On July 14, 1789, ordinary citizens of France stormed the Bastille prison in France and freed prisoners held there. The event has come to symbolize the opening salvo in the French Revolution. One year later, France celebrated the establishment of a short-lived constitutional monarchy in Fête de la Fédération. The anniversary, Bastille Day, is celebrated today as a major French national holiday.



Learn more about Bastille Day from the Government of France.