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King Gustav III of Sweden is shot by Count Jacob Johan Anckarström at a masked ball at the opera and dies on March 29

Jacob Johan Anckarström (11 May 1762 – 27 April 1792) was a Swedish military officer who is known as the assassin of King Gustav III of Sweden. He was convicted and executed for regicide.

Gustav III (24 January [O.S. 13 January] 1746 – 29 March 1792), also called Gustavus III, was King of Sweden from 1771 until his assassination in 1792. He was the eldest son of King Adolf Frederick and Queen Louisa Ulrika of Sweden.

Gustav was a vocal opponent of what he saw as the abuse of political privileges seized by the nobility since the death of King Charles XII in the Great Northern War. Seizing power from the government in a coup d'état, called the Swedish Revolution, in 1772 that ended the Age of Liberty, he initiated a campaign to restore a measure of royal autocracy.

Historical Significance

Jacob Johan Anckarström (11 May 1762 – 27 April 1792) was a Swedish military officer who is known as the assassin of King Gustav III of Sweden.

Key People

Gustav III

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Events Before

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  3. The new French Constitution, declaring France a constitutional monarchy, is passed by the National Assembly during the F

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  4. Wolfgang Mozart's dramatic opera "La Clemenza di Tito" premieres at the Estates Theatre in Prague

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  5. Emma, Lady Hamilton (26) marries Sir William Hamilton (60) at St Marylebone Parish Church in London

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Events After

  1. French King Louis XVI sentenced to death by the National Convention during the French Revolution

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  2. Louis XVI of France is executed by guillotine in Paris, following his conviction for high treason by the newly formed Na

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  3. Scottish explorer Alexander Mackenzie completes the first European east-to-west crossing of America north of Mexico

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  4. Alexander aged 15, later Tsar Alexander I, grandson of Catherine the Great, marries German princess Louise of Baden (Eli

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  5. The wedding of Prince Friedrich Ludwig of Prussia and Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz takes place.

    The wedding of Prince Friedrich Ludwig of Prussia and Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz takes place.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on March 16, 1792?
Gustav III (24 January [O.S. 13 January] 1746 – 29 March 1792), also called Gustavus III, was King of Sweden from 1771 until his assassination in 1792. He was the eldest son of King Adolf Frederick and Queen Louisa Ulrika of Sweden.
Why is King Gustav III of Sweden is shot by Count Jacob Johan Anckarström at a maske... significant?
Jacob Johan Anckarström (11 May 1762 – 27 April 1792) was a Swedish military officer who is known as the assassin of King Gustav III of Sweden.
Who was involved in King Gustav III of Sweden is shot by Count Jacob Johan Anckarström at a maske...?
Key figures include Gustav III.

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March 16 in HistoryYear 1792