Charter of the College of William & Mary

Date: February 8, 1693 • Location: London, United Kingdom

The William III and Mary II of England charter the College of William & Mary, establishing what is now the second-oldest university in the United States.

William III and II, also known as William of Orange, was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel in the Dutch Republic from 1672, and King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1689 until his death in 1702. He ruled England, Scotland, and Ireland with his wife, Queen Mary II, until her death in 1694; their joint reign is known as that of William and Mary.