LONDON (AP) – Queen Elizabeth II became Britain’s longest-reigning monarch Wednesday, surpassing her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria. Here are the key milestones in her life:
-April 21, 1926: Born Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary in Mayfair, London, the first child of the future King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, later called the Queen Mother.
-Dec. 10, 1936: Elizabeth becomes heir-apparent to the throne after King Edward VIII abdicates and her father becomes king.
-Oct. 13, 1940: Elizabeth makes first public speech at age 14 on the BBC Children’s Hour to reassure children who had been separated from their parents during the Blitz.
-1945: Elizabeth is made a Subaltern in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, serving for Britain during World War II.