Learn Spanish (Latin America): Mi antepasado emigró hace un siglo.

In Spanish, the formula hace + [amount of time] is used to say how long ago something happened. Even though hace comes from the verb hacer (to do or to make), in this context it translates to ago. So, hace un siglo perfectly translates to a century ago.

Why is the verb emigró in the preterite (simple past) tense here?

We use the preterite tense (emigró) for actions that had a clear beginning and end in the past. When you use hace to say ago, you are pointing to a specific, completed event, which pairs perfectly with this tense.

Can I put hace un siglo at the beginning of the sentence instead?

Yes! You can completely switch the order and say Hace un siglo, mi antepasado emigró. Moving the time expression to the front is very common in Spanish and just puts a little more emphasis on when the action happened.

How can I remember the word antepasado?

Antepasado means ancestor or forefather. You can easily remember it by looking at its parts: it combines the prefix ante- (before) with pasado (past). It literally describes someone who came before the past!