TODAY IN HISTORY: The Storming of the Bastille (July 14, 1789)

On July 14, 1789, an iconic event of the French Revolution took place when revolutionaries stormed the Bastille, a medieval fortress in Paris. At the time, the Bastille was not only a prison but a symbol of the French monarchy’s absolute power. Though it held only seven prisoners at the time, its significance lay far beyond the walls—this fortress had come to represent the tyranny and oppression of King Louis XVI’s reign.

Paris was already simmering with unrest due to soaring bread prices, heavy taxation, and widespread anger over inequality. The revolutionaries sought weapons and ammunition stored in the Bastille to defend themselves from the king’s troops, who had been sent to suppress the growing rebellion. The storming was not just an act of defiance against the monarchy, but a dramatic message that the people would no longer tolerate oppression.

After hours of conflict, the revolutionaries succeeded in capturing the fortress, killing its governor, Bernard-René de Launay, and freeing the few remaining prisoners. The fall of the Bastille marked the beginning of the end for the French monarchy and set the stage for a cascade of revolutionary changes that would sweep across France and eventually much of Europe.

Bastille Day is celebrated annually in France, known as La Fête Nationale, and it remains a powerful symbol of liberty, equality, and fraternity—ideals that continue to influence political movements around the world today. The storming of the Bastille wasn’t just the fall of a prison; it was the rise of the people’s power over the ruling elite, igniting a revolution that would change the course of history.