Biography:The longest-lived and longest-reigning monarch in British history, Elizabeth is the constitutional head of 16 sovereign states and head of the Commonwealth of Nations. In her capacity as British monarch she also ceremonially heads the Church of England as its Supreme Governor.
The eldest daughter of George VI, she became the heiress presumptive when her father acceded the throne following the abdication of his brother, Edward VIII. During World War II, she began to undertake public duties and worked in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. After the death of her father she acceded the throne in 1952.
Her reign has seen immense constitutional changes in Britain. This includes devolution to the regional governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, Canadian patriation, African decolonization and the continuing evolution of the Commonwealth, of which she is the head. Personal tribulations have included the collapse of her children's marriages, a fire at Windsor Castle in 1992, the death of Princess Diana in 1997 and the deaths of her mother and sister in 2002.
In 2017 she became the first British monarch to reach her Sapphire Jubilee.
Born:April 21, 1926 Birthplace:London, England, United Kingdom
1947-11-20 Future British Queen Princess Elizabeth II (21) weds Lt Philip Mountbatten (26) in Westminster Abbey, London
Historical Events
1945-03-04 United Kingdom's Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II), joins the British Auxiliary Transport Service (ATS) as a driver
1952-02-06 Queen Elizabeth II succeeds King George VI to the British throne and proclaimed Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms including Canada, Australia and New Zealand
1953-04-16 British royal yacht Britannia launched by Queen Elizabeth II
1953-06-02 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Abbey, London, England
1954-01-12 Queen Elizabeth II opens New Zealand parliament
1957-01-01 George Town, Penang becomes a city by a royal charter granted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
1957-10-14 Queen Elizabeth II becomes the first Canadian monarch to open the Parliament of Canada with the Speech from the Throne
1958-06-09 HM Queen Elizabeth II officially opens London Gatwick Airport, (LGW), Crawley, West Sussex, United Kingdom.
1958-12-05 Subscriber Trunk Dialling (STD) is inaugurated in the UK by Queen Elizabeth II when she speaks to the Lord Provost in a call from Bristol to Edinburgh.
1959-06-26 Queen Elizabeth II and US President Dwight D. Eisenhower open the St. Lawrence Seaway, allowing oceangoing vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes of North America
1959-10-17 Queen Elizabeth II is fined $140 for withdrawing her race horse
1960-02-08 Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom issues an Order-in-Council, stating that she and her family would be known as the House of Windsor, and that her descendants will take the name "Mountbatten-Windsor"
1966-09-08 The Severn Bridge between England and Wales is officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II
1967-09-20 British liner Queen Elizabeth II launched at Clydebank Scotland
1967-12-01 Queen Elizabeth II inaugurates 98-inch (249-cm) Isaac Newton telescope
1968-01-02 Cecil Day-Lewis is appointed British Poet Laureate by Queen Elizabeth II
1972-10-20 John Betjeman is appointed British Poet Laureate by Queen Elizabeth II
1972-11-08 Stock Exchange Tower, the new 26-story home of the London Stock Exchange opened by Queen Elizabeth II
1973-03-17 Queen Elizabeth II opens new London Bridge
1973-10-20 Queen Elizabeth II opens the Sydney Opera House, at Bennelong Point in Sydney, Australia, after 14 years of construction
1976-03-26 Queen Elizabeth II sent out the first royal email, from the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment
1977-06-09 Silver jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain celebrated with fireworks
1981-06-13 Teenager fires 6 blank rounds at Queen Elizabeth II
1982-04-17 Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and Queen Elizabeth II sign the "Proclamation of the Constitution Act", establishing the "Charter of Rights and Freedoms" as part of the country’s new Constitution
1998-02-24Elton John is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in London
1998-06-25 New building for The British Library at Kings Cross, designed by Colin St John Wilson, is opened by Queen Elizabeth II in London
1998-07-12 South African President Nelson Mandela accompanies Queen Elizabeth II on a coach drive through the streets of London
2000-12-06 Great Court of the British Museum redesigned with the largest covered courtyard in Europe by Foster & Partners opened by Queen Elizabeth II
2004-01-08 RMS Queen Mary 2, the largest passenger ship ever built, is christened by her namesake's granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II
2006-11-11 New Zealand war memorial monument unveiled by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in London, United Kingdom, commemorating the loss of soldiers from the New Zealand Army and the British Army
2007-05-05 133rd Kentucky Derby: Calvin Borel aboard 9-2 favourite Street Sense wins on his home track in front of special guest, Queen Elizabeth II
2007-11-06 London's St Pancras station with new high speed extension and Eurostar connection officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II
2007-12-20 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II becomes the oldest ever monarch of the United Kingdom, surpassing Queen Victoria, who lived for 81 years, 7 months and 29 days.
2009-02-18 English fantasy author Terry Pratchett receives a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace
2012-02-06 Queen Elizabeth II marks the 60th anniversary of becoming British monarch, becoming only the second to do so
2012-07-27 Queen Elizabeth II opens the 30th Olympics in London, United Kingdom (with some help from 007)
2015-09-09 Queen Elizabeth II becomes Great Britain's longest-reigning monarch at 63 years and seven months, beating the previous record set by her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria
2018-07-13 Large protests in London against US President Donald Trump featuring Trump-like baby blimp as President Trump meets Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle
2018-10-02 The Queen's Window, with stained glass designed by David Hockney, celebrating the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, is consecrated at Westminster Abbey
2019-03-07 Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain shares her first Instagram post, a letter between mathematician Charles Babbage and Prince Albert
2019-11-07 Queen Elizabeth II confirms she is no longer buying clothes made with real fur
2019-12-03 70th anniversary of NATO marked by gathering in London of world leaders and reception by Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace
2020-01-13 Queen Elizabeth II issues a statement saying she reluctantly supports Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wish to live a more independent life
2020-04-05 British monarch Queen Elizabeth II makes an address to the nation “we will meet again”, for only the 5th time in her 66-year reign
2020-09-16 Barbados' Prime Minister Mia Mottley announces the country's intention to remove Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state and become a republic
2021-03-09 Queen Elizabeth II publicly expresses "concern" after Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex interview, saying allegations including of racism with be dealt with privately
2021-04-17 Funeral of Prince Philip, consort to Queen Elizabeth II, held under COVID-19 restrictions at Windsor Palace, England
2021-06-13 US President Joe Biden has tea with Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle
2021-11-30 Barbados becomes a Republic, removing Queen Elizabeth II as head of state in a ceremony with Sandra Mason sworn in as the first President, with Rihanna declared a national hero
2022-02-06 Queen Elizabeth II becomes the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking seventy years on the throne
2022-02-20 Britain's 95-year-old Queen Elizabeth II tests positive for COVID-19
2022-06-02 Queen Elizabeth II marks her Platinum Jubilee with four days of celebrations starting with a military parade at Buckingham Palace
2022-09-08 Queen Elizabeth II dies at Balmoral Castle after ruling for 70 years, as the UK's longest-serving monarch. Her eldest son inherits the throne as King Charles III.
2022-09-12 Queen Elizabeth II's coffin makes a ceremonial procession down the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles' Cathedral where 20,000 people queue to pay their respects
2022-09-14 Procession of Queen Elizabeth II's coffin from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster to lie in state, with queues of people paying their respects forming 2.4 miles (3.8km)
2022-09-19 British monarch Queen Elizabeth II interred at Windsor Castle after a state funeral at Westminster Abbey in London with an unprecedented 500 world leaders in attendance
Anne of Cleves
Isabella I of Castile
Jane Grey
Joséphine de Beauharnais
Livia
Margaret of Anjou