Elizabeth II ascended the throne following the death of her father King George VI, to become Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
She celebrated her Golden Jubilee in 2022 and surpassed Victoria in 2015 becoming the longest-reigning monarch in British history.
Other notable events on February 6th:
In 1996, the worst plane crash involving a Boeing 757 occurs when Birgenair Flight 301 crashes into the sea killing all 189 aboard.
In 1959, Jack Kilby patents the first microchip. He was awarded the 2000 Nobel Prize in Physics for his invention.
In 1919, a German assembly meets in Weimar to adopt the new constitution.
In 1840, New Zealand becomes a British colony through the Treaty of Waitangi.
![](https://www.tovima.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/06/Queen_Elizabeth_II_wearing_her_Coronation_robes_and_regalia.jpg)
Queen Elizabeth II wearing her Coronation robes and regalia/ BiblioArchives / LibraryArchives from Canada