showcased at the British Museum.