| Date | Event | Modern department (or Mexican state) |
|---|---|---|
| February – March 1524 | Spanish defeat the K'iche' | Retalhuleu, Suchitepéquez, Quetzaltenango, Totonicapán and El Quiché |
| 8 February 1524 | Battle of Zapotitlán, Spanish victory over the K'iche' | Suchitepéquez |
| 12 February 1524 | First battle of Quetzaltenango results in the death of the K'iche' lord Tecun Uman | Quetzaltenango |
| 18 February 1524 | Second battle of Quetzaltenango | Quetzaltenango |
| March 1524 | Spanish under Pedro de Alvarado raze Q'umarkaj, capital of the K'iche' | El Quiché |
| 14 April 1524 | Spanish enter Iximche and ally themselves with the Kaqchikel | Chimaltenango |
| 18 April 1524 | Spanish defeat the Tz'utujil in battle on the shores of Lake Atitlán | Sololá |
| 9 May 1524 | Pedro de Alvarado defeats the Pipil of Panacal or Panacaltepeque near Izcuintepeque | Escuintla |
| 26 May 1524 | Pedro de Alvarado defeats the Xinca of Atiquipaque | Santa Rosa |
| 27 July 1524 | Iximche declared first colonial capital of Guatemala | Chimaltenango |
| 28 August 1524 | Kaqchikel abandon Iximche and break alliance | Chimaltenango |
| 7 September 1524 | Spanish declare war on the Kaqchikel | Chimaltenango |
| 1525 | The Poqomam capital falls to Pedro de Alvarado | Guatemala |
| 13 March 1525 | Hernán Cortés arrives at Lake Petén Itzá | Petén |
| October 1525 | Zaculeu, capital of the Mam, surrenders to Gonzalo de Alvarado y Contreras after a lengthy siege | Huehuetenango |
| 1526 | Chajoma rebel against the Spanish | Guatemala |
| 1526 | Acasaguastlán given in encomienda to Diego Salvatierra | El Progreso |
| 1526 | Spanish captains sent by Alvarado conquer Chiquimula | Chiquimula |
| 9 February 1526 | Spanish deserters burn Iximche | Chimaltenango |
| 1527 | Spanish abandon their capital at Tecpán Guatemala | Chimaltenango |
| 1529 | San Mateo Ixtatán given in encomienda to Gonzalo de Ovalle | Huehuetenango |
| September 1529 | Spanish routed at Uspantán | El Quiché |
| April 1530 | Rebellion in Chiquimula put down | Chiquimula |
| 9 May 1530 | Kaqchikel surrender to the Spanish | Sacatepéquez |
| December 1530 | Ixil and Uspantek surrender to the Spanish | El Quiché |
| April 1533 | Juan de León y Cardona founds San Marcos and San Pedro Sacatepéquez | San Marcos |
| 1543 | Foundation of Cobán | Alta Verapaz |
| 1549 | First reductions of the Chuj and Q'anjob'al | Huehuetenango |
| 1551 | Corregimiento of San Cristóbal Acasaguastlán established | El Progreso, Zacapa and Baja Verapaz |
| 1555 | Lowland Maya kill Francisco de Vico | Alta Verapaz |
| 1560 | Reduction of Topiltepeque and Lakandon Ch'ol | Alta Verapaz |
| 1618 | Franciscan missionaries arrive at Nojpetén, capital of the Itzá | Petén |
| 1619 | Further missionary expeditions to Nojpetén | Petén |
| 1684 | Reduction of San Mateo Ixtatán and Santa Eulalia | Huehuetenango |
| 29 January 1686 | Melchor Rodríguez Mazariegos leaves Huehuetenango, leading an expedition against the Lacandón | Huehuetenango |
| 1695 | Franciscan friar Andrés de Avendaño attempts to convert the Itzá | Petén |
| 28 February 1695 | Spanish expeditions leave simultaneously from Cobán, San Mateo Ixtatán and Ocosingo against the Lacandón | Alta Verapaz, Huehuetenango and Chiapas |
| 1696 | Andrés de Avendaño forced to flee Nojpetén | Petén |
| 13 March 1697 | Nojpetén falls to the Spanish after a fierce battle | Petén |