Emperor Nicholas II was the last ruler of the Russian Empire, reigning from 1894 until his abdication in 1917. He was born on May 18, 1868, and became Tsar after the death of his father, Alexander III. Nicholas II's reign saw significant events, including the Russo-Japanese War and the Russian Revolution. Nicholas II and his family were executed by Bolsheviks in 1918, marking the end of the Romanov dynasty. He is often remembered for his struggles with modernizing Russia and the political turmoil that led to his downfall. In 2000, he was canonized as a martyr by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.