Catherine I of Russia

Born Marta Helena Skowrońska on 15 April 1684, she began life far from power. She became the second wife of Peter the Great, serving as his tsaritsa consort from 1712 and empress consort from 1721 as he transformed Russia. When Peter died on 8 February 1725, she took the throne herself, reigning as Empress until her death on 17 May 1727. The arc from servant origins to sovereign ruler marked a break with every tradition the Russian court had known.