Francisco Pizarro was a Spanish conquistador who is best known for leading the conquest of the Inca Empire in what is now Peru. He was born around 1471 in Trujillo, Spain, and grew up in poverty. Pizarro joined several expeditions to the Americas before embarking on his own expedition to conquer the Inca Empire in 1532. With a small force of men, Pizarro captured the Inca emperor Atahualpa and eventually defeated the Inca forces, leading to the fall of the Inca Empire. Pizarro went on to establish the city of Lima, which became the capital of the Spanish Viceroyalty of Peru. He was later assassinated in 1541. Pizarro's conquest of the Inca Empire had a profound impact on the history and culture of South America.