On this day, 8 February 1517, Hernandez de Cordova set sail with three ships from Cuba heading west to explore the shores of southern Mexico in search of Indigenous people to enslave to work in mines. He was defeated by the Mayas and forced to retreat, dying from his wounds shortly after returning to Cuba.
We have lots of other important anniversaries today like police killings of Black students in the US, anti-colonial protesters in France, the Arab Spring and more. All of them follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/wrkclasshistory
Pictured: a painting of Maya warriors https://www.facebook.com/workingclasshistory/photos/a.296224173896073/1345196635665483/?type=3