On This Day

English prince Albert Duke of York (George VI) (27) marries Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (22) at Westminster Abbey

George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in...

George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of India from 1936 until the British Raj was dissolved in August 1947, and the first Head of the Commonwealth following the London Declaration of 1949.

The future George VI was born during the reign of his great-grandmother Queen Victoria; he was named Albert at birth after his late great-grandfather Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and was known as "Bertie" to his family and close friends. His father ascended the throne as George V in 1910. As the second son of the king, Albert was not expected to inherit the throne.

Historical Significance

George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952.

Key People

Events Before

  1. British Columbia, Canada, starts driving on the right-hand side of the road

    British Columbia, Canada, starts driving on the right-hand side of the road

  2. Insulin is first used on humans when Frederick Banting injects 14-year-old Canadian Leonard Thompson to treat his diabet

    Insulin is first used on humans when Frederick Banting injects 14-year-old Canadian Leonard Thompson to treat his diabetes

  3. James Joyce's novel "Ulysses" is first published by Sylvia Beach in Paris (1,000 copies)

    Ulysses is a modernist novel by the Irish writer James Joyce. Partially serialised in the American journal The Little Review from March 1918 to December 1920, the entire work was published in Paris…

  4. American founder of the Chicago Bears football team George Halas (27) weds Minnie Bushing

    American founder of the Chicago Bears football team George Halas (27) weds Minnie Bushing

  5. Great Britain issues the Unilateral Declaration of Egyptian Independence, ending its protectorate over Egypt and grantin

    Great Britain issues the Unilateral Declaration of Egyptian Independence, ending its protectorate over Egypt and granting the country nominal independence while reserving control over military and diplomatic matters

Events After

  1. Charlie Munger is born

    Charlie Munger, American businessman, known for american businessman, was born on 1924-01-01.

  2. Grossdeutsche Volksgemeinschaft and Völkische Block replace the banned NSDAP

    Grossdeutsche Volksgemeinschaft and Völkische Block replace the banned NSDAP

  3. German-Swiss poet and novelist Hermann Hesse (36) weds Swiss soprano and painter Ruth Wenger (26); divorce in 1927

    German-Swiss poet and novelist Hermann Hesse (36) weds Swiss soprano and painter Ruth Wenger (26); divorce in 1927

  4. 1st Winter Olympic Games open in Chamonix, France

    The 1924 Winter Olympics, officially known as the I Olympic Winter Games (French: Iers Jeux olympiques d'hiver) and commonly known as Chamonix 1924 (Arpitan: Chamôni 1924), were a winter multi-sport...

  5. Vladimir Lenin is placed in a Mausoleum in Red Square, Moscow

    On Monday, 21 January 1924, at 18:50 EET, Vladimir Lenin, leader of the October Revolution and the first leader and founder of the Soviet Union, died in Gorki aged 53 after falling into a coma.

More from the 1920s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on April 26, 1923?
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of India from 1936 until the British Raj was dissolved in August 1947, and the first Head of the Commonwealth following the London Declaration of 1949. The future George VI was born during the reign of his great-grandmother Queen Victoria; he was named Albert at birth after his late great-grandfather Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and was known as "Bertie" to his family and close friends.
Why is English prince Albert Duke of York (George VI) (27) marries Lady Elizabeth Bo... significant?
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952.
Who was involved in English prince Albert Duke of York (George VI) (27) marries Lady Elizabeth Bo...?
Key figures include George VI, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.

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