Bastille Day: From Storming the Bastille to National Holiday

Bastille Day, celebrated on July 14, commemorates the storming of the Bastille in 1789, a pivotal event in the French Revolution. The Bastille, originally a defensive tower from the Hundred Years' War, became a symbol of royal power and was stormed by Parisians on July 14, 1789, after the dismissal of reformist minister Jacques Necker. The day was not consistently celebrated until 1880, when the Third Republic established it as a national holiday. Historians debate whether the holiday originally commemorated the storming or the Fête de la Fédération of 1790, which celebrated national unity. During World War II, Vichy France turned July 14 into a day of mourning, but it was reinstated as a national holiday in 1945. Today, Bastille Day is marked by military parades on the Champs-Élysées, fireworks at the Eiffel Tower, and Fireman's Balls, with many museums offering free admission.