On Sept. 23, 1896, Queen Victoria marked a momentous day in her journal: “Today is the day on which I have reigned longer by a day than any English sovereign.” Churches rang their bells and bonfires were lit on the hills of Balmoral, where Victoria was living when she overtook her grandfather, King George III, who had reigned for 59 years, 96 days. 
 
 In September, her great-great-granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II, will surpass Victoria as the longest-reigning British monarch in history. Yet, until recently, no one could decide on when exactly Her Majesty would make history. Dates ranging from Sept. 9 to Sept. 11 were posited. The calculations themselves give different results, depending on whether days alone are counted, or years and days, or years, months and days. 
 
 When Martin Willis, a professor of Victorian literature at the University of Westminster in London put his own extensive calculations online—he went for Sept. 10—he was stunned to realize his post was being read, and commented on, by people around the world. In late November, he got an email out of the blue from Buckingham Palace. They’d seen his work and were emailing to notify him that the Royal Archives had done its own more exhaustive investigation, using the number of days and, yes, hours for both queens. 
 
 When contacted by Maclean’s, the palace confirmed the information given Willis. Victoria’s reign lasted 23,226 days, 16 hours and 23 minutes. Elizabeth II is expected to pass that record on Sept. 9, 2015, at around 5:30 p.m., local time in Britain. As Willis says, “They’ve got first dibs on this. I’m quite willing to accept that.” 
 
 Like her predecessor, Elizabeth II is expected to be at Balmoral. Victoria didn’t want Empire-wide celebrations to mark the event. The current monarch seems to agree. (As a palace official noted, her reign started with the death of her beloved father, King George VI.) The event is important and unprecedented; just don’t expect a big party. ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption "A long life can pass by many milestones - my own is no exception" 
 
 The Queen has thanked well-wishers at home and overseas for their "touching messages of kindness" as she becomes Britain's longest-reigning monarch. 
 
 Speaking in the Scottish Borders, the 89-year-old monarch said the title was "not one to which I have ever aspired". 
 
 At 17:30 BST she had reigned for 23,226 days, 16 hours and approximately 30 minutes - surpassing the reign of her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria. 
 
 David Cameron said the service the Queen had given was "truly humbling". 
 
 Dressed in turquoise with her trusty black handbag at her side, the Queen spoke briefly to the gathered crowds earlier. 
 
 "Inevitably a long life can pass by many milestones - my own is no exception - but I thank you all and the many others at home and overseas for your touching messages of great kindness," she said. 
 
 In the day's main events: 
 
 The Queen and Prince Philip travelled by steam train from Edinburgh to Tweedbank, where she formally opened the new £294m Scottish Borders Railway 
 
 They were accompanied by Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who praised the Queen's "dedication, wisdom and exemplary sense of public service" 
 
 In London, a flotilla of historic vessels, leisure cruisers and passenger boats took part in a procession along the Thames and HMS Belfast sounded a four-gun salute 
 
 The exact moment the Queen became the longest-reigning sovereign is unknown. Her father, George VI, passed away in the early hours of 6 February 1952, but his time of death is not known. 
 
 Her Majesty's Milestone 
 
 Image copyright Buckingham Palace Image caption Newly released official photographs show the Queen with her official red box, containing the day's policy papers, cabinet documents, Foreign Office papers and other letters 
 
 Business in the Commons was postponed for half an hour so that MPs, led by Mr Cameron, could pay tribute to the Queen. 
 
 The prime minster said she had been a "rock of stability" in an era when so much had changed, and her reign had been the "golden thread running through three post-war generations". 
 
 He said it was "typical of the Queen's selfless sense of service" that she thought today should be a normal day. 
 
 Acting Labour leader Harriet Harman said it was "no exaggeration" to say the Queen was "admired by billions of people all around the world". 
 
 Ministers are to present the Queen with a bound copy of cabinet papers from the meeting in 1952 when Sir Winston Churchill's government approved the content of her first Queen's Speech. 
 
 In the House of Lords, leader Baroness Stowell said the Queen had served the country with "unerring grace, dignity and decency", adding: "And long may she continue to do so". 
 
 Image copyright Reuters 
 
 Analysis: BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt 
 
 There have been glowing tributes and much talk about the significance of this moment. No such words were uttered by the subject of all the attention. 
 
 She undertook a run-of-the-mill engagement on a far from run-of-the-mill day. And in her brief remarks - her lengthy reign hasn't lessened her aversion to making speeches - she displayed some classic British understatement. 
 
 Overtaking her great-great-grandmother wasn't something she'd ever aspired to, she said. She was simply the beneficiary of a long life. 
 
 In Scotland - and indeed in other parts of the United Kingdom - that life and her reign have been celebrated very publicly. 
 
 Privately, later, the Queen will mark the moment she enters the record books. Prince Philip will be with her - her husband of 67 years has been the one constant in a reign of sometimes dizzying change. 
 
 Image copyright PA Image caption In London, a flotilla of vessels, including Havengore and Gloriana, took part in a procession along the Thames 
 
 Image copyright PA Image caption Meanwhile, in Edinburgh, the Royal Party were welcomed by a traditional pipe band 
 
 Image copyright AFP Image caption The Queen and the Duke stopped off at Newtongrange station where she unveiled a plaque 
 
 Image copyright PA Image caption Children from Busy Bees Nursery turned out to see the Queen in Tweedbank 
 
 Buckingham Palace has released two official photographs to mark the occasion, taken by Mary McCartney in the Queen's private audience room. 
 
 This is where she holds weekly audiences with prime ministers of the day, and receives visiting heads of state and government. 
 
 The Queen is taking her traditional summer break at this time of year at her private Scottish home, Balmoral. 
 
 The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are in Scotland on holiday and are expected to have dinner with the Queen at Balmoral later. 
 
 Queens of the modern age 
 
 Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Elizabeth II has reigned for 63 years and seven months, beating Queen Victoria's record 
 
 Victoria became queen at 18, while Elizabeth was 25 
 
 Elizabeth II rides in the same coach as Victoria did for the annual State Opening of Parliament 
 
 Both queens were shot at by lone gunmen while out riding near Buckingham Palace 
 
 Elizabeth loves the private royal estate at Balmoral, which was bought by Victoria 
 
 Victoria ruled over an empire of 400 million people. Elizabeth is head of state for 138 million people 
 
 Elizabeth and Victoria in numbers 
 
 Elizabeth II: Britain's Diamond Queen 
 
 Woman who redefined the monarchy 
 
 Queen Victoria became queen at the age of 18 and ruled for 63 years, seven months and two days. 
 
 Queen Elizabeth's reign has included 12 prime ministers, two more than served under Victoria. 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Duke of York: "From her perspective it is business as usual" 
 
 One of those prime ministers, Conservative Sir John Major, rejected any suggestion the Queen had been too passive as head of state: "The monarchy wouldn't be as popular if they were part of politics - they're above and beyond it. 
 
 "But when the Queen meets her prime minister she has the opportunity to question, to ask, to counsel. Nobody knows and no prime minister is going to tell you exactly what happens at those meetings. So those who say she's been too passive, how can they possibly know?" 
 
 'Genuinely exceptional' 
 
 The Queen is Head of the Commonwealth and sovereign of 15 Commonwealth realms in addition to the UK, and the organisation's Secretary-General, Kamalesh Sharma, sent his congratulations. 
 
 "As a symbol of continuity during decades of unprecedented change, and by drawing our people together in their rich diversity, Her Majesty has embodied all that is best in the Commonwealth," he said. 
 
 "With vision and dedication her example has encouraged successive generations of leaders and citizens to embrace the promise of the future." 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Graham Smith: "I don't think that keeping a job for life, for life, is something to get excited about" 
 
 Anti-monarchist group Republic said the Queen's long reign was a reason for reform not celebration. 
 
 Chief executive Graham Smith said: "It is now time for the country to look to the future and to choose a successor through free and fair elections, someone who can genuinely represent the nation." ||||| CLOSE Queen Elizabeth II is one of the longest reigning monarchs. But just because she's a Queen, doesn't mean she doesn't put her pants on one leg at a time just like the rest of us common folks. USA TODAY 
 
 Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning British monarch, turned 90 on April 21. In celebration of her birthday, here are 90 facts about her life: 
 
 1. She was born at 2:40 a.m. on April 21, 1926, at 17 Burton St. in Mayfair, London. 
 
 2. She was christened Elizabeth Alexandra Mary at Buckingham Palace on May 29, 1926. 
 
 3. Elizabeth was named after her mother. 
 
 4. In 1930, then-Princess Elizabeth's sister Margaret Rose was born. 
 
 5. When King Edward VIII abdicated the throne to marry Wallis Simpson, Elizabeth's father became King George VI. 
 
 6. After the 1936 abdication, Princess Elizabeth became first in line to the throne. 
 
 7. During World War II, Elizabeth and sister Margaret moved to Windsor Castle for their safety. 
 
 8. Elizabeth was educated at home. 
 
 9. She studied constitutional history and law, preparing for her future role as queen. 
 
 10. She was also instructed in religion by the Archbishop of Canterbury. 
 
 11. Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip met at a wedding in 1934. 
 
 12. Elizabeth learned how to drive in 1945. 
 
 13. Elizabeth and Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, were married at Westminster Abbey on November 20, 1947. 
 
 14. For a while, Elizabeth and Philip enjoyed a somewhat normal existence in Malta between 1949 and 1951. Philip was an officer in the Mediterranean Fleet. 
 
 15. Elizabeth became queen when King George VI died in February 1952. 
 
 16. In 1953, Elizabeth II attended her first football match (FA Cup Final). 
 
 17. Elizabeth had four children (Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward). 
 
 18. She has made five official visits to the United States during her reign. 
 
 19. Elizabeth II has answered over 3.5 million items of correspondence. 
 
 20. She has owned over 30 corgis. Her first dog was named Susan. 
 
 21. Elizabeth says Prince Phillip has been her "strength and stay" during her reign. 
 
 22. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh became the first couple in the Royal Family to celebrate 60 years of marriage, also known as their diamond wedding anniversary. 
 
 23. For her Diamond Jubilee in 2012, the queen received over 120,000 cards, letter and gifts. 
 
 24. Her coronation was the first to be televised in England. 
 
 25. Her great-grandson Prince George calls her "Gan-Gan." 
 
 26. The oldest recipient of a message from the queen was a man from Canada who turned 116 in December 1984. 
 
 27. Elizabeth carries cash in her purse only on Sundays; she donates money to her church. 
 
 28. The queen learned of her father's death while she was in Kenya. 
 
 29. The last British governor of New South Wales made three films, entitled Long to reign over us about Elizabeth's accession and coronation 
 
 30. She was coronated in Westminster Abbey in June 1953. 
 
 31. It was raining during her coronation. 
 
 32. Drives through London, visits to Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, and a review of the fleet at Spithead followed the coronation. 
 
 33. In three months in 1977, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of her accession, Elizabeth went on six tours that took her through 36 counties in the UK and Northern Ireland. 
 
 34. In that same year, her travels continued overseas to countries including Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and other countries. 
 
 35. That year, it's estimated that the queen and the Duke of Edinburgh traveled 56,000 miles. 
 
 36. That June, she lit a a bonfire beacon that began a chain of celebratory beacons across the country. 
 
 37. The next day, after making a speech during which she declared she had no regrets in taking on her responsibilities, 4,000 street and village parties were reported to have been held across the country. 
 
 38. In 2002, she celebrated 50 years of reign. 
 
 39. During that year, she visited every region of the UK, as well as many other countries. 
 
 40. June 2002 was the main focus of the celebration, and involved services as well as two concerts including artists such as Paul McCartney and Elton John. 
 
 41. During Elizabeth's 80th-birthday celebrations, she held a "Children's Party at the Palace" and invited 2,000 kids. 
 
 42. On April 19, two days before her birthday, she invited guests who also turned 80 years old to Buckingham Palace. 
 
 43. She spent April 21 meeting the crowds in Windsor before a family dinner, with fireworks. 
 
 44. During the year, she received almost 40,000 birthday messages from the public. 
 
 45. For the queen's 60th wedding anniversary, she returned to her honeymoon location, Broadlands in Hampshire; she and Philip recreated their wedding photos. 
 
 46. The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Trust took donations for initiatives like Queen's Young Leaders. 
 
 47. The queen's favorite animals are horses and dogs. 
 
 48. She regularly attends both the Derby at Epsom and the Summer Race Meeting at Ascot. 
 
 49. Elizabeth owns and breeds thoroughbreds and often watches her horses race at other events, where they have won numerous times. 
 
 50. She also is interested in Scottish country dancing, and she gives annual dances for the community. 
 
 51. She gives to almost 40 animal-related organizations as well as almost 90 medical and health-care charities, in addition to the hundreds of other organizations she is involved with. 
 
 52. The queen celebrates her birthday twice — once in April and once in June — because sovereign birthdays are often celebrated twice when not naturally in the summer. 
 
 53. Once a week for an hour, she meets with Britain's prime minister. 
 
 54. The queen speaks fluent French. 
 
 55. Norman Hartnell designed the queen's wedding and coronation gowns, as well as her dress for her first visit to the U.S. as monarch. 
 
 CLOSE Queen Elizabeth II is now the longest-reigning monarch in British history. Here are five things you might not know about her. VPC 
 
 56. Queen Elizabeth II is the 40th monarch since William the Conqueror was crowned in 1066. 
 
 57. There have been 12 U.S. presidents since she first began her reign. 
 
 58. There have been seven Roman Catholic popes during her time as monarch. 
 
 59. The queen was a Girl Guide as a child, as well as a Sea Ranger (a portion of Girl Guides dedicated to sailing). 
 
 60. Elizabeth has 30 godchildren. 
 
 61. Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to visit China in 1986. 
 
 62. She sent her first email in 1976 from a British research facility. 
 
 63. Since she began her reign, there have been six Archbishops of Canterbury. 
 
 64. She bred a corgi with a dachshund and created the dorgi, and has continued to breed them since. 
 
 65. The queen once had to demote a footman for putting whiskey and gin in one of her corgi's water bowls. 
 
 66. She is the oldest to celebrate 60 years in the crown, second only to Queen Victoria who celebrated the milestone at 77. 
 
 67. In summer 2005, she opened the first children's trail in the Buckingham Palace garden. 
 
 68. The British Monarchy Youtube channel launched in 2007 and has almost 56 million views and more than 150,000 subscribers. 
 
 69. The queen is the only person in the UK who doesn't need a driver's license or a license plate to drive. 
 
 70. Elizabeth also does not need a passport to travel internationally. 
 
 71. As a princess, Elizabeth drove a truck and trained as a mechanic in World War II. 
 
 72. Whales, dolphins, porpoises and sturgeons are considered “Fishes Royal" and therefore the property of the monarch when caught within three miles of the UK coast. 
 
 73. The queen, when gifted rare animals such as jaguars, donates them to the London Zoo. 
 
 74. To pay for her wedding dress materials, she collected rationing coupons. 
 
 75. She has visited more than 115 countries. 
 
 76. After visiting Belfast in 2014, she referenced her June Game of Thrones set tour in her Christmas message. She even met some of the actors. 
 
 78. Her love of dogs came from her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria, who owned dachshunds and Scottish collies. 
 
 79. Only five other British kings and queens have ruled for 50 years or more. 
 
 80. Since her rule began, she has visited Edinburgh nearly every year during Holyrood Week. She stays in the Palace of Holyroodhouse. 
 
 81. Queen Elizabeth II has given royal assent to, or passed, more than 3,500 Acts of Parliament after passed by the houses of Lords and Commons. 
 
 82. The queen has visited the Vatican three times, most recently to visit Pope Francis in 2014. 
 
 83. The Royal Yacht Britannia traveled over 1 million miles in the more than 40 years it was in use by the royal family — that's an average of 25,000 miles a year. 
 
 84. The queen has traveled overseas more than 250 times. 
 
 85. Elizabeth has attended every Parliament opening with the exception of two, during which she was expecting two of her children. 
 
 86. Two of the more recent prime ministers were born during her reign: Tony Blair and David Cameron were born in 1953 and 1966, respectively. 
 
 87. Her love of horses began with a gift of a pony for her third birthday. 
 
 88. The queen usually receives around 60,000 letters a year. 
 
 89. She made a radio broadcast in 1940 at the age of 14. 
 
 90. The queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have sent more than 45,000 Christmas cards. 
 
 Sources: Royal.gov.uk; USA TODAY research 
 
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– Queen Elizabeth II is now the longest-tenured monarch in British history, surpassing her great-great-grandmother Victoria's 23,226 days, 16 hours, and 23 minutes as queen sometime around 5:30pm local time, reports the BBC. The time is approximate because no one is actually sure when regular Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth. There are no gaps between British monarchs, so Elizabeth became queen as soon as her father King George VI died. However, he died in his sleep, and no one is quite sure exactly when he passed, explains Time. Maclean's reports Britain rang church bells and lit bonfires to celebrate Queen Victoria's record-setting reign, but Elizabeth's day is being celebrated in more low-key fashion. "The event is important and unprecedented; just don't expect a big party," Maclean's states. Still, a flotilla of boats on the Thames was marking the occasion, and crowds cheered the queen when she appeared in public.