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Catherine II was born Sophia Augusta Frederica in Stettin, Poland, on May 2, 1779. She was the daughter of a minor Prussian prince. In 1745, following a long season of intrigue, she was chosen to marry Elizabeth I's chosen heir, Peter III. In 1744, against the wishes of her Lutheran father, she converted to Russian Orthodox Christianity and was given the name of Catherine Alekseyevna. In 1745, she married Peter III. Peter and Catherine did not get along well and both took lovers. Empress Elizabeth I died in 1762 and Peter III succeeded to the Russian throne. Shortly thereafter the personal guards of the Czar revolted, deposed Peter III, and placed Catherine II on the throne in his stead. Six months later, Peter died under mysterious circumstances.
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