When I woke up this morning, I took a shower, pulled on my clothes and ate breakfast. Nothing was extraordinary or even different than every other morning in my life. But this day isn’t just a regular Monday.
On this day in history, Ivan IV became the first ruler to be crowned Tsar of All Russia.
Better known as Ivan the Terrible, the man took over the Khanates of Kazan, Astrakhan and Siberia. He created a standing army and by his order in 1553, the Moscow print yard was established and Russia gained its first printing press. St. Basil’s Cathedral was built in Moscow during his reign, and, contradictory to myth, he did not blind the architect who built the cathedral.
However, Ivan is not famous because of the aforementioned accomplishments.
The main reason Ivan is remembered is because of his mental instability and fits of rage, one of which ultimately led to his killing his son and heir.
One of the reasons behind his instability is found in his childhood. As the heir to the throne, he was bullied by the boyars (Russian term for lord) and even witnessed a murder at a very early age. His mother also died when he was young in what is believed to have been an assassination attempt, which developed his paranoia and mistrust of those around him.
His first wife, Anastasia Romanovna (who gave her name to the Romanov dynasty) was able to assuage his temper, but when she fell ill he immediately assumed that she was assassinated and spiraled into madness.
On Jan. 16, Martin Luther King Jr. day was observed and  Columbia Public Schools were closed. But 5,228 miles away and 465 years ago, a boy called Ivan woke up and put on a crown.
By Jessica Jost