suceder
/suθeˈdeɾ/ · A1 · verb
to happen, to befall, to occur
Latin succedere = sub + cedere, to come up after: what follows, happens
Same root as English succeed and succession. A successor comes next, and what comes next is what happens. In Spanish the everyday sense is to happen (¿Qué sucedió?); to triumph is usually tener éxito, so treat succeed as a false friend.