A century ago, on October 25, 1917, Lenin's Marxist Bolsheviks took control of Russia's imperial capital, launching the October Revolution that led to the creation of the Soviet Union.

Although the Bolsheviks were in a political minority, they painstakingly prepared their coup, benefiting from a power vacuum in the country at the height of World War I.

The date of October 25 follows the Orthodox Julian calendar which was in use at the time in Russia.

It corresponds to November 7 in the Gregorian calendar which is used in most of the world. Russia switched to this calendar after the Revolution.

Source: Khaleej Times