The Russian Constitution of 1906 is adopted (on April 23 by the Julian calendar).

The Russian Constitution of 1906, officially titled the Fundamental Laws of the Russian Empire, marked a significant—though limited—step toward constitutional monarchy in Tsarist Russia. Issued by Tsar Nicholas II on April 23, 1906, just days before the opening of the first State Duma, it was both a response to the 1905 Revolution and an attempt to appease growing public unrest without fully surrendering autocratic power. While it formally introduced a bicameral legislature—the State Council (partly appointed) and the State Duma (elected)—real power remained firmly in the Tsar’s hands. He retained authority over foreign policy, the military, the Orthodox Church, and could dissolve the Duma at will. The constitution also enshrined certain civil liberties, such as freedom of speech and assembly, but these were often undermined in practice by repressive laws and police powers. In essence, the 1906 Constitution was more about preserving imperial control under the guise of reform than genuinely distributing power, setting the stage for continued instability in the lead-up to the 1917 revolutions.