Victoria was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Known as the Victorian era, her reign of 63 years and seven months was longer than any previous British monarch. In the 1800s, Queen Victoria oversaw the expansion of the British Empire-which would cover a fifth of the Earth's surface by the end of the century-and critical reforms to the monarchy. Her legacy was so profound that the time of her reign is now known as the Victorian Era.