On 13 Mar 1881 Tsar Alexander II of Russia (age 62) was assassinated. He died at the Winter's Palace, St Petersburg. His son Tsar Alexander III of Russia (age 36) succeeded III Tsar Russia. Dagmar aka Maria Feodrovna Glücksburg (age 33) by marriage Tsarina Russia.

As he was known to do every Sunday for many years, the emperor went to the Mikhailovsky Manège for the military roll call. A young member of the Narodnaya Volya ("People's Will") movement, Nikolai Rysakov, threw a bomb which explosion Alexander survived. A second young member of the Narodnaya Volya, Ignacy Hryniewiecki, threw a second bomb killing the Tsar.