Catherine the Great becomes Empress of Russia, July 17, 1762

On this day in history, eight days after Catherine, empress consort of Russia, ascended to the Imperial Russian throne – and just six months after he acceded to the throne – Peter III died at Ropsha, possibly at the hands of Alexei Orlov (younger brother of Catherine’s lover and co-conspirator Grigory Orlov). Peter was supposedly assassinated, but it is unknown how he died. The official cause, after an autopsy, was a severe attack of haemorrhoidal colic and an apoplexy stroke.