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Birth
Born Sophia Augusta Frederica on May 2, 1729, Catherine's parents were Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zebst, and Princess Johanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp. She would receive the eponym Yekaterina, or Catherine, upon her conversion to Russian Orthodox from Lutheranism (Canning 512). Her birthplace was a small principality of Stettin, Prussia called Anhalt-Zebst ("Catherine II"). This is significant because someday Catherine would use her intelligence to become Empress of Russia. -
Amazon Exploration
In 1743, Charles Marie de la Condamine was the first to explore the Amazon region to its mouth. He provided the first scientific observations of the geography and people of the Amazon (Wetterau 11). This is significant because his observations provide us in modern times with an abundance of valuable information on this region in early history. -
Invited to Empress Elizabeth's Court
On New Year's Day in 1744, Catherine's mother, Princess Johanna, received a letter from Empress Elizabeth of Russia inviting the two to the imperial court. The purpose of this visit was to evaluate Catherine for marriage to Grand Duke Peter of Russia. Catherine had been recommended to Elizabeth by Frederick the Great of Prussia, who was eager to renew Prussian influence in Russia. This important invitation was Catherine's first step towards gaining influence and power in the world (Moscow 97). -
Marriage
On August 21, 1745, sixteen-year-old Catherine was wedded to the heir to the Russian throne and her second cousin, seventeen-year-old Grand Duke Peter of Russia (Farmer 115). Peter, too, was not Russian by birth. He was originally Charles Peter Ulrich, in line for King of Sweden, until Empress Elizabeth removed him from his country and named him her heir (Moscow 99). This is significant because her marriage brought her one step closer to securing the throne of Russia for herself. -
Seven Years' War
The year 1756 marked the beginning of the Seven Years' War (American: French and Indian War), a major historical war between the world powers France, Great Britain, North America and Prussia. The war lasted until 1763, with France losing most of its colonial possessions in North America (Wetterau 56). This is a significant event in history, as it resulted in the rise of some countries as dominant global powers and the degradation of other countries. -
Seized the Throne
Merely six months after her husband Peter was crowned Czar Peter III of Russia, Catherine and her lover Gregory Orlov put into action a plan that allowed her to seize the throne from the unpopular Peter on June 27, 1762. Peter was then sent away to Ropsha, where he was assassinated (Moscow 101). This is significant because Catherine was finally able to reach her goal of becoming Empress of Russia. -
Moscow College of Medicine
In 1763, Catherine founded the Moscow College of Medicine. This was not Catherine's first advancement in education, having established earlier a boarding school for noble girls and free schools across Russia ("Catherine II"). The purpose of the college was to train Russian doctors, surgeons and apothecaries to provide care for the Russian citizens (Canning 514). This is significant because it was the first time a Russian ruler had established medical care specifically for his/her subjects. -
Legislative Commission
Catherine formed the Legislative Commission by selecting a total of 564 delegates from different social/economic classes (Cannining 513; "Catherine II"). In their first meeting in 1767, Catherine proposed to them the "Bol'shoi Nakaz", or Great Instruction: an instructional document she had written that included Catherine's ideas on political and social reform (Moscow 106). Though no laws were written, it was the first time the Russians were able to express their opinions about the country. -
Blue Nile
In 1768, Scottish explorer James Bruce went searching for the source of the Nile River. Instead, he found the source of the Blue Nile, a tributary of the Nile, in Abyssinia (Wetterau 13-14). The discovery of the source of one of the Nile River's tributaries is an important geographical event and helps us better understand historical Northern Africa. -
Coinage of Dental Terms
Scottish surgeon John Hunter published his work on dental anatomy and disease in 1771. In the piece, Hunter coined several modern dental terms, such as cuspid, bicuspid and incisor (Wetterau 366). This is significant because his work in dentistry and knowledge of the human body has proven useful in modern times. -
Treaty of Kuchuk Kainarji
During the Russo-Turkish War, declared in 1768, the Ottomans were defeated in a battle near the village of Kuchuk Kainarji on July 10, 1774. Catherine then forced the Ottomans to sign the Treaty of Kuchuk Kainarji, named after the village in which it was signed (Freeze 118). The purpose of the treaty was to provide protection to Orthodox Christians living in the Ottoman Empire (437). This is significant because it was a decisive military victory and resulted in an important political document. -
Ended the Pugachevshchina
An uprising began, led by a Cossack named Yemelyan Pugachev, against Catherine's rule. Pugachev claimed he was the exiled Peter III and led a group of rebels on a vicious campaign to get Catherine overthrown. In August 1774, Catherine was able to crush the rebellion, though it would be some time before the public had calmed down enough to try and convict Pugachev (Freeze 135). This termination of the event known as the Pugachevshchina was a demonstration of Catherine's skill as a ruler. -
Clarified Merchant Standing
In 1775, Catherine clarified the legal standing of merchants in Russia and raised the minimum requirements to register for a merchant guild, to make sure that only qualified merchants were able to join guilds and receive their privileges. Merchants had to possess 10,000 rubles of capital to join the first guild, 5000 for the second, and 1000 for the third (Freeze 121). This is significant because it caused an 88% decline in the merchant population, allowing competition between social classes. -
Discovery of Uranus
In 1781, British astronomer Sir William Herschel discovered Uranus, calling it the "Georgian star" after King George III. In France, where the king was not as popular, it was simply called "Herschel" until the name Uranus became official. In 1789, Herschel also discovered two moons of Saturn, Mimas and Enceladus (Wetterau 381). The discovery of a major celestial body in our solar system is certainly an important event. -
Invention of Bifocals
In 1784, American inventor Benjamin Franklin created bifocal glasses. The glasses had two lenses: the lower lense, for close viewing, and the upper lense, for distance viewing. The two lenses were joined together to create a single piece of eyeware, thus eliminating the need for multiple pairs of eyeglasses (Wetterau 181). This invention was a major step forward in the field of eyeware, and the principle of Franklin's invention is still used today. -
Death
Catherine was found unconscious on her bathroom floor on November 17, 1796. It is believed that she suffered a stroke and later died as a result ("Catherine II"). Her poor health can be attributed to the bitter state of her reign in her final years and the political repression that had befallen Russia (Freeze 141). She was succeeded by her son Paul, born in 1754 (Rice 130). Her death signified the loss of a revered ruler and the end of a period of prosperity and advancement in Russia.
