Catherine II of Russia (Catherine the Great) was empress regent of Russia from 1762-1796. She was born in Prussia to Prince Christian August of Anhalt-Zerbst (1690-1747) and Princess Johanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp (1712-1760), and although her family was noble, they were not wealthy. She married the future Russian Tsar, Peter of Holstein-Gottorp (1728-1762), in 1745 in St. Petersburg.
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Definition
Timeline
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2 May 1729Catherine the Great is born in Stettin, Prussia (modern-day Szczecin, Poland).
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3 Feb 1744Catherine the Great arrives at the Winter Palace in Russia.
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28 Jun 1744Catherine the Great becomes a member of the Russian Orthodox Church.
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29 Jun 1744Catherine the Great and Peter III of Russia are formally betrothed.
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21 Aug 1745The marriage of Catherine the Great and Peter III of Russia.
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1762 - 1796Catherine the Great's reign as empress regent of Russia.
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5 Jan 1762Peter III of Russia is crowned and Catherine the Great becomes empress consort.
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28 Jun 1762Catherine the Great overthrows Peter III of Russia and is proclaimed Russian empress by the Russian Imperial Army.
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22 Sep 1762Catherine is formally crowned Empress Catherine II of Russia.
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1768 - 1774First Russo-Turkish War.
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1773 - 1774Denis Diderot spends five months advising Catherine the Great.
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1773Catherine the Great establishes the Toleration of Faiths Edict, which allows Muslims to practice their faith.
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1773 - 1775Pugachev's Rebellion, the largest peasant rebellion in Russia's history.
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1780Catherine the Great establishes the League of Armed Neutrality seeking to protect shipments during the American Revolution.
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1782Catherine the Great introduces the Charter of the Towns Act, which recognises the Jewish people as being equal to those belonging to the Russian Orthodox Church.
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1787 - 1792Second Russo-Turkish War.
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1788 - 1790Russia and Sweden go to war.
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1791Russia and Prussia sign a truce.
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1791The May Constitution is established, a more democratic monarchy is established in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
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1792Catherine the Great attempts to start trade relations with Japan and fails.
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1796Russia and Persia go to war. Catherine the Great dies before the conflict ends.
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17 Nov 1796Catherine the Great dies at the age of 67 from a suspected stroke.
