What did Ivan the Terrible do to be called terrible?

All the answers below are inaccurate. Ivan the Terrible was called that for his reputation as being a cunning and formidable military leader. This title was given to him at an early age after the conquest of a powerful and important Tartar city in which he successfully mined under the city walls and used gun powder to breach them. He was able to vanquish an army far larger than his during that campaign. "Terrible" was meant as an acknowledgment of his military prowess rather than for any cruel or sadistic deeds he may have done. The irony is he did gradually become terrible as he got older but this was brought on by slow mercury poisoning that was in the medication he took for his chronic and painfully debilitating arthritis.

Answer

Ivan the Terrible blew up people with explosives, impaled people and he fried them, too. No, I'm not joking I am an A+ student in Social studies and got a weeks worth of conversation on Ivan IV. He had been poisoned with mercury and went into severe fits of feeling persecuted and wild rages. He ruled from 1547 to 1598 and the first half of his rule was fine but then he went nuts. He ruled with absolute power and took away all the peasents rights and turned them into serfs wich were little more than slaves that couldn't leave their masters land. He went on a reign of terror and killed all whom he thought opposed in the 1570's. It was laterfound that Ivan the terrible sufured from mercury poisoning.
-smartypants McKnowitall  

Answer

Ivan the Terrible also beat his daughter-in-law because he didn't like what she was wearing. His son, angered by this, went to go talk to his father. They got into a heated discussion and Ivan hit his son in the head which caused his son's death by "accident".

- nataliekatex3
Ivan the Terrible was named Grand Prince of Moscow in 1533 and the crowned Czar in 1547. His rule went from 1533-1580. Ivan the Terrible often had fits of rage in his younger age due to the fear of being murdered by thoses wanting to take the throne. This often led to the paranoia he would later develop. He's called terrible due to the fact that he had a certain lust for power. He reduced the power of boyars greatly, and peasants weren't treated any nicer. He created a secret police which would cause terror in the country. He also was said to have beaten his pregnant daughter-in-law, causing a miscarriage. His son, also called Ivan, got into a heated argument, which led to his father taking his pointed staff and striking him with it on November 16, 1581. This blow proved fatal, leaving Ivan the terrible devastated but not enough to stray from his path to absolute power.
-Deidara11
Ivan the terrible threw small animals off of the top of buildings when he was a young boy. he loved torcher. he raped girls and then used them for target practice. he killed the head of the church. in just five weeks, he killed ALL of his people. he fried people alive on giant frying pans. he hung a guy, and then cut flesh off of him while he was still alive. he kept a list of everyone he killed. he was truly a terrible man.
-Julie
the thing i want to know is who did he dislike the most
dman

u guys suck u uhh... what the crap man