On August 24h, 1541 conquistador Luis Tejelo displaced the Indian tribes that lived in the Aburra Valley and built a settlement that would later become Medellin. The city fairly remained isolated and grew very little until the 19th Century when it started to shape up to be Colombia’s industrial capital. The city is best known for the drug cartel that controlled the city for much of the latter half of the 20th Century. Medellin was home of Pablo Escobar, the billionaire godfather of international cocaine trafficking, and his cartel, which controlled much of the city for decades. For a time, it was considered one of the most dangerous cities in the world as violence between rival drug factions entered the city. The international reputation of the city suffered horribly and it became known solely as a place of drugs and crime. Escobar was captured in 1982. He escaped ten years later, but was killed in dramatic fashion in a rooftop gun battle. The drug trade and cartels for the part are gone, and Medellin is retuning to its intended path. The once notorious city is now known more for its art and culture. The city is now in the heart of Colombia’s coffee growing, flower, and gold industry. The population has surged to over two million, up from 250,000 just fifty years ago.