—April 21, 1926: Born Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary in Mayfair, London, the first child of the future King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, later called the Queen Mother.
—Oct. 13, 1940: Elizabeth makes first public speech at age 14 on the BBC Children’s Hour to reassure children who had been separated from their parents during the Blitz.
—1945: Elizabeth is made a Subaltern in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, serving for Britain during World War II.
—Nov. 20, 1947: Elizabeth marries Prince Philip Mountbatten of Greece and Denmark at Westminster Abbey.
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—Nov. 14, 1948: Prince Charles, now Prince of Wales, heir-apparent to the throne, is born.
—Aug. 15, 1950: Elizabeth’s second child and only daughter, Anne, the Princess Royal, is born.
In 1952, Her Majesty began her weekly audiences with the Prime Minister, which continue today: pic.twitter.com/QsbrZoyFT1
—June 2, 1953: Crowned Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey at the age of 25, upon the death of her father George VI. Many Britons bought their first television in order to watch the ceremony. The new monarch sets out on a tour of the Commonwealth, visiting places including Bermuda, Fiji, Tonga, Australia, and Gibraltar.
The Queen made history by becoming the first reigning British Monarch to visit China in 1986 pic.twitter.com/TwVjsNHE82 — BritishMonarchy (@BritishMonarchy) September 5, 2015
—1992: Elizabeth has what she describes as an “annus horribilis,” or a “horrible year.” The year sees marriages for three of her four children end. Also that year, a fire damages Windsor Castle. Public outcry over the cost of repairs amid a recession prompts the queen to volunteer to pay income taxes.
—Aug. 31, 1997: Princess Diana dies in a car crash in Paris. Under public pressure to demonstrate her grief, Elizabeth makes an unprecedented TV broadcast in tribute to Diana’s memory.
—Sep. 9, 2015: Elizabeth surpasses Queen Victoria and becomes the longest-serving monarch in British history.
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On 9 September 2015, The Queen will become the longest reigning British Monarch, surpassing Queen Victoria pic.twitter.com/fPTHzAtbmG — BritishMonarchy (@BritishMonarchy) September 2, 2015
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