Elizabeth (1709–1762)

Empress of Russia from 1741, daughter of Peter the Great. She carried through a palace revolution and supplanted her cousin, the infant Ivan VI (1730–1764), on the throne. She continued the policy of westernization begun by Peter and allied herself with Austria against Prussia.

Elizabeth

In the New Testament, mother of John the Baptist. She was a cousin of Jesus' mother Mary, who came to see her shortly after the Annunciation; on this visit (called the Visitation), Mary sang the hymn of praise later to be known as the ‘Magnificat’.

Elizabeth

Industrial city, deep-water port, and administrative headquarters of Union County, northeast New Jersey, USA; population (2000) 120,600. It is located 8 km/5 mi from Newark and linked by bridge with Staten Island, New York City. It has oil refineries, aluminium, and chemical works, and manufactures car parts, sewing machines, and tools.

Settled in an area purchased from the Delaware Indians (1664) and called Elizabethtown until 1740, it was New Jersey's first Colonial capital and meeting place of the Colonial assembly (1668–82). The College of New Jersey, which would become Princeton University, was founded here (1747).

Elizabeth (1764–1794)

French princess. The sister of Louis XVI, she was born in Versailles, France, and was guillotined on 10 May 1794.

Elizabeth (1596–1662)

Wife of Frederick V, Elector Palatine. She was the daughter of James I of Great Britain and Anne of Denmark, and was born in Falkland Palace, Fifeshire. From 1603 until her marriage in 1613 she was brought up in England. Her husband's acceptance of the throne of Bohemia in 1619 precipitated the Thirty Years' War.

Both Bohemia and the Palatinate were lost during the Thirty Years' War and the royal family fled to Holland where they lived in extreme poverty, dogged by misfortunes. Elizabeth's court nevertheless remained a centre of attraction throughout her long exile, mainly because of her continuing vitality, beauty, and courage. Frederick died in 1632.

Elizabeth had 13 children among whom were Charles Louis, restored to the electorate in 1648, Rupert, Prince of Bavaria, who served Charles I in the English Civil War, and Sophia, the mother of George I, King of Great Britain.

Elizabeth

Industrial town in South Australia, 27 km/17 mi north of Adelaide; population (1996) 25,852. Founded in 1955 to decentralize Adelaide, it was amalgamated with the city of Munno Para in May 1997 to form the city of Playford.