Leopold II (Peter Leopold Josef Anton Joachim Pius Gotthard; 5 May 1747 – 1 March 1792) was the penultimate Holy Roman Emperor, as well as King of Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia, and Archduke of Austria from 1790 to 1792, and Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1765 to 1790. He was a son of Empress Maria Theresa and Emperor Francis I, and the brother of Queen Marie Antoinette of France, Queen Maria Carolina, Duchess Maria Amalia of Parma, and Emperor Joseph II. Leopold was a moderate proponent of enlightened absolutism like his brother Joseph II. He granted the Academy of Georgofili his protection. Unusually for his time, he opposed the death penalty and torture and abolished it in Tuscany on 30 November 1786 during his rule there, making it the first nation in modern history to do so.
Grand Duke of Tuscany Leopold II promulgates a penal reform, making Tuscany the first state to abolish the death penalty
Grand Duke of Tuscany Leopold II promulgates a penal reform, making Tuscany the first state to abolish the death penalty; November 30 is now commemorated as Cities for Life Day
Historical Significance
Leopold II (Peter Leopold Josef Anton Joachim Pius Gotthard; 5 May 1747 – 1 March 1792) was the penultimate Holy Roman Emperor, as well as King of Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia, and Archduke of Austria from 1790 to 1792, and Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1765 to 1790.
Key People
Events Before
John Walter publishes the first issue of his newspaper "The Daily Universal Register," which is renamed "The Times" of L
John Walter publishes the first issue of his newspaper "The Daily Universal Register," which is renamed "The Times" of London in 1788
The parents of the poet Lord Byron marry - Captain John Byron and his second wife Catherine Gordon, heiress of the Gight
The parents of the poet Lord Byron marry - Captain John Byron and his second wife Catherine Gordon, heiress of the Gight estate in Scotland
Benjamin Franklin announces his invention of bifocals
Benjamin Franklin announces his invention of bifocals
Geologist James Hutton publicly reads an abstract of his theory of uniformitarianism for the first time at a meeting of
Geologist James Hutton publicly reads an abstract of his theory of uniformitarianism for the first time at a meeting of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
US Congress unanimously resolves to name the US currency the "dollar" and adopts decimal coinage
US Congress unanimously resolves to name the US currency the "dollar" and adopts decimal coinage
Events After
Naval officer Horatio Nelson (28) weds Frances Nisbet at Montpelier Estate on the island of Nevis
Naval officer Horatio Nelson (28) weds Frances Nisbet at Montpelier Estate on the island of Nevis
The First Fleet, headed by Arthur Phillip, sets sail with 11 ships of convicts for Botany Bay, Australia [1]
The First Fleet is the name given to the group of eleven ships carrying convicts, the first to do so, that left England in May 1787 and arrived in Australia in January 1788.
Delegates gather in Philadelphia to draw up the Constitution of the United States
The United States Constitution has served as the supreme law of the United States since taking effect in 1789.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completes his chamber piece "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" (A Little Serenade)
Eine kleine Nachtmusik (Serenade No. 13 for strings in G major), K. 525, is a 1787 composition for a chamber ensemble by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791).
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completes his violin and piano sonata in A, K526
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completes his violin and piano sonata in A, K526
More from the 1780s
John Walter publishes the first issue of his newspaper "The Daily Universal Register," which is renamed "The Times" of L
John Walter publishes the first issue of his newspaper "The Daily Universal Register," which is renamed "The Times" of London in 1788
Emperor Joseph II's order for the Jews of Galicia, Austria, to adopt family names comes into effect
Emperor Joseph II's order for the Jews of Galicia, Austria, to adopt family names comes into effect
Future US Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Marshall (27) weds Mary Willis Ambler (16) at his cousin's home in Han
Future US Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Marshall (27) weds Mary Willis Ambler (16) at his cousin's home in Hanover County, Virginia, until her death in 1831
British naval expedition led by Benedict Arnold burns Richmond, Virginia
The military career of Benedict Arnold in 1781 consisted of service in the British Army.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happened on November 30, 1786?
- Leopold II (Peter Leopold Josef Anton Joachim Pius Gotthard; 5 May 1747 – 1 March 1792) was the penultimate Holy Roman Emperor, as well as King of Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia, and Archduke of Austria from 1790 to 1792, and Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1765 to 1790. He was a son of Empress Maria Theresa and Emperor Francis I, and the brother of Queen Marie Antoinette of France, Queen Maria Carolina, Duchess Maria Amalia of Parma, and Emperor Joseph II. Leopold was a moderate proponent of enlightened absolutism like his brother Joseph II.
- Why is Grand Duke of Tuscany Leopold II promulgates a penal reform, making Tuscany t... significant?
- Leopold II (Peter Leopold Josef Anton Joachim Pius Gotthard; 5 May 1747 – 1 March 1792) was the penultimate Holy Roman Emperor, as well as King of Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia, and Archduke of Austria from 1790 to 1792, and Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1765 to 1790.
- Who was involved in Grand Duke of Tuscany Leopold II promulgates a penal reform, making Tuscany t...?
- Key figures include Leopold II.