Ask a learner to say "I met María in 2019" and you usually hear "Encontré a María" or "Me reuní con María." The first means you found her or ran into her. The second sounds like a work meeting. Spanish says: Conocí a María en 2019. Conocer is knowing a person. The preterite points at the moment something started, and the moment you start knowing someone is when you meet them. Saber does the same trick. Supe la verdad ayer: I found out the truth yesterday. Same verb, but in the preterite it's the second the knowing began.