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Aug 25, 1530
Ivan IV was born
Ivan IV was born August 25, 1530 in Kolomenskoye, which is very close to Moscow. -
Dec 4, 1533
Grand Prince
He was made the grand prince of Moscow on December 4, 1533. -
Jan 1, 1547
Tsar of Russia
In 1547 he proclaimed to be tsar of Russia, Ivan was the first to do so. -
Feb 1, 1547
1st Marriage
In February 1547, Ivan married Anastasiya Romanovna, his first wife. -
Jan 1, 1556
Caspian Sea Trade Route Open
In 1556 the khanate of Astrakhan, located at the mouth of the Volga, was seized without contest. From that moment onward, the Volga became a Russian river, and the trade route to the Caspian Sea was rendered nonthreatening. -
Jan 1, 1558
War against Livonia
In 1558 he went to war in an attempt to establish Russian rule over Livonia because Russia would no longer be landlocked. -
Jan 1, 1564
Russian left to go to Poland: formation of Oprichinina
In 1564, Andrey Kurbsky, defected to Poland, which made Ivan disgruntled and that is when he started the Oprichnina. -
Jan 1, 1565
Organization of Secret Service
In 1565, he formed the Oprichnina, which was like a secret service. You would not want to mess with them. -
Period: Jan 1, 1570 to Dec 31, 1579
Could not keep a Wife
During the 1570s he married five wives in succession in only nine years. -
Jan 1, 1571
Moscow burnt to the Ground
In 1571, the Tatars burned Moscow leaving only the Kremlin standing. -
Jan 1, 1572
Dismantling of Secret Service
In 1572, the Oprichnina was dismantled after failing to complete Ivan’s needs. -
Jan 1, 1575
Quitting Rule
In 1575, Ivan the Terrible did not try at all to rule and let Simeon Bekbulatovich, a Tatar prince. -
Jan 1, 1581
Arguement with Son
After an argument with his son Ivan in 1581, he killed him. -
Death
He died on March 18, 1584 of an apparent stroke, his health was failing and that finished him off.