| Date | Event | Modern department (or Mexican state) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| – March 1524 | Spanish defeat the K'iche' | Retalhuleu, Suchitepéquez, Quetzaltenango, Totonicapán and El Quiché | |
| Battle of Zapotitlán, Spanish victory over the K'iche' | Suchitepéquez | ||
| First battle of Quetzaltenango results in the death of the K'iche' lord Tecun Uman | Quetzaltenango | ||
| Second battle of Quetzaltenango | Quetzaltenango | ||
| Spanish under Pedro de Alvarado raze Q'umarkaj, capital of the K'iche' | El Quiché | ||
| Spanish enter Iximche and ally themselves with the Kaqchikel | Chimaltenango | ||
| Spanish defeat the Tz'utujil in battle on the shores of Lake Atitlán | Sololá | ||
| Pedro de Alvarado defeats the Pipil of Panacal or Panacaltepeque near Izcuintepeque | Escuintla | ||
| Pedro de Alvarado defeats the Xinca of Atiquipaque | Santa Rosa | ||
| Iximche declared first colonial capital of Guatemala | Chimaltenango | ||
| Kaqchikel abandon Iximche and break alliance | Chimaltenango | ||
| Spanish declare war on the Kaqchikel | Chimaltenango | ||
| The Poqomam capital falls to Pedro de Alvarado | Guatemala | ||
| Hernán Cortés arrives at Lake Petén Itzá | Petén | ||
| Zaculeu, capital of the Mam, surrenders to Gonzalo de Alvarado y Contreras after a lengthy siege | Huehuetenango | ||
| Chajoma rebel against the Spanish | Guatemala | ||
| Acasaguastlán given in encomienda to Diego Salvatierra | El Progreso | ||
| Spanish captains sent by Alvarado conquer Chiquimula | Chiquimula | ||
| Spanish deserters burn Iximche | Chimaltenango | ||
| Spanish abandon their capital at Tecpán Guatemala | Chimaltenango | ||
| San Mateo Ixtatán given in encomienda to Gonzalo de Ovalle | Huehuetenango | ||
| Spanish routed at Uspantán | El Quiché | ||
| Rebellion in Chiquimula put down | Chiquimula | ||
| Kaqchikel surrender to the Spanish | Sacatepéquez | ||
| Ixil and Uspantek surrender to the Spanish | El Quiché | ||
| Juan de León y Cardona founds San Marcos and San Pedro Sacatepéquez | San Marcos | ||
| Foundation of Cobán | Alta Verapaz | ||
| First reductions of the Chuj and Q'anjob'al | Huehuetenango | ||
| Corregimiento of San Cristóbal Acasaguastlán established | El Progreso, Zacapa and Baja Verapaz | ||
| Lowland Maya kill Francisco de Vico | Alta Verapaz | ||
| Reduction of Topiltepeque and Lakandon Ch'ol | Alta Verapaz | ||
| Franciscan missionaries arrive at Nojpetén, capital of the Itzá | Petén | ||
| Further missionary expeditions to Nojpetén | Petén | ||
| Reduction of San Mateo Ixtatán and Santa Eulalia | Huehuetenango | ||
| Melchor Rodríguez Mazariegos leaves Huehuetenango, leading an expedition against the Lacandón | Huehuetenango | ||
| Franciscan friar Andrés de Avendaño attempts to convert the Itzá | Petén | ||
| Spanish expeditions leave simultaneously from Cobán, San Mateo Ixtatán and Ocosingo against the Lacandón | Alta Verapaz, Huehuetenango and Chiapas | ||
| Andrés de Avendaño forced to flee Nojpetén | Petén | ||
| Nojpetén falls to the Spanish after a fierce battle | Petén |