Tenochtitlan was built on an island in Lake Texcoco and featured elaborate canals, floating gardens, and massive pyramids—a Venice-like metropolis that stunned Spanish conquistadors.

Moctezuma II initially welcomed Cortés in 1519, believing he might be the god Quetzalcoatl returning as prophesied. This fateful reception led to the empire's downfall.

Chinampas were so productive they could yield up to 7 harvests per year and helped feed the massive population of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital city.

Nahuatl is still spoken by 1.7 million people today, and gave us words like "chocolate," "tomato," and "avocado" that were borrowed into Spanish and English!