Catherine de Medici

  • Apr 15, 1519

    BORN

    Caterina Maria Romola di Lorenzo de Medici was born in Florence on 13 April 1519.
  • May 1, 1519

    mommy died, dad soon after

    Catherine's mother died when she was two-weeks-old and her father soon afterwards.
  • Jan 1, 1533

    arranged marriage =/

    In 1533, at the age of 14, Catherine's uncle Pope Clement VII arranged her marriage to the duke of Orléans, second son of the king of France
  • Jan 1, 1536

    Her duke became King

    In 1536, the duke of Orléans became heir to the throne. Eleven years later he was crowned Henry II of France.
  • Jan 1, 1543

    A baby

    Cathine finally gives a healthy birth to a son. =]
  • Jan 1, 1559

    jousting accident

    Henri died in a jousting accident
  • Jan 2, 1559

    Francis = King

    Francis (their eldest son) became king.
  • Jan 1, 1560

    Francis dies

    Francis died after being king for one year in 1560.
  • Jan 2, 1560

    Charles IX = King

    Charles became king during 1560. Catherine acted as regent for Charles and as a result dominated Charles throughout his reign.
  • Jan 1, 1562

    Wars of Religion

    In 1562 a civil war in France broke out that led to the French Wars of Religion later.
  • Jan 1, 1572

    Marriage

    Arranged a marriage for her daughter Marguerite to the Protestant Henry, King of Navarre.
  • Jan 2, 1572

    St. Bartholowmew's Day Massacre

    During the wedding celebration in Paris, the Huguenot leader, Coligny, was murdered, as were hundreds of other Protestants who had gathered for the wedding. This became known as the St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. =/
  • Jan 1, 1574

    Charles the 9th died

    Charles IX died in 1574
  • Jan 2, 1574

    Henri III = King

    Her favorite son Henri III becomes king after CHarles IX's death/
  • DEATH

    Catherine died on 5 January 1589 and was buried next to her husband in the church of St Denis in Paris. =/