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Palace of Versailles Built
The residence gradually went from being a hunting lodge to a residence for leisure that saw grand parties and entertainment held in the gardens -
When King Louis moved the capital of France from Paris to Versailles
He moved the royal Court to the Palace of Versailles, the defining symbol of his power and influence in Europe. -
When King Louis XVI married Marie Antoinette
Marriage of the Dauphin Louis and Marie-Antoinette was May 16, 1770 -
Tennis Court Oath
The founding act of French democracy took place at the very beginning of the Revolution, just a stone's throw from the monarchic seat of power. -
Bastille is Stormed
The Storming of the Bastille occurred in Paris, France, on 14 July 1789, when revolutionary insurgents attempted to storm and seize control of the medieval armoury, fortress, and political prison known as the Bastille. After four hours of fighting and 94 deaths, the insurgents were able to enter the Bastille. -
When The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was written
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen came into existence in the summer of 1789, born of an idea of the Constituent Assembly, which was formed by the assembly of the Estates General to draft a new Constitution, and precede it with a declaration of principles. -
Women’s March on Versailles
On 5 October 1789, a procession of women, accompanied by a few men, met at Versailles. -
King Louis XVI is executed
Louis XVI died at the guillotine on 21 January 1793. He was the last king to live at the Palace of Versailles, and the revolutionaries duly named him “Louis the Last”. -
The Reign of Terror
The Terror was a period of violence during the French Revolution incited by conflict between two rival political factions. -
Napoleon launches a Coup d’Etat on the weak & corrupt Directory.
On 17 Brumaire, Bonaparte invited General Lefebvre and a crowd of loyal officers to gather on Rue de la Victoire the next day at 7 am, fully armed and in dress uniform. The coup d'Etat began at 7am on 18 Brumaire. -
Creation of the Napoleonic Code
Enacted on March 21, 1804, the resulting Civil Code of France marked the first major revision and reorganization of laws since the Roman era. -
Napoleon crowns himself emperor.
On December 2, 1804, Napoleon crowned himself Emperor Napoleon I at Notre Dame de Paris. According to legend, during the coronation, he snatched the crown from Pope Pius VII and crowned himself. -
Defeat in Russian Campaign
Napoleon suffered a tough defeat in Leipzig on October 16-18, 1813, which opened for the coalition a path toward French territory in January 1814 -
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on 18 June 1815 between Napoleon's French Army and a coalition led by the Duke of Wellington and Marshal Blücher. The decisive battle of its age, it concluded a war that had raged for 23 years, ended French attempts to dominate Europe, and destroyed Napoleon's imperial power forever.