-
Peter is Born
“He was born as Pyotr Alekseyevich on June 9, 1672 in Moscow, Russia, as the son of Tsar Alexis and his second wife, Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina. He was his father’s 14th child but his mother’s first son. Most of his elder half-siblings were weak and sickly while Peter himself was healthy and full of energy and vigor.”
("Peter The Great Timeline." The Famous People. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Dec. 2015.) -
Peter’s father dies
“Alexis I died in January 1676 sparking off a chain of events that would eventually see Peter installed as Peter I of Russia. For the time being however, the crown passed to his sickly half brother, the new Feodor III.”
(Young, Andy. "History of Russia." History of Russia. N.p., 12 Jan. 2012. Web. 27 Dec. 2015.) -
Feodor III dies
“Feodor’s many illnesses saw him eventually succumb at the tender age of 20, but there was one final male heir blocking Peter’s path to the crown.”
(Young, Andy. "History of Russia." History of Russia. N.p., 12 Jan. 2012. Web. 27 Dec. 2015.) -
Peter and Ivan are crowned
“After the death of their elder brother, Fedor III, under the regency of their sister, Tsarevna Sophia Alexeevna, Peter I the Great became Tsar of Russia jointly with his sickly half-brother Ivan V.
("HistoryMole Timeline: Tsar Peter The Great (1672-1725).” (" HistoryMole Timeline: Tsar Peter The Great (1672-1725). N.p., 18 Sept. 2010. Web. 27 Dec. 2015.) -
Peter’s mother arranges his marriage
“When Peter was a young man, his mother arranged his marriage with Eudoxia Lopukhina, the daughter of a minor noble. The marriage which took place in 1689 was unhappy from the very beginning.”
("Peter The Great Timeline." The Famous People. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Dec. 2015.) -
Peter begins constructing the Russian navy
“After losing a war with Turkey because of the Turks' superior naval power, Peter begins building a fleet of thirty vessels and nearly a thousand barges. Prior to Peter's reign, there has been no Russian navy. When Peter attacks the Turks again in May 1696, Russia wins, and Peter officially founds the Russian navy in October 1696.”
("Petrine Era Timeline." Petrine Era Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Dec. 2015.) -
Peter assumes sole rule
“Ivan was beset by serious physical and mental disabilities and in February 1696 he died. Ivan ruled with Peter in name only and his death saw his half brother assume sole Tsardom at the age of 23.”
(Young, Andy. "History of Russia." History of Russia. N.p., 12 Jan. 2012. Web. 27 Dec. 2015.) -
Peter vows to change Russia
“When Peter came to power, Russia was severely underdeveloped as compared to the other European nations which were prosperous and culturally rich. Russia lagged behind in modernization and this was something Peter vowed to change.”
("Peter The Great Timeline." The Famous People. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Dec. 2015.) -
Peter embarks on his grand tour of Europe
“Peter travels around Vienna, the Netherlands, and England to learn everything he can about western technology and practices. With this trip he becomes the first czar to travel abroad since the 10th century. He studies museums, factories, shipyards, architecture, and dentistry for over a year.”
("Petrine Era Timeline." Petrine Era Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Dec. 2015.) -
Peter sends a delegation to Malta
“After cutting short his European visit, Peter sends a delegation to Malta to observe military and naval training. Peter's visits and knowledge of the west convince him to require his officials to cut off their beards and wear European clothes.”
("Petrine Era Timeline." Petrine Era Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Dec. 2015.) -
Peter finds the first Russian Navy base
“Peter realized that it was important to make Russia a maritime power in order to make trading with other nations easier. He sought to create more maritime outlets and after several wars with Turkey in the south, he secured access to the Black Sea. He officially founded the first Russian Navy base, Taganrog, in September 1698.”
("Peter The Great Timeline." The Famous People. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Dec. 2015.)
“Russia's Peter the Great imposed a tax on beards.” ("HistoryMole Timeline) -
Peter divorces his wife
“Peter divorced his wife in 1698 and forced her to join a convent. This union produced three children.”
("Peter The Great Timeline." The Famous People. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Dec. 2015.) -
Peter changes the date of the New Year
“Aiming to align Russia with the European nations using the Julian calendar, Peter changes the date of the New Year. Previously Russia celebrated the New Year on September 1 with the Gregorian calendar, but now the nation celebrates on January 1.”
("Petrine Era Timeline." Petrine Era Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Dec. 2015.) -
Sweden defeats Russia at Narva
“Inspired by his trip abroad, Peter plans to make Russia a powerful member of Europe. He challenges Sweden's dominance of the northern part of the continent, but Sweden defeats Russia at Narva. This launches the Great Northern War.”
("Petrine Era Timeline." Petrine Era Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Dec. 2015.) -
The Great Northern War
“After securing peace with the Ottoman Empire, Peter turned his attentions to gaining territory in the Baltic states. Thus began the Great Northern War which was to last for twenty-one years.
It was a long and bitter conflict but ultimately Russia was successful and established itself as a major European power. Ultimately, this was the defining point of Peter’s reign.”
(Young, Andy. "History of Russia." History of Russia. N.p., 12 Jan. 2012. Web. 27 Dec. 2015.) -
Peter finds a naval fleet in the Baltic Sea
“Inspired by his study of British shipbuilding technology, Peter establishes a naval fleet in the Baltic Sea. By the end of his reign, 28,000 men serve there, with 49 ships and 800 smaller vessels.” ("Petrine Era Timeline." Petrine Era Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Dec. 2015.) -
Peter finds a new capital, St. Petersburg
“Having won a window on the Baltic Sea with his victories in the Great Northern War, Peter founds the city of St. Petersburg as Russia's new capital. This construction is yet another step in Russia's path to prominence among European powers.”
("Petrine Era Timeline." Petrine Era Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Dec. 2015.)
“Peter captured the Swedish fortress of Nyenskans and subsequently laid down the first stone for a new city.” (Young, Andy. "History of Russia." History of Russia. N.p., 12 Jan) -
The Battle of Poltava turns the tide of the Great Northern War
“After his defeat at Narva, Peter completely reforms the army, borrowing ideas from Austria, France, and Sweden. He establishes a permanent army of 200,000 with another 100,000 Cossacks in reserve, demanding that the entire country bear the cost of this army. He wins a decisive victory in the Battle of Poltava, which turns the tide of the Great Northern War in Russia's favor.”
("Petrine Era Timeline." Petrine Era Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Dec. 2015.) -
Peter marries Martha Skavronskaya
“He took a mistress by the name Martha Skavronskaya who converted to the Russian Orthodox Church and took the name Catherine. He married her in Saint Petersburg on 9 February 1712. This marriage resulted in the birth of 11 children though only a few survived to adulthood.”
("Peter The Great Timeline." The Famous People. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Dec. 2015.) -
Peter changes Russia's capital
“In 1712 Peter the Great moved the Russian capital from Moscow to St. Petersburg which prospered as a hub of trade and culture.” ("Peter The Great Timeline." The Famous People. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Dec. 2015.) -
Compulsory education is established
“Aiming to educate a force of bureaucrats on par with western officials, Peter issues a decree calling for compulsory education. All Russian children of the nobility, government clerks, and officials must learn basic mathematics and geometry.”
("Petrine Era Timeline." Petrine Era Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Dec. 2015.) -
Peter establishes the Holy Synod
“Since his youth, Peter has hated the conservative Muscovite clergy, and when the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church dies, Peter refuses to appoint another prelate. In 1721 Peter replaces the Patriarchate with the Holy Synod, a state committee of clerics.”
("Petrine Era Timeline." Petrine Era Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Dec. 2015.) -
The Great Northern War Ends
“The Northern war went on for 21 long years and ended with the Treaty of Nystad in 1721. By the time the war ended, Russia had acquired Ingria, Estonia, Livonia, and a substantial portion of Karelia.” ("Peter The Great Timeline." The Famous People. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Dec. 2015.) -
Peter takes the title of Emperor
“Soon after his victory over Sweden, Peter abandons the title of Czar and instead takes the title of Emperor of All Russia. This title symbolizes his identification with western traditions.”
("Petrine Era Timeline." Petrine Era Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Dec. 2015.) -
Peter falls ill
“Peter had never enjoyed the best of health and in the winter of 1723 he began to suffer problems with a blocked urinary tract. In an emergency operation, the blockage was cleared and some four pounds of urine were removed but Peter never truly recovered.”
(Young, Andy. "History of Russia." History of Russia. N.p., 12 Jan. 2012. Web. 27 Dec. 2015.) -
Peter dies
“Peter had fallen ill with Uremia at the beginning of 1725 and began to fall into a coma. He passed away on the 08th of February with his autopsy revealing that his bladder was infected with gangrene. It was an unremarkable end to the life of a man who arguably the greatest of all Russian leaders.”
(Young, Andy. "History of Russia." History of Russia. N.p., 12 Jan. 2012. Web. 27 Dec. 2015.)
“He is entombed in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, located in in St. Petersburg.” (Bio.com)
