Conflicts & Resolutions · Revolt

Storming of the Bastille

1789 · 18th century

The storming of the Bastille was the capture of the Bastille, a royal fortress and prison in eastern Paris, by armed crowds on 14 July 1789. Fearing a royal move against the National Assembly, Parisians seized weapons and attacked the fortress in search of gunpowder, and its governor, the Marquis de Launay, was killed. The event became the symbol of the French Revolution, and 14 July is France's national day.

Storming of the Bastille
Image: Unidentified painter · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Republic of Liège

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Storming of the Bastille. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/storming-of-the-bastille
MLA
“Storming of the Bastille.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/storming-of-the-bastille. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Storming of the Bastille.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/storming-of-the-bastille.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Storming of the Bastille’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/storming-of-the-bastille (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻