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Maria Theresa Hapsburg is Born
Maria Theresa was born in Vienna, Austria, on May 13th, 1717. Her father was King Charles VI, the Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, and Archduke of Austria. This is important because Maria would later take on his ruler as a ruler. -
Marriage of Maria Theresa and Francis Stephen Lorraine
Maria Theresa and Francis Lorraine were wed in 1736. Despite objection from the French on the side of Francis Stephen, they remained together and had sixteen children. Ten of them survived. This was important because it meant there would be an heir to the throne. -
First Sight of Alaska
Vitus Bering was at the head of a Russian exploration when he first spotted Alaska. -
Coming to Power
When Charles VI passed away without a male heir, Maria became archduchess of Austria, queen of Hungary and Bohemia and Holy Roman empress. She took the throne while finances were in shambles. Due to her weakness as a ruler, there would be many wars and attacks throughout her reign. -
A Treaty with Prussia
Prussia, seeing Maria Theresa’s weakness in 1741, invaded some of her lands. She was later forced to sign a treaty ceding part of the territory, lower Silesia, to Prussia. She took back the rest of what they had invaded. This was just the beginning of the attacks targeting her poor monarchy. -
Introducing the Centrigrade Scale
On Christmas Day in 1741, an astronomer by the name of Anders Celsius introduced the centigrade scale. This would change the means of measuring temperature around the world. -
One of Franklin’s Many Inventions
In 1742, Benjamin Franklin invented the Franklin Stove. This was one of his many inventions that changed how people lived. -
Colonist Arrival in Nova Scotia
In 1749, 2,576 colonists landed in Nova Scotia to establish a military base there. The land became more populated afterwards, allowing settlers another place to go. -
Establishing Education
In 1752, Maria Theresa established a military academy. Then, in 1754, she set up another academy. This time, however, it was for English and the sciences. This gave her people even more opportunities for education. It also advantages her because with the military academy, she could get more people in her troops. -
Reverse of Alliances
Maria Theresa cut off her alliance with England, then formed a bond with France. -
Sparking the 7 Years War
In 1756, Frederick II of Prussia attacked Austria once more. This sparked the Seven Years War. The war would further weaken Maria Theresa’s reign. -
First Ties of Tobacco and Cancer
A doctor in London by the name of John Hill made the connection between cancer and tobacco in 1761. He published his work in “Cautions Against the Immoderate Use of Snuff”. Although it may not have concerned many people at first, now it is one of the leading arguments in urging smokers to quit. -
Peace Treaty with Prussia
After the Seven Years War, Maria and Frederick II agreed to sign a peace treaty in 1763. However, Prussia kept Silesia, which had been ceded to them in a previous treaty. This finally stopped the fighting of the two countries, giving Austria more room to thrive. -
Mozart’s First Symphony
In 1764, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote his first symphony. He was only eight years old. This marks a great accomplishment for someone so young and sets off his path to creating other beautiful and astounding symphonies. -
The Robot Patent
This was a law issued by Maria Theresa in 1771. The Robot Patent dealt with the regulating of labor payments for serfs. This meant that their work would be less abused and serfs might get a steadier income. -
Death of a Monarch
Maria Theresa died on November 29th of 1780. Her son Joseph II took her place on the throne.
