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Peter the Great is born.
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After Tsar Alexis died in 1676, a power struggle broke out until the Boyar Duma declared Peter Tsar, with his mother as regent.
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Peter's mother was unhappy with his disconcern for the throne, so she forced him to marry Eudoxia, but it was a terrible failure in his life. (the date is false)
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Peter's ambition for the throne peaks and he capitalizes on his half-sister's failed invasions of Crimea.
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Peter wanted to expand his maritime control, and sought to gained Kiev from Poland under the agreement that he would attack Crimea and the Ottomans. The goal was to take Fort Azov and control the Black Sea. It was a massive failure, and Peter left to build his navy.
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Peter finally captures Azov with his newly formed navy.
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Peter could not face the Ottoman Empire alone, so he travelled to Europe with his "Grand Embassy" to seak help from the monarchs of the West. But he was declined by all, for the West was more concerned with their own wars and who would succeed the King of Spain. In Europe, though, he learned many skills and ways of life that he would take back to Russia in his future reforms.
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Peter rushed back to Russia to quell a rebellion, only to find his army had handled it and lost only on man.
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Peter officially founded Taganrog, the first Russian Naval Base.
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Peter made his wife become a nun to free himself from the marriage.
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Peter set about reforms in Russia after his European Tour, including the forced removal of his Boyars' beards and the wearing of European clothing. He revamped his navy and army and sought to end arranged marriages.
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Peter changed the traditional New Year from September first to January first, as the other European countries did.
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Peter wanted to take control of the Baltic Sea to open trade to the West, which meant he must declare war on Sweden. Sweden was also at war with Saxony, Poland-Lithuania, and Denmark at the time, but Peter's attempts failed in the Battle of Narva.
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Peter used the small portions of land won from Sweden to build his new city and trading port, Saint Petersburg, which he also intended to make his capital. It was built on very precarious land and took a great deal of time to complete, but would become the first capital city to ever be built on enemy lands.
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Peter fell in love with Martha while constructing St. Petersburg, and she converted to Russian Orthodox for him and they secretly married.
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The Swedes invaded Russia and defeated Peter at Golovchin in July, but were defeated at the Battle of Lesnaya, where Peter destroyed a reenforcing army before it could aid the Swedish king. They then turned to the Ukraine, and Peter had anything valuable burned as the Russians fled.
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The Battle of Poltava was the decisive defeat of the Swedish army, resulting in Poland being returned to its formal free empire and the Swedish king being forced into exile in the Ottoman Empire.
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Peter remarried Catherine (she changed her name) in Saint Issac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg, this time officialy.
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Peter was officially named Emperor of all he had claimed in his reign.
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Peter died of a bladder infection of gangrene after ruling for 42 years.
