Franz Joseph I

Franz Joseph I was born to Archduke Franz Karl and Princess Sophie of Bavaria in Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna.

Franz Joseph begins his formal education, focusing on history, languages, and military training.

Franz Joseph ascends to the throne at the age of 18, following the abdication of his uncle, Ferdinand I, during the Revolutions of 1848.

Franz Joseph marries Princess Elisabeth of Bavaria, known as Sisi, in a grand ceremony in Vienna.

Franz Joseph and Elisabeth welcome their first child, Crown Princess Sophie, into the world.

Franz Joseph suffers a significant defeat in the Austro-Sardinian War, leading to the loss of Lombardy-Venetia.

Franz Joseph signs the Austro-Hungarian Compromise, creating the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary and solidifying his rule.

Franz Joseph and Elisabeth have their only son, Crown Prince Rudolf, who is groomed to succeed the throne.

Crown Prince Rudolf dies in a murder-suicide with his mistress, Baroness Mary Vetsera, at Mayerling, a hunting lodge.

Franz Joseph's wife, Empress Elisabeth, is assassinated by an Italian anarchist in Geneva, Switzerland.

Franz Joseph annexes Bosnia and Herzegovina, a move that significantly increases tensions in the Balkans.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne, is assassinated in Sarajevo, leading to the outbreak of World War I.

Franz Joseph I dies at the age of 86 in Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna, after a 68-year reign, during the turmoil of World War I.