1720 - His first political act was to reassert royal authority, subordinating the parties in the Riksdag and thereby halting the so-called Age of Freedom.
1766 - Married to Sophie Magdalene, daughter of Frederick V of Denmark.
1771 - He was proclaimed as the King of Sweden.
- His reign was known as the ‘Gustavian Era’ or the age of ‘the Swedish Enlightenment’.
1782-1788 - A committed patron of the arts, he founded the Royal Opera House, the Swedish Academy, and the Royal Dramatic Theatre.
- Poor harvests and a failing economy created discontent, and as a diversion he launched into a war against Russia that proved unpopular.
1790 - He continued to reduce the powers of the nobility, but aristocratic plots continued.
1792 - Died on March 29th. He was shot and mortally wounded by a Swedish army officer during a masked ball at the Royal Opera House.