Happy Birthday your Majesty !!

April 21, 1926: Elizabeth Alexandra Mary born in London.

Dec. 11, 1936: Edward VIII abdicates, and his brother becomes King George VI, placing Elizabeth next in line for the throne.

October 1940: With Britain at war, Princess Elizabeth records her first public broadcast, a message for the children of Britain.

April 21, 1943: Her first public engagement, a day with the Grenadier Guards tank battalion.

Nov. 20, 1947: Marries Philip Mountbatten, who becomes Duke of Edinburgh.

Nov. 14, 1948: Prince Charles is born.

Aug. 15, 1950: Princess Anne is born.

Feb. 6, 1952: George VI dies, succeeded by Elizabeth II.

June 2, 1953: Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey, the first televised coronation.

1953: The queen's sister, Princess Margaret, falls in love with a divorced man, prompting the royal family to veto marriage – the first of several episodes of marital troubles in the family. Margaret marries Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960; they divorce in 1978.

Feb. 19, 1960: Prince Andrew is born.

Mar. 10, 1964: Prince Edward is born.

Nov. 14, 1973: Princess Anne marries Capt. Mark Phillips. They divorce in 1992, and the Princess Royal marries Rear Adm. Timothy Laurence.

Nov. 15, 1977: Peter is born to Anne, first of the queen's seven grandchildren.

July 29, 1981: Prince Charles marries Lady Diana Spencer.

June 21, 1982: Charles and Diana's son Prince William is born.

July 9, 1982: Intruder breaks into queen's bedroom; she talks with him until police arrive.

July 23, 1986: Prince Andrew marries Sarah Ferguson; they divorce 10 years later.

Nov. 20, 1992: Fire destroys part of Windsor Castle.

Dec. 9, 1992: Charles and Diana announce they are separating.

1993: Queen begins paying taxes voluntarily to assuage public sentiment against the state subsidizing the throne; opens Buckingham Palace to tourists to help pay for Windsor Castle repairs.

Dec. 20, 1995: Queen urges Charles and Diana to divorce.

Aug. 28, 1996: Charles and Diana's final divorce decree is granted.

March 6, 1997: Queen joins cyberspace, launching British Monarchy Web site, www.royal.gov.uk.

Feb. 9, 2002: Princess Margaret, the queen's sister, dies at age 71.

March 30, 2002: The monarch's mother Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, dies at 101.

April 8, 2005: Prince Charles marries Camilla Parker Bowles; queen declines to attend civil wedding but joins religious blessing service afterward.

April 21 ,2006: The Queen celebrates her 80th birthday.