Tag Archives: Peter the Great

September 1st

15 Saturday Feb 2014

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Events:
1532 – Henry VIII creates Anne Boleyn Marquess of Pembroke, in her own right, in anticipation of their marriage, which happened the following year.

Birthdays:

1651 – Natalya Naryshkina is born into a minor noble family. However, in early 1671, she was catapulted to the front of Russian politics when she wed Tsar Alexis I. She would bear him three children, including the future Emperor Peter the Great. The Tsarina remained active in politics until 1676, when she was widowed. She lived at the court of her stepson, Feodor III, until his death 1682, and her son, Peter, was put forth as the ten-year-old Tsar. Natalya was put forth as regent, but was replaced by her stepdaughter, Sofia Alekseyevna, and sent away from court, while her son was named co-Tsar with his brother Ivan. When Peter assumed control of his government 1689, she returned to his court until her death in 1694.

1711 – William IV, Prince of Orange, and first hereditary stadtholder of the Netherlands. His father died just 6 six weeks before he was born, so he ruled under a regency until 1731. William married Princess Anne, the daughter of King George II of Britain. Popular with the people, he ended the indirect taxation, which made a small amount of people very rich. Dying early, at age 40, he was succeeded by his son, William V.

1878 – Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is born in Germany, as the daughter of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, and his wife, Russian Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna. She was a grandchild of both Queen Victoria of Great Britain, and Alexander II of Russia. “Sandra” spent her childhood in Britain and Malta, where her father was stationed, but moved to Germany permanently when her father succeeded to the Ducal throne of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. In 1896, she was married to Prince Ernst of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, and they would later have five children. After her father’s death in 1900, she served as regent briefly for her cousin, Charles Edward, the underage Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Prior to World War II, she was a supporter of the Nazi party, but she died at age 63 in 1942, without seeing the end of the war.

Deaths:
1715 – The indomitable “Sun King” of France, Louis XIV died at age 76. Born in 1638, he was the son of Louis XIII, whom he succeeded in 1643. His reign of 72 years is the longest in French history. Louis oversaw the building of the Palace at Versailles, and turned it into the center of his court and government. He firmly believed in the Divine Right of Kings, and ruled as an absolute ruler, after consolidating power when reaching majority. France was also a leading military power in Europe during his reign. He had 6 children by his first wife, Maria Theresa of Spain, and may have married again after Maria’s death, to Francoise d’Aubigne, although the marriage was never announced or made public. His son and grandson, both named Louis, had predeceased the King, leaving as heir the five-year-old Louis XV as king.

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August 9th

20 Tuesday Aug 2013

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Events:
1588 – Queen Elizabeth I of England gave a rousing speech to troops assembled at Tilbury, ready to defend against a possible invasion of the Spanish Armada. However, the Spanish ships would never make it to English shores.

1902 – King Edward VII of Great Britain was crowned at Westminster Abbey in England, alongside his wife, Queen Alexandra. He was the eldest son of Queen Victoria, who had died the previous year. Initially, the ceremony was to take place on June 26th, but on the 24th, the King developed appendicitis and had to undergo surgery.

Births:
1669 – Tsarina Eudoxia Lopukhina is born in Moscow. She was married to Peter I of Russia in 1689, and would have three children by him, with only one surviving. In 1698, they would be divorced, and she was banished to a convent. She remained in exile, and became the focus of Peter’s opposition until his death, and her later return to Moscow, under the reign of her grandson, Peter II.

1696 – Joseph Wenzel I, Prince of Lichtenstein is born in Prague to Prince Phillip Erasmus and Countess Christina Theresa. He was an active military man, and actually ruled the small nation three times. His reigns spanned from 1712-1718, 1732-1745, and finally 1748-1772. In 1718, he married Princess Anna Maria Antoine and they had five children, none surviving infancy.

1722 – Prince Augustus William of Prussia is born in Berlin to Frederick William I of Prussia and Sophia Dorothea of Hanover. He was married to Louise of Brunswick, with whom he had four children, including the future Frederick William II. He died suddenly at age 35, of a tumor.

1783 – Russian Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna is born in St. Petersburg. She was a daughter of Paul I, and a granddaughter of Catherine the Great. Her brothers would go on to be Emperors Alexander I and Nicholas I. When she was about 13, her grandmother negotiated a marriage contract for her with the young Swedish King Gustav IV. He even visited Russia, and they both claimed to have fell in love, however when he noticed the contract stated she would not have to convert to Lutheranism, he refused to sign and went back to Sweden, leaving Alexandra heart broken. She would later marry Austrian Archduke Joseph, brother of Emperor Franz II, but the Austrian court was not kind to her. Sadly, she died in 1801, when at age 17, she gave birth to a baby girl, who also died.

1847 – Maria Vittoria dal Pozza is born in Paris and was Italian noblewoman and Countess in her own right. In 1863, she married Prince Amadeo of Italy, a younger son of Victor Emmanuel II. In 1870, Amadeo was elected to take over the throne of Spain, but was only able to rule for 3 years, before his abdication in 1873. They had three children, all boys, the youngest born the same year as his father’s abdication. Three years later, at age 29, Maria died of tuberculosis.

Deaths:
1250 – Eric IV of Denmark was executed by the Duke of Jutland in response to atrocities Eric had committed when they had been fighting years before. He was in his early 30’s, and had ruled on his own since 1241, but had also been Duke of Schleswig since 1216. Eric’s reign was also marred with civil wars with his brothers. He left no male heirs, but two of his daughters would be Queen consorts of Sweden and Norway.

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July 14th

20 Saturday Jul 2013

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Events:
1789 – The angry citizens of Paris stormed the Bastille fortress. This is regarded as the start of the French Revolution. France was in a major economic crisis and the kings dismissal of his finance minister, who had been sympathetic to the lower classes, was the final straw that put the National Assembly on the move. The people of Paris were encouraged to take up arms and fight. Before they took the Bastille, the actually stormed the Hotel des Invalides which was housing muskets. There were actually few prisoners left in the Bastille, as the economic crisis had made it almost impossible to operate financially. However it was a symbol of royal tyranny. King Louis XVI did not retaliate and most nobles began fleeing the country.

Birthdays:
1932 – Princess Margarita of Baden is born in Germany to the Margrave of Baden and Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark. She left Germany in 1948 and lived in London, where she met and eventually married an exiled Yugoslavian Prince, Tomislav. They would have two children, but later divorce. She lived out her days in England, and died there in 2013.

1977 – In not so dead royalty, Swedish Crown Princess Victoria is born in King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. She is her father’s heir and will be the first Queen regnant of Sweden since 1720.

Deaths:
1223 – Phillip II of France died at age 57. Also known as Phillip the God-Given, he would continue construction on the Notre-Dame be Paris, and would construct the Louvre as a fortress. He spent much of his reign at war with the Plantagenets of England. He is cited as one of the more successful French monarchs because of his popularity and reorganization of the government.

1704 – Sophia Alekseyevna died in a Russian convent at age 46. She was a daughter of Tsar Alexis I, and a sister to Feodor III, and a sister/regent to Ivan IV and Peter I. She was actually Peter’s half sister. In 1682, at Feodor’s death, she was propelled forward in politics to be regent for the mentally incapacitated Ivan and the 10-year old Peter. Sophia was a tough ruler, and did not hesitate to use harsh and violent tactics to reach her goals. Her power waned as Peter grew older, and when he was 17, she was overthrown and forced to enter a convent. There was a plot to free and reinstate her, however it failed, and the conspirators were hung within view of her windows as a deterrent any future involvement in plotting on her part.

July 8th

14 Sunday Jul 2013

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Events:
1709 – The Battle of Poltava takes place between the Swedish forces of Charles XII and Peter the Great of Russia as part of the Great Northern War. It would be a decisive victory for the Russians and signaled the nations rise in prominence.

1808 – The Bayonne Statute is signed by Joseph Bonaparte, brother of French Emperor Napoleon I. The document was to act as a foundation for his Kingship of Spain, which was ultimately unsuccessful.

Birthdays:
1545 – Carlos, Prince of Asturias is born in Spain to the future King Phillip II of Spain and Maria Manuela of Portugal. Because of the close family relations of his parents and grandparents, Don Carlos as we was called, was said to be mentally unstable from a young age. In 1568, he was part of a plot to overthrow his father, because he was passed over for a military appointment. He was arrested, imprisoned, and left in solitary confinement. He died in prison just six months later, with rumors that Phillip had him poisoned.

1792 – Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen is born to the Duke and Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg. In 1810, she married Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, the future Ludwig I. The celebration of their marriage became known as the first Oktoberfest, which continues today. She was loved by the Bavarian people, and was popular despite her husbands affairs which he was not discreet about. In 1848 he was forced to abdicate because of the scandal associated with an affair. But Therese’s son by him became Maximilian II of Bavaria, and her younger son, Otto, became King of Greece.

1830 -Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg is born in Germany. She married Russian Grand Duke Constantine Nikolaevich, a younger son of Tsar Nicholas I. She took the name Alexandra Iosfina when she converted to Russian Orthodoxy. Their eldest daughter Olga married the King of Greece and is the grandmother of the British Duke of Edinburgh. She tried to bear her husbands affairs and illegitimate children as best she could. In 1889 he was incapacitated by a stroke, and she was his caretaker for the rest of his life.

Deaths:
1850 – Prince Adolphus, the Duke of Cambridge, died in London at age 76. He was the youngest child of British King George III and Queen Charlotte. He spent his youth in military training in Hanover, Germany, and even fought in the Napoleonic Wars. He married a Hessian Princess, and was the grandfather of the future Queen Mary of Britain. He would spend over 20 years as the Viceroy of Hanover, ruling the nation on behalf of his two elder brothers, George IV and William IV. He returned to England after the accession of another brother, Ernest Augustus, as King of Hanover.

1859 – King Oscar I of Sweden died in Stockholm at age 60. In 1810 his father, Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte was elected to succeed Charles XIII. He succeeded his father in 1844, and ruled until 1859. Before his accession, he married Josephine of Leuchtenberg, daughter of Eugene de Beauharnais, and granddaughter of Josephine de Beauharnais. He was very liberal in his youth, but settled down after his accession. But under him, Norway was given more equality, and early freedom of the press laws and gender equality laws.

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June 28th

28 Friday Jun 2013

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Events:
1461 – Edward IV of England is crowned as king at Westminster Abbey. He was the Duke of York, and had successfully taken the throne from his cousin, Henry VI, during what is called the Wars of the Roses. He would rule until 1470 when Henry took the throne back from Edward until 1471, when the Yorkists took it back once again.

1519 – Charles I of Spain was elected to succeed his grandfather as Holy Roman Emperor, becoming known as Charles V. He was 19 years old. Between his succession as Emperor, and inheriting the Habsburg lands of father, and the Trastamara lands of his mother, Charles ruled an intimidatingly large portion of Europe. He ruled Spain until 1555, when he abdicated in favor of his son, Phillip II, and then abdicated as Emperor in 1556, in favor of his brother, Ferdinand. However Ferdinand would not be confirmed for another 2 years.

1709 – The Battle of Poltava takes place in modern day Ukraine. It was part of the Great Northern War, and fought between the Swedish forces of Charles XII and the Russian forces led by Peter I, or Peter the Great. The fight was a decisive victory for the Russians, and we saw the decline of Swedish as a European power.

1838 – The 19 year old Victoria was crowned as Queen of Great Britain. She went on to have the longest reign of any British Monarch and became an icon.

1914 – Austrian Archduke and heir to the Austro-Hungarian Imperial throne, Franz Ferdinand, was shot and killed, alongside his wife, Sophie, in Sarajevo, Serbia. Franz was the nephew of Emperor Franz Joseph I and was not expected to succeed until 1889, when he cousin, Crown Prince Rudolf committed suicide, and then his father renounced his place in the line. This was the spark that set off World War I, though fueled by several other issues.

1921 – The Vidovdan Constitution is proclaimed as the first constitution of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes by King Alexander I.

Birthdays:
1491 – The future Henry VIII is born at Greenwich Palace to King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. He was a second son, and not initially set to be king, but with the sudden death of his elder brother, Arthur, in 1502, Henry was thrust forward. He succeeded his father in 1509, just before he turned 18. He would then marry his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, the widow of his brother. They had one daughter to survive, Mary, who later became the first undisputed Queen regnant of England. Henry would then be married five more times after he had his marriage to Catherine was annulled. Anne Boleyn was next, with whom he had a daughter, later Elizabeth I. Anne was executed in 1536 and shortly after he married Jane Seymour, with whom he had the future Edward VI. Jane died shortly after the birth of their child. The German Anne of Cleves was next; their marriage was also annulled. Then Catherine Howard, who was also executed, the finally, Catherine Parr, who outlived Henry. He was also responsible for the separation of England from the Roman Catholic Church, and is one of the founder of the English Navy. Henry was also known to be very intelligent, despite his later behavior, and was an accomplished composer.

No additional major deaths.

June 26th

26 Wednesday Jun 2013

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Events:
1483 – Richard III accepts the crown of England, after testimony is brought forward that Richard’s elder brother, Edward IV’s marriage to his Queen, was invalid. Edward’s two sons, Edward V and Richard, Duke of York, were living in the Tower, awaiting the boy’s coronation.

Birthdays:
1575 – Anne Catherine of Brandenburg is born in Germany to the Margrave of Brandenburg. In 1597, she married Christian IV of Denmark and Norway, making her Queen consort. She didn’t seem to have much political influence, but they had six children, who include Frederick III of Denmark, who introduced the absolute monarchy to the country. Anne died in 1612, at age 36.

1681 – Princess Hedvig Sophia of Sweden is born in Stockholm to Charles XI of Sweden and Ulrika Eleanora. In 1698 she married Frederick, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp. They had one son, Charles Frederick, who became Duke upon his father’s death in 1702. Hedvig was regent for him, however she was also the heir to the Swedish throne, so she resided there. She was close to her brother, the future Karl XII, who refused to believe the news of her sudden death in 1708, at age 27.

1899 – A third daughter is born to Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra, named Maria Nikolaevna. Maria was said to be very pretty, vivacious, and a flirt even from a young age. She developed crushes on soldiers that she encountered at events and gatherings, and was said to want a large family one day. On the outbreak of World War I, she was too young to become a nurse like her mother and older sisters, but with her younger sister Anastasia, they visited and spent time with wounded soldiers. When the family was arrested after the 1917 Revolution, Maria attempted to befriend the workers and soldiers in the house where they stayed, and was admonished by her mother for being too friendly with them. She was killed in 1918, along with the rest of her family. Like her other sister, there were imposters that came forward as the Grand Duchess, but the remains of the entire Romanov family have been found, as of 2007.

2005 – In not so dead royalty, Princess Alexia of the Netherlands is born in The Hague to now King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima. She is currently second in line of succession, behind her elder sister.

Deaths:

1718 – Alexei Petrovich, Tsarevich of Russia died at age 28. He was the eldest son and heir of Peter the Great of Russia and his first wife, Eudoxia Lopukkhina. There was bad blood between his parents, stemming from their divorce, and Alexei held on to resentment against his father. As a teenager, he began serving in the military, where the father/son relationship soured further. He married Princess Charlotte of Brunswick-Luneburg, with whom he would have two children, which included the future Peter II. The elder Peter then began to demand Alexei’s further involvement in state matters and sent for him to join him at the front lines. Alexei fled to Austria instead, and eventually only agreed to return to Russia if his father gave him a pardon. However, Peter found a reason to renounce the pardon, and Alexei was arrested, sentenced to death and tortured. The sentence was never carried out, as the Prince died from being tortured, just two days later.

1830 – George IV of the United Kingdom died at Windsor Castle at age 67. He had only been King officially since 1820, after succeeding his father, George III. He had also served as Prince Regent from 1811, due to his father’s mental illness. He was notorious for his bad relations with his wife, Caroline of Brunswick, whom he had attempted to divorce, although he was ultimately unsuccessful. He did not allow Caroline to attend his coronation though. They had one daughter, Charlotte, who died in 1817, during childbirth. While he was said to be charming, with good manners, he was also lazy, and prone to gluttony. He was not popular at the end of his reign, due to his lifestyle and lack of leadership during the Wars going on in Europe. He was succeeded by his younger brother, William IV.

1922 – Prince Albert I of Monaco died in Paris. He was 73 years old, and had ruled since 1889, after the death of his father, Charles III. He was almost overthrown in 1910, but he acquiesced and gave Monaco a Constitution. He also laid led his country during World War I. Despite Monaco’s official neutrality, Albert heavily assisted the Allies with supplies, hospitals, and troops.

Have an awesome day!

June 9th

09 Sunday Jun 2013

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No major events.

Birthdays:
1595 – Wladyslaw IV Vasa is born today in Krakow, Poland. He was the son of Sigismund III Vasa and Anne of Austria. In 1632, he was elected to the throne of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Twenty years before, in 1610, he was elected by the Seven Boyars to be Tsar of Russia, but was never able to claim the throne, despite technically being Tsar for three years. He would also attempt to claim the Swedish throne, but was also unsuccessful. He was religiously tolerant and carried out reforms throughout the country. He was a great patron of the arts and was able to defend Poland in several skirmishes with Russia, Sweden, and the Ottoman Empire.

1640 – The future Holy Roman Emperor, Leopold I is born in Vienna today, as the second son of Ferdinand III and Maria Anna of Spain. He became King of Bohemia and Hungary in 1655 and 1656, after the death of his brother, Ferdinand IV and then succeeded his father as King of Croatia and Emperor. He sent most of his reign warring with the Turks, and involved in the War of Spanish Succession, the Nine years War, and the Dutch Revolts. The Wars would outlast Leopold, who died in 1705, and would not be successes for Austria. Two of his sons would become Emperors, as Joseph I and Charles VI.

1661 – Feodor III of Russia is born in Moscow. Feodor succeeded his father, Alexis, in 1676 at age 15. He was said to be quite intelligent, but was severely physically disabled. He would marry twice, but was unable to produce a surviving child. Feodor died suddenly at age 20.

1672 – The future Peter I of Russia is born in Moscow. He became co-Tsar in 1682 with his elder half-brother, the sick and mentally ill, Ivan V, under a regency of their sister, Sophia. Peter became Tsar on his own in 1696. Known for his intimidating height, his main goal was to modernize Russia, and he took an extensive tour of Europe, going as far as England to meet with William III. He spent all of his reign reforming everything from the calendar to the church. He also founded the city of St. Petersburg. Peter the Great would be succeeded at his death, by his second wife, Catherine I, whom was crowned as co-ruler before Peter’s death at age 52.

1930 – Princess Ragnild of Norway was born in Oslo to King Olav V and Martha of Sweden. King Harald V was her younger brother and supplanted her place in the succession. She married a commoner, Erling Lorentzen, but retained her titles and held patronages. She ended up living in Brazil with her husband and her three children.

1983 – In not so dead royal birthdays, Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark was born today in 1983 in London. She is the youngest child of the deposed Constantine II of Greece and Anne-Marie of Denmark. Theodora was born ten years after her father’s overthrow. Being a descendant of Sophia of Hanover she is currently 350th in the line of British succession. She is currently living in Los Angeles, California and working as an actress.

Deaths:
1923 – In London, Princess Helena of the United Kingdom, died at age 77. She was a daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and was living under the reign of her nephew, George V. She was married to a Danish Prince, Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, and they lived in Britain through out their 50+ year marriage. She was one of the most active members of the royal family, who promoted the causes of Nursing, and was a founding member of the Red Cross.

Have an awesome day!

May 27th

27 Monday May 2013

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Events:
1153 – Malcolm IV was crowned at Scone. He was about 12 years old and was succeeding his grandfather, David I. Malcolm sadly, died early at age 24. He has a mixed legacy, of having the qualities of being a great king, but others saying he neglected his duties as king.

1199 – John of England is crowned as King of England after the death of his brother, Richard I. However, he was not universally accepted as his brothers successor throughout the Angevin Empire. Some lands put forward Arthur of Brittany, son of John’s elder brother, Geoffrey. John and Arthur would fight for years over the inheritance, until Arthur was captured and probably killed by John’s orders, or by some accounts, John’s own hands.

1703 – Peter the Great of Russia laid bricks that founded the city of St. Petersburg. It was founded to be a port city, and has since been a major hub for Russia, even acting as its capital.

1883 – Alexander III and Maria Feodorovna were crowned and anointed as Emperor and Empress of Russia in Moscow. Alexander became Tsar after the death of his father, Alexander II, who’s policies he would undo. Later Alexander would be succeeded by his elder son, Nicholas II.

Birthdays:
1626 – William II, Prince of Orange and Stadtholder of the Netherlands was born today in The Hague. In 1641, he married the British Princess Royal, Mary, daughter of Charles I. He was only in his offices for three years before his early death from smallpox at age 24. His son was born just a week after his death, also named William, who would go on to be Stadtholder and King of England, as William III.

1756 – The future Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria was born today. He was at first Elector of Bavaria, but assumed the title of King in 1806 after the Treaty of Pressburg. At first he was an ally of Napoleon, but later switches sides against him. He would later have multiple territorial disputes with Austria, but found time at home to give Bavaria a liberal constitution for the time. He would be succeeded by the eldest of his 13 children, Ludwig. His daughters would also marry into royal families, one becoming Queen of Saxony, another Queen of Prussia, and another, Empress of Austria.

No major deaths.

Have a good one!

March 9th

09 Saturday Mar 2013

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Events:
1566 – David Rizzio, an Italian and personal secretary to Mary, Queen of Scots is murdered in her private chambers, in her presence. Mary was seven months pregnant with the future James VI and the murder was orchestrated by Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, Mary’s husband. Darnley was jealous of the attention and affection Mary showered on David.

1796 – The future French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte would marry his first wife, Josephine de Beauharnais. He would have her crowned as Empress, but the marriage would end in divorce, because Josephine would be unable to bear children.

Birthdays:
1629 – The future Tsar Alexei I of Russia is born in Moscow as the son of Michael I and Eudoxia Streshneva. He ruled for over 30 years and was considered a strong and good ruler. He would have 3 sons that would go on to be Tsars, Fyodor III, Ivan V, and the famous Peter I. His daughter Sophia, would even rule as regent for her brothers at one point.

Deaths:
1202 – Norwegian king Sverre of Norway died in Bergen of a short illness. He’s most famous for his leadership during the two civil wars that occurred during his reign. He had also been excommunicated from the Catholic church in 1194. He was also said to have been so short, that he had to lead his troops from horseback, against the Norse tradition of leading them from the front lines.

1888 – The first German Emperor, Wilhelm I, dies at age 90. He was at first King of Prussia, but later, through several years of fighting, became Emperor of a unified Germany. He had also brought the famous statesman Otto von Bismarck to prominence. He would be succeeded by his son, Frederick, who was already ill with cancer and would only rule for 99 days. His grandson, Wilhelm II would rule as the last German rulers.

Have a great day!!

February 7th

07 Thursday Feb 2013

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Events:
1301 – Edward of Caernarvon, son of Edward I and future Edward II of England is formally installed as Prince of Wales, starting the tradition of the heir apparent bearing that title.

Birthdays:
1102 – Believed to be the birthdate of Matilda, daughter of Henry I of England. She became Holy Roman Empress at a young age, but was widowed when her husband, Henry V died. She would return to England and be named her father’s heir to the English crown, but at his death, her cousin, Stephen, was crowned instead, because of Matilda being a woman. Thus started a period called The Anarchy as she and Stephen fought for years. She finally relinquished her claim, but her son by her second husband, would go on to be the formidable Henry II of England.

1693 – Anna Ioannovna is born to Tsar Ivan V of Russia. She was also the niece of Peter the Great and thus became Empress in 1730 after the death of Peter II. She was known for her cruelty, especially to the nobility. She would further alienate the Russian nobles when she denied them government positions, instead giving them to German courtiers. She reigned for ten years, and was succeeded by Peter’s daughter, Elizabeth.

Deaths:
1837 – Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden died at age 58 while exiled in Switzerland. He had been King from 1792 until 1809, when his failed diplomatic and war policies caught up with him. It was under his rule that Finland was lost by the Swedes and gained by the Russians. Not only was he forced to abdicate, but his sons were also barred from the succession, leaving his uncle to be declared Charles XIII.

1999 – King Hussein of Jordan dies after a trip to the US of lymphoma. It was his second battle with cancer, having also fought kidney cancer years before. He was 63 years old and had been king for 46 years. Shortly before he died, he changed his will to remove his brother, Hassan as his heir, and thus left the throne to his son, the current Jordanian king, Abdullah II.