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Her real name was Sophie -

Catherine was born Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst on April 21, 1729, in Stettin, Prussia (modern-day Szczecin, Poland).

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Nobel blood -

Her father, Christian August (pictured), was a minor German prince and general in the Prussian army. Her mother, Princess Johanna Elisabeth, had distant links to the Russian royal family.

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She was well educated -

Growing up, Catherine was educated in religion, history, and languages. She spoke German, French, and, later, Russian.

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Catherine was married to Peter III -

Catherine first met her husband-to-be when she was just 10 years old. They married on August 21, 1745. The young Sophie converted to Russian Orthodoxy, despite her Lutheran father’s objections, and took on a new Russian name, Ekaterina, or Catherine.

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It was a rocky marriage -

Catherine and Peter were an ill-matched pair. From the moment they met, she found him detestable. In her memoirs, she described him as a drunk simpleton.

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Peter was unpopular -

When Empress Elizabeth died in 1761, Peter became Emperor Peter III, and Catherine his Empress Consort. Peter was immediately unpopular, as he pulled out of the Seven Years’ War and made big concessions to Russia’s adversaries in the process.

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Catherine assumed power through a coup -

Catherine took the opportunity to seize power and usurp her husband, claiming the throne for her own. She worked with her lover, Grigory Grigoryevich Orlov, and her other allies to overthrow him.

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The end of Peter -

Peter was killed eight days later, while in the custody of one of Catherine's co-conspirators. She was formally crowned on September 22, 1762.

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Descendant from a Russian noble house -

Although Catherine didn't descend from the Romanov dynasty, her position was strengthened because she descended from the Rurik dynasty, which preceded the Romanovs.

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Catherine was an early endorser of inoculations -

Catherine was inoculated against smallpox by a British doctor, Thomas Dimsdale (pictured), which was controversial at the time.

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She embraced medicine -

She led the way in embracing the latest medical practices and aimed to popularize inoculations. By 1800, approximately two million inoculations were carried out in the Russian Empire.

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Voltaire was one of Catherine’s greatest friends -

Early in her life, Catherine began correspondence with the Enlightenment thinker Voltaire, who was fascinated by Russia. And although they never met in person, their letters revealed a close friendship.

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Catherine was a key figure in the Russian Enlightenment -

The empress was a patron of the arts. The Hermitage Museum, which now occupies the Winter Palace, includes Catherine’s personal art collection.

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She supported women's education -

Catherine also helped to establish the Smolny Institute of Noble Maidens, the first state-financed higher education institution for women in Europe.

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She had many lovers who were rewarded with generous gifts -

Catherine was famously loyal to her lovers, both during and after their relationship. Always parting on good terms, she bestowed upon them titles, land, and palaces.

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Serfs of the empire -

Catherine also gifted her lovers with serfs. Owning 500,000 of these peasants, she once gifted a former lover with more than 1,000 serfs.

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Her eldest son might have been illegitimate -

An extremely unhappy marriage from the start, Peter and Catherine both had extramarital affairs. When Catherine gave birth to a son, Paul (pictured), after eight years of marriage, gossips murmured that military officer Sergei Saltykov was the father. It’s believed that none of her three children were fathered by Peter.

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Her reign was plagued by pretenders -

During the 18th century, there were 44 pretenders in Russia, individuals who claimed they had the right to a title and a higher position that belonged to someone else. Records state that 26 of them existed during Catherine’s reign. This was largely a result of economic problems and increased taxation.

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Crimea was annexed during Catherine’s reign -

After the Russo-Turkish War (1768-1774), Catherine seized this area of land to improve Russian presence in the Black Sea.

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Catherine faced more than a dozen uprisings during her reign -

With various threats of uprisings, the most dangerous came in 1773, when a group of armed Cossacks and peasants rebelled against the harsh socioeconomic conditions of Russia’s lowest class, the serfs. Catherine soon responded with massive force, and executed the leaders of the group.

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Britain sought Catherine’s help during the American Revolutionary War -

In 1775, Catherine was approached by the Earl of Dartmouth, who sought 20,000 Russian troops to help Britain fight the colonial rebellions in America.

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Catherine flatly refused to help the Brits -

Instead, given the interests of Russian shipping in the Atlantic, she made efforts to resolve the conflict in 1780.

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Alaska was colonized on Catherine the Great's watch -

Russian explorers had been visiting Alaska since 1741, however it was only in 1784 when merchant Grigory Shelikhov sailed to Kodiak Island and established the Three Saints Bay Colony.

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Catherine had a long reign -

Catherine's 34-year reign made her one of the longest-reigning female monarchs in Russian history.

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Catherine’s eldest son met the same fate as his father -

Catherine had a famously stormy relationship with Paul, who she kept far away from state affairs. Things got really bad when Paul was convinced his mother was actively plotting his death.

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Plans of an heir -

Catherine took control of the upbringing and education of Paul’s sons, and rumors spread that they would be her heirs. However, the empress died before her plans were made public. Worried that his mother's wishes would come true, Paul confiscated her documents and became emperor.

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A new emperor -

Alexander (pictured), Paul’s eldest son, was aware of his grandmother’s plans but didn't stand in his father’s way. Paul proved to be just as unpopular as Catherine had feared, and five years into his reign he was assassinated. His son assumed power as Alexander I.

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Rumors of her death -

Wild rumors flew after Catherine's death, including that she was crushed to death while attempting to have intimate relationships with a horse. However, an autopsy revealed that the empress had actually died of a cerebral stroke.

Sources: (History Hit) (History) (Mental Floss)

See also: Who was Grigori Rasputin, the self-proclaimed holy man?

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