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Queen Victoria becomes a surrogate mother to Alexandra Feodorovna
After the death of Alexandra's mother on December 14, 1878, Queen Victoria acts as a surrogate mother to Alexandra. They become very close and England becomes like a second home to her. -
Alexandra meets and later marries Nicholas II of Russia
Alexandra first met Nicholas on her first visit to Russia in 1884 for her sister's wedding to the Grand Duke Sergey Alexandrovich. Five years later when Grand Duke Louis takes her back on a 6-week visit Nicholas insisted on making Alexandra his wife. They were later married on November 14, 1895. -
China cedes Taiwan to Japan under Treaty of Shimonoseki
At this time was the first Sino-Japanese war between China and Japan which ended in China's defeat. As a result, China and Japan signed a peace treaty which involved China ceding Taiwan over to Japan. -
Alexandra gives birth to her first child, Olga
When Alexandra became pregnant in 1895, she and Nicholas were anxiously awaiting for a male child as was all of Russia. However to their disappointment, the child had been a girl. Nevertheless, they still rejoiced at the birth of the baby girl and named her Olga. -
The Russo Japanese War
At this time was the Russo- Japanese war fought between the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan over rival imperial ambitions in Manchuria and Korea, ending in Russia's defeat. However, the birth of a male heir provided the Russian army with some moral boost. -
The birth of Alexei I
After giving birth to four daughters, the prayers for a male heir was finally answered with the birth of Alexei I on July 30, 1904. After his birth, a tradition to welcome the male heir commenced which was a 301 gun salute. -
Bloody Sunday
On January 22, 1905, a group of workers led by the radical priest Georgy Apollonovich Gapon marched to the czar’s Winter Palace in St. Petersburg to make their demands for more workers rights and reforms. However, while the demonstration was peaceful , imperial forces opened fire killing and wounding many. There were riots that broke out in response to the massacre, this was the start of the Russian revolution in 1905. -
The Romanov's yacht, the Shtandart, nearly sinks
While on their annual Finnish holiday, the Shtandart hit something which then proceeded to make the yacht to start sinking. After examination, it was officially reported that the Shtandart hit an uncharted rock. However, many speculated that the yacht was attacked by the Finns, then the revolutionaries, and then by a bomb that had been planted in the yacht's prow. -
Alexei I suffers from internal haemorrhage, Grigory Rasputin saves the day
In autumn of 1907, Alexei is playing but bruises his leg. His fall triggered internal haemorrhaging which caused him excruciating pain. In desperation after remembering how Grigory Rasputin helped her friend's daughter, she summons him and he miraculously heals Alexei. As a result, Nicholas and especially Alexandra hold Rasputin in high regard. -
Prime Minister Stolypin's assasination
On September 2, 1911, Pyotr Stolypin was shot by a Jewish revolutionary by the name of Dmitri Bogrov. Many Jews left the city of Kiev in fear of anti-Jewish pogroms in retaliation to the assassination. However, Nicholas did not allow a pogrom against the Jews on any pretext whatever it may be. -
The death of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
On June 15, 1914 the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary was assassinated by a Serbian nationalist. As a result, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Russia, due to its alliance with Serbia because they are a Slavic people, had to protect Serbia and ended up going to war against Germany, Austria-Hungary's ally. -
The Beginning of WWI
The death of Archduke Ferdinand was also the catalyst for the start of WWI. The alliances made by the countries of Europe dragged nearly the entire world into the conflict and the loss of many lives. -
The Death of Grigory Rasputin
Grigory Rasputin had disappeared from the Alexander Palace only to be discovered that he was lured by Dmitri Pavlovich and Felix Yusupov. They had first tried to poison him and when that didn't work they shot him repeatedly and dropped his body into a river. Alexandra was devastated and the whole family grieved. -
Nicholas Abdicates the Throne
On March 2, 1917 Nicholas II is forced to abdicate the throne in order to save himself and his son Alexei. -
October Revolution
October Revolution, also called Bolshevik Revolution, the second and last major phase of the Russian Revolution of 1917, in which the Bolshevik Party seized power in Russia, inaugurating the Soviet regime. -
Russia pulls out of WWI
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk allows peace between Russia and the Central Powers and Russia's exit from WWI under Joseph Stalin. -
The Romanov Dynasty Ends
The royal family is executed by the Bolshevik government at Ekaterinburg in the basement when the White Russians are approaching.
