Ivan the Terrible

Ivan IV is born

Aug 25, 1530

On August 25, 1530 Ivan IV, later to be known as Ivan the Terrible, was born. His birth name was actually Ivan Chetvyprty Vasilyevich. He was born from the parents Basil III (father) and Elena Glinskaya. This event is significant because he would later become the first Czar of Russia (Ivan the Terrible).

Ivan IV is crowned prince

Dec 4, 1533

On December 4, 1533, Ivan was crowned Grand Prince of Moscow. He was only three years old at the time and was crowned because of his fathers tragic death shortly before. His mother was not fit to rule, so the nobles ruled for Ivan until he was ready to rule on his own. Other than special occasions, the nobles treated him very poorly as if he wasn't royalty. This event is significant because he would later become Czar and lead Ivan to form a strong hatred for the nobles (Andreyev; Strickler 19).

2,000 Sheep Limit

1534

In 1534, a law in England was formed, forbidding a farmers to own more than 2,000 sheep. Some sheep owners owned over 24,000 sheep, so for some it was hard to adjust to this law. This event is significant because even 150 years after this happened, some English farmers were still fighting against it (Grun 239; Marx).

Ivan gets married

1547

In February, 1547, Ivan got married to Anastasia Romanovna. Anastasia was a very important figure to Ivan, she was believed to have helped him control his rage. They had two kids together, Ivan and Fyodor. This event is significant because when she dies Ivan is devastated and it marks the begging of the "Reign of Terror" (Andreyev).

Ivan IV is crowned Czar

Jan 16, 1547

On January 16, 1547 Ivan IV was crowned Czar. The title Czar comes from a Latin word meaning "ceasar". Ivan was only 16 when he inherited the crown. This event is significant because this would lead to many strides forward for Russia but also lots of devastation and destruction among the people (Andreyev).

Ivan seizes Astrakhan

1556

In 1556, Ivan's army took over Astrakhan, a city on the Volga river. This territory also included the Caspian Sea, which provides him with more resources and a new seaport to trade. The Volga river also became Russian territory. This event was significant because it would help Russia become as big as it is today (Andrews 15; Andreyev).

Influenza Epidemic

1557

In 1557, there was an influenza epidemic in Europe, but mostly contained to England. Influenza is a deadly viral disease that is spread rapidly from person to person. In 1557, the disease came right after an outbreak of the sweats, another deadly disease in Europe at the time. This epidemic took many lives and was so big, it was almost considered a pandemic. This was important because it killed many people and later there would be more, worse, influenza epidemics all over the world (Grun 247).

Anastasia dies

1560

In 1560, Ivan's wife Anastasia Romanovna died. Ivan was devastated by her death and suspected that the boyars had killed her. She was said to have "kept him in check" when she was alive, and when she died the combination of her death and how she died added on to his paranoia and started him on a path to insanity. This event is highly significant become this began Ivan's 24 year reign of terror. (Andreyev; Ivan the Terrible)

Oprichnina is Formed

1565

In 1565, Ivan the Terrible formed one of the worlds first secret police, called the Oprichnina. The Oprichnina consisted of 6,000 men who wore all black and rode black horses. Their only job was to kill anyone Ivan the Terrible thought to be an enemy. This event is important because the Oprichnina would be the cause of lots of deaths throughout Russia and gave Ivan more control over the Russian people (Andreyev; Kallen 20)

First Public Theater Performance

1568

In 1568, the first public theater performance was held in Madrid. There were two types of plays that were performed in that time period, religious drama and public theater. Religious dramas were held in parades in Madrid and were the first type to be presented in public. Public theater was the second type of play to be displayed in public and were held in theaters. This is important because public theater went on to be a very big part of people's live's in Europe.

Oprichnina Disbanded

1572

In 1572, the Oprichnina was disbanded. The Oprichnina failed to defend Moscow against the Crimean Tsars, so it was disbanded. . The Oprichnina took over 3,000 lives and made many public executions, upon orders from Ivan IV. This event is significant because it left a lasting impact on Russia and on Ivan' s rule. It also left people questioning Ivan's mental health (Andreyev).

University of Berlin is Founded

1574

In 1574, the University of Berlin was founded. In the begging, this was a very small school but it has grown to be a relatively big school today. This event is significant because in the future many students will enroll there and the begging of their long career will start there.

Francis Drake Circumnavigates the Globe

1577

In 1577, English explorer Francis Drake started a journey to find a northwest passage upon orders from Queen Elizabeth I. He and his fleet of five ships steered through the Strait of Magellan, then stopped near what is now San Francisco and then he advanced across the pacific to another stop in the Philippines. He then navigated around the Cape of Good Hope and returned back to England in 1580. This was critical because a lot of land was claimed for England during this journey (Francis Drake).

Ivan Murders his Son

1581

In 1581, Ivan murdered his own son, and only eligible heir to the throne. He killed his first son, Ivan, in a fit of rage. This event is significant because he killed his only able heir to the throne and shorty after Ivan's death this would put Russia into a "Time of Troubles" (Ivan the Terrible).

First known Life Insurance Policy

1583

In 1583, the first known life insurance policy was created. Londoner Richard Martin took out a policy on William Gibbons. The arrangement was that Martin would pay an 8% premium for a 12 month policy, which ended up costing him about 383 pounds, which was a decent chunk of money at the time. This event is significant because it was the precedent for many more early life insurance policies, which would develop into the life insurance we have today (Grun 259).

Ivan IV dies

Mar 18, 1584

On March 18, 1584 Ivan the Terrible died in Moscow Russia. Earlier that year his health had been worsening, and Ivan became obsessed with death. He saw psychics and witches, who he hoped would keep him from the inevitable. Ivan was believed to have died of a stroke. In his will, he granted the throne to his son Fyofor, who was not able to reign. This event is significant because Russia would fall into a "time of troubles" after the unfit Fyodor's short reign (Ivan the Terrible).