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Palace of Versailles built
The palace of Versailles was built 12 miles from France. -
When King Louis Moved the capital of France from Paris to Versailles
Versailles before the reign of Louis was mostly used as a royal hunting lodge, but Louis had other plans for it. In 1661, he began expanding it into his personal palace. Upon its completion in 1682, Louis moved in and changed the capital from Paris to Versailles to escape the turmoil Paris was subject to. -
Napoleon as Emperor
Born on the island of Corsica, Napoleon rapidly rose through the ranks of the military during the French Revolution (1789-1799). After seizing political power in France in a 1799 coup d'état, he crowned himself emperor in 1804. -
When King Louis XVI married Marie Antoinette
Maria Antonia was married to Louis in 1768, without having met him (her brother stood in). In 1770, she was finally sent to France for the formal marriage ceremony. She was 14 at the time, Louis was 15. -
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. -
French Revolution
The French Revolution was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. -
Tennis Court Oath
The Tennis Court Oath (in French, Serment du jeu de Paume) was a commitment to a national constitution and representative government, taken by delegates at the Estates-General at Versailles. It has become one of the most iconic scenes of the French Revolution. -
Bastille is Stormed
The Storming of the Bastille was an event that occurred in Paris, France, on the afternoon of 14 July 1789, when revolutionaries stormed and seized control of the medieval armory, fortress, and political prison known as the Bastille. -
Women’s March on Versailles
The Women's March on Versailles, also known as the October March, The October Days, or simply The March on Versailles, was one of the earliest and most significant events of the French Revolution. -
King Louis XVI is executed
In November 1792, a secret cupboard containing proof of Louis' counter-revolutionary beliefs and correspondence with foreign powers was discovered in Tuileries Palace. -
The Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror, also called The Terror, was a period of state-sanctioned violence and mass executions during the French Revolution. Between Sept. 5, 1793, and July 27, 1794, France's revolutionary government ordered the arrest and execution of thousands of people. -
Napoleon launches a Coup d’Etat on the weak & corrupt Directory
Coup of 18–19 Brumaire, (November 9–10, 1799), coup d'état that overthrew the system of government under the Directory in France and substituted the Consulate, making way for the despotism of Napoleon Bonaparte. The event is often viewed as the effective end of the French Revolution. -
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. The Civil Code (renamed the Code Napoleon in 1807) addressed mainly matters relating to property and families. -
Napoleon crowns himself emperor
On May 18, 1804, Napoleon proclaimed himself emperor, and made Josephine Empress. His coronation ceremony took place on December 2, 1804, in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris, with incredible splendor and at considerable expense. -
Defeat in Russian Campaign
In the Battle of Krasnoi Napoleon was able to avoid a complete defeat. By the time the Berezina was reached Napoleon only had about 49,000 troops and 40,000 stragglers of little military value. -
When he was exiled
On April 11, 1814, Napoleon Bonaparte, emperor of France and one of the greatest military leaders in history, abdicates the throne, and, in the Treaty of Fontainebleau, is banished to the Mediterranean island of Elba. -
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was a conflict on June 18, 1815, during the Hundred Days, the period from Napoleon's escape from exile to the return of Louis XVIII.