Short answers, pulled from the story.
The uprising began on February 23rd according to Russian records using the Julian calendar. Historians call it the February Revolution because that was the date locals used at the time despite Western calendars showing March 8th.
World War I brought catastrophic losses to the Russian military by early 1917 with approximately 1.7 million soldiers dying. Disaffection among workers compounded long-standing grievances into a revolutionary mood following humiliating defeats and poor working conditions.
He signed documents ending three centuries of Romanov rule on March 2nd Old Style. His brother Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich declined the crown the following day officially ending the dynasty.
Nearly 200,000 protesters filled streets by February 24th demanding an end to autocracy. Over 50,000 female workers marched to nearby factories recruiting male strikers for the uprising.
The Petrograd Soviet formed on February 27th representing workers and soldiers directly. Three thousand deputies were elected to the Petrograd Soviet within days while seven hundred soviets established themselves across Russia equalling about one-third of the population.