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Birth
Alexandrina Victoria "Drina" was born on May 24th,1819 to parents Edward, Duke of Kent (English), and Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Dutchess of Kent (German), at Kensington Palace in London, England. Queen Victoria had a rather unahppy childhood. Her parents were always in debt and the public thought lowly of the monarchy in the 1800s. She grew up in a set of run-down apartments at the shabby Kensington Palace while other family members lived in the fascinating Windsor Castle. (Bernard 11-13) -
Coronation
On June 20th, 1837, Queen Victoria's uncle, King William IV, dies and she becomes Queen of the United Kingdom at eighteen years old. Even though she became Queen in June of 1837, her official coronation was not held until a year later on June 28th, 1838 at Westminister Abbey. An over-whelming 400,000 people lined up along the streets to see the Queen proceed to the Coronation. She recorded in her journal that she would "ever remember this day as the proudest in my life". (Grant 25) -
Proposal
In order for Queen Victoria to gain some reputation, she had to marry. Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Queen Victoria's first cousin, arrived October 10th, 1839. Four days later, Victoria proposed to Albert (he could not propose to her because he was of inferior rank). The British did not like the idea of the engagement due to the fact that Albert was from Germany, not the United Kingdom. (Grant 43) (pbs.org) -
Marriage
Albert and Victoria get married on February 10th, 1840 at Westminister Abbey, just two days after he returns to the United Kingdom. A few months after their marriage, Victoria discoved she was pregnant and was not happy about this. She hated childbirth (keep in mind anesthetics were not available) and believed babies were unattractive. Also, she loved horseback riding and dancing, activities you can not do when pregnant. (Grant 45) (Bernard 44-46) -
Gives Birth to Princess Vicky
Some time before the arrival of Albert and Victoria's first daughter, Princess Vicky, the people of the United Kingdom came to the decision that if Queen Victoria died during childbirth, Albert would take over her reign. Luckily, that did not have to happen. On November 21st, 1840, Victoria gave birth to Princess Victoria Adelaide "Vicky". (Grant 47) (Bernard 46) -
Great Exhibition
The Great Exhibition, organized by Prince Albert with the help of Henry Cole, took place at the Crystal Palace, built in Hyde Park and designed by Joseph Paxton, and opened on May 1st, 1851. It was to celebrate the "works of industry of all nations". This event was mostly an opportunity for Britain to show off their inventions, designs, and ideas to the rest of the world. It was a huge success and Victoria described it as the "greatest most glorious day of my life". (Bernard 61) -
Gives Birth to Prince Leopold
Victoria gave birth to her eighth child, Prince Leopold, on April 7th,1853. What was significant about Prince Leopold was that he suffered from hemophilia, a condition in which excessive bleeding occurs owing to the absence or abnormality of a clotting factor in the blood. This meant that Victoria was a carrier of hemophilia. Three daughters proved to be transmitters. This presented a danger to the health of future descendants of the royal family. (Grant 47) (nhlbi.nih.gov) -
Death of Albert
Due to typhoid fever, Prince Albert died on December 13th, 1861 at the age of forty-two years old. The British were shocked. Victoria was devastated and her sadness seemed very excessive or dramatic to the people of her time. Victoria would live as a widow for the next forty years and wore only black which helped portray herself as a gloomy, sluggish person. She was also dead set against all feminist movements of the 1860s. (Bernard 81) -
Thirteenth Amendment Added to US Constitution
The Thirteenth Amendment was passed by Congress on January 31st, 1865. It abolished all slavery in the United States. This is important because it was a major step towards equal rights for all people (races, ethnicities, sexes, ect.). But, it also led to the founding of the KKK. (archives.gov) -
Publishes "Leaves from the Journal of Our Life in the Highlands"
The publication of the first volume of "Leaves from the Journal of our Life in the Highlands" was part of Victoria's healing process after Albert's death. She needed something to get her mind off of the tragedy, so she wrote a book dedicated to him about the holidays they shared together at Balmoral in Aberdeenshire. The book was published first privately in 1867 and publicly in 1868. It instantly became a bestseller and gave the public access to their Queen in a different form. (Grant 120) -
Suez Canal Opens
In 1869, the Suez Canal was opened. This greatly reduced the distance between Britain and India by approximately 4,500 miles because ships no longer had to travel around the southern part of Africa. It links the Mediterranean Sea at Port Said and the Red Sea at Suez, it is said to be the "shortest link to the east and the west". This helped save time and money when traveling and trading. (suezcanal.gov.eg) -
Introduction to Barbed Wire Fencing in US
Barbed wire fencing was introduced to the Great Plains in 1874 by Joseph Glidden. Barbed wire fencing was used to help farmers tame their land. Also barbed wire fencing was the cheaper, easier, and quicker to use than all alternative fencings (wood, rocks, ect.) It was also used to protect people and property from unwanted intrusion. (about.com) -
Granted Title "Empress of India"
In late 1876, Parliament grants Queen Victoria the title of "Empress of India". She was absolutely thrilled. The people of India even held a ceremony on January 1st, 1877 in her honor at Delhi that she could not attend, but read about. She was given a new name, V.R.I. which was Latin for "Victoria Regina et Imperatrix". This translated to "Victoria Queen and Empress". -
Introduction of the Phonograph in US
The phonograph is any sound reproducing machine using records. It was invented by Thomas Edison in 1877. He operated it as an office dictating machine and as a coin-operated entertainment device. Much like a jukebox.(loc.gov) -
Introduction of the Practical Light Bulb in US
The first practical light bulb was introduced to the US by Thomas Edison on November 4th, 1879. It was one of the most important features of his lamp and electrical system. The invention of the light bulb sparked many other technological advances. (fi.edu) -
Golden Jubilee
This marked the fiftieth anniversary of Queen Victoria's coronation. It included a Royal banquet attended by approximately fifty foreign kings and princes. She also enjoyed watching fireworks in her palace garden. (Bernard 99) -
Introduction of the Box Camera
On September 4th, 1888, George Eastman invented the first box camera. It was one of the first popular and easy to use cameras. It also is where the hobby of photography started. It was significant in history because now people could document images. (popphoto.com) -
Diamond Jubilee
On June 20th, 1897, Victoria celebrated her Diamond Jubilee at Windsor Castle that marked her sixtieth anniversary as Queen. She attended a Thanksgiving service with her family at St. George's Chapel in Windsor. Even though Victoria was elderly and had limited mobility she attended many national events. (Bernard 100) -
Death
Queen Victoria died on January 22nd, 1901 at the age of eighty-one years old. Her eldest son, Albert Edward, immediately stepped into the role of king. Upon Victoria's request, photographs, items of clothing, and a cast of her husband's hand were placed in her coffin with her and she was buried next to Albert in the Frogmore Royal Mausoleum at Windsor Castle. She had been the most beloved monarch in years and her death marked the end of the Victorian Age. (Bernard 102)
