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The Estates-General is summoned for the first time in 175 years. He is called to represent the social classes of French society.
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A group of people unite to form the National Assembly. They declare that they represent the Third Estate, or the common people, in government.
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The Bastille, a medieval fortress and prison in Paris, is stormed by about 1,000 revolutionaries seeking gunpowder. They had already raided armories, collecting 30,000 muskets.
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An important document of the French Revolution. It declares the natural rights of men, and the rights given to each Estate.
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Louis XVI, the king of France at the time, was tried and found guilty of treason. He was executed by the guillotine, symbolizing the fall of the monarchy.
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Maximilien Robespierre is elected to the Committee of Public Safety and assumes leadership. He leads the committee until July of 1794.
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The day before, Robespierre had tried to commit suicide after being arrested by shooting himself in the face. He only managed to shatter his lower jaw, and lived until he was guillotined the next day.
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Napoleon seizes power of France after his Egyptian expedition. He becomes the most powerful man in France.
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The allied forces of the seventh coalition defeat Napoleon at Waterloo. His political and military career end here.
