Storming of the Bastille

Date: July 14, 1789 • Location: Paris, France

This milestone marked the outbreak and beginning of this historic period, which spanned 1789–1799.

The Bastille, a fortress and prison in Paris, was stormed by a crowd during the flashpoint of the French Revolution.

The Bastille was a medieval fortress in Paris, known as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. It was stormed by a crowd on 14 July 1789, in the French Revolution, becoming an important symbol for the French Republican movement. It was later demolished and replaced by the Place de la Bastille public square in Paris.