Catherine the Great

1729 – 1796 · died at about 67^[1][2]

Politics & Leadership

Fun Facts About Catherine the Great

• Catherine the Great was born a German princess named Sophie, in Stettin. She took the name Catherine when she joined the Russian Orthodox Church at 15.^[1]
• Catherine studied Russian late at night in her bedroom, but she always spoke it with a heavy accent and grammatical errors, and her court mostly spoke French.^[1]
• Catherine had herself inoculated against smallpox by English doctor Thomas Dimsdale to set an example. By 1800 about 2 million inoculations had been given in the Russian Empire.^[1]
• The Hermitage Museum began as Catherine's personal collection. By 1790 it held 38,000 books, 10,000 gems, and 10,000 drawings.^[1]
• Catherine corresponded with Voltaire for 15 years but never met him. He called her the Star of the North, and after his death she bought his library from his heirs.^[1][3][4]
• The notorious rumor that Catherine died in an incident with her horse was spread by satirical British and French publications. An autopsy confirmed she died of a stroke.^[1]
• Catherine the Great was alive at the same time as Lord Byron — their lives overlapped for 8 years (1788–1796).^[1][2][5][6]
• Catherine the Great lived to about 67, from 1729 until 1796.^[1][2]

Catherine II, commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the reigning Empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after a coup d'etat against her husband, Peter III. Her long reign helped Russia thrive under a golden age during the Enlightenment. This renaissance led to the founding of many new cities, universities, and theatres, along with large-scale immigration from the rest of Europe and the recognition of Russia as one of the great powers of Europe.^[1]

Contemporaries

Immanuel Kant

67 yr overlap

George Washington

64 yr overlap

Joseph Haydn

64 yr overlap

Benjamin Franklin

61 yr overlap

Adam Smith

61 yr overlap

John Adams

61 yr overlap

James Watt

60 yr overlap

Frederick the Great

57 yr overlap

Leonhard Euler

54 yr overlap

Thomas Jefferson

53 yr overlap

Toussaint Louverture

53 yr overlap

Captain James Cook

50 yr overlap

Their World

Questions About Catherine the Great

When was Catherine the Great born?

Catherine the Great was born on May 2, 1729, and died on November 17, 1796.

How old was Catherine the Great at death?

Catherine the Great was born on May 2, 1729, and died on November 17, 1796, at age 67.

What was Catherine the Great known for?

Catherine the Great was known for: Empress who expanded Russia. Catherine II, commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the reigning Empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after a coup d'etat against her husband, Peter III. Her long reign helped Russia thrive under a golden age during the Enlightenment. This renaissance led to the founding of many new cities, universities, and theatres, along with large-scale immigration from the rest of Europe and the recognition of Russia as one of the great powers of Europe.

Who was alive at the same time as Catherine the Great?

Catherine the Great's closest contemporary was Immanuel Kant. Their lives overlapped for 67 years.