UK marks Queen Elizabeth II’s 70th year on throne

The UK on Thursday is beginning celebrations of a truly unprecedented occasion in some 1,200 years of British royalty: the Platinum Jubilee, the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II ascending the British throne.

The four days of celebrations began in London with a birthday parade just before midday and continued with the Trooping of the Color.

The event was followed by a royal gun salute and the traditional balcony appearance of the queen.

The jubilee is likewise being celebrated across the country with street parties and mini-concerts, and from Thursday evening beacons will be lit.

Born April 21, 1926, Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne upon the death of her father, King George VI, on Feb. 6, 1952.

In 2015, she became the longest-serving British monarch ever, breaking the record of Queen Victoria, who sat on the throne for 63 years and seven months.