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Date of Birth
Marie Antoinette was born in Vienna, Austria on November 2nd, 1755. Her mother was Maria Theresa and her father was Francis I. Maria Theresa had been a ruler previously, and it was up to Marie Antoinette to do the same. -
Seven Years' War Ends
On February 10, 1763, the Seven Years' War ended. This war was fought over land claims in North America, and it resulted in many changes in Britain's land, the United States' land, Spain's land and France's land. The Treaty of Paris was signed which gave Louisiana to Spain, and took away France's Canadian claims. Also, Britain received Spanish Florida, Upper Canada, and other French territory overseas in Europe. -
James Watt Improves the Steam Engine
The steam engine grew to be a very important mode of transportation throughout the industrial revolution, and sparked many new technological advancements for the future. While the patent had already been created for the steam engine, it was not a very plausible design. James Watt vastly improved the design, and layer down a stepping stone for the future of trains, steam powered vehicles, and other modes of transportation. -
Antoinette Travels to France
In 1770, Marie Antoinette's life changed forever. While only 14 years old, she made the long journey to Paris, France to meet her future husband. She never saw her homeland again. Once in France, she almost immediately married Louis XVI on May 16th, 1770, in the chapel of the Royal Palace in Versailles. -
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette Ascend the Throne
After some time being married, King Louis XV died on May 10, 1774 which left the throne open. Being next in line, Louis XVI ascended the throne with Marie Antoinette as queen. -
James Hooke Discovers Hawaii
In 1778, a new part of North America was discovered. They were a series of islands of the west coast of the United Sates in the Pacific Ocean, and later became part of it. Captain Hooke was an excellent navigator, and only on his second voyage through the Pacific Ocean, he made this discovery. He named them the "Sandwich Islands" but were later renamed as one chain together. The new name was "Hawaii". -
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Marie Antoinette Bears Children
7 years after marriage, Marie Antoinette gave birth to 4 children. The first child, Marie Therese of France, was born on December 19th, 1778. The second child, Louis Joseph, was born 3 years later on October 22nd, 1781. The third child, Louis XVII, was born 4 years later on March 27th, 1785. The final child, Sophie Hélène Beatrix of France, was born a year later on July 9th, 1786. All died at an early age except Marie Therese, the oldest child. -
Hot Air Balloon Designed in 1782
Joseph and Jacques Etienne Montgolfier were two French bothers who made the first successful hot-air balloon. Their first balloon was launched in December, 1782. This type of hot-air balloon was called the Montgolfiére, and it was made of paper and used moist straw and air heated by burning wool.The first passengers in a hot-air balloon were a rooster, a sheep, and a duck. They were sent up to an altitude of 1,640 ft, and the flight lasted for 8 minutes. -
Diamond Necklace Scandal
Marie Antoinette was not very popular with the French people. She was even less liked after an expensive diamond necklace was purchased in Marie Antoinette’s name, even though she was not the one who purchased it. The people saw it as a very unnecessary purchase in a time when the public was in a time of great need, and made her appear as selfish. This added to her already horrible reputation among France. -
Guillotine Invented
In 1789, Dr. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin created a killing machine that would cause chaos throughout the French Revolution. An operator would pull a lever or release a string on a gigantic wooden contraption, which would let loose a blade to decapitate a criminal facing the death penalty. First used on convicted felon Nicolas-Jacques Pelletier, the guillotine served as the most popular form of execution during the "Reign of Terror". -
Start of French Revolution
Shortly after the storming of Bastille, the French Revolution technically began. It lasted about 10 years with many treacherous factors, one of which being the Reign of Terror. During this time, people were being ruthlessly executed for pointless reasons and chaos was spread throughout France. The ending of monarchy ruling also occurred during this time with King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette's death. -
Storming of Bastille
On July 14, a great crowd armed with muskets, swords, and various makeshift weapons began to gather around the Bastille. As more Parisians arrived at Bastille, the fortress was surrendered. Launay, the military governor of Bastille, and his men were taken into custody. Before they were freed, the building was raided and gunpowder and other weapons were seized. This building was a royal fortress that had come to stand for the tyranny of the Bourbon monarchs, and the siege symbolized its end. -
Invention of the Bicycle
The earliest bicycle was a wooden scooter contraption called a celerifere. It was invented in 1790 by Comte Mede de Sivrac of France. Baron Karl von Drais de Sauerbrun, of Germany, invented a model with a steering bar attached to the front wheel in 1816. He called it a Draisienne. It had two wheels, and the rider sat between the two wheels, but there were no pedals. You had to move the bicycle forward using your feet. He first showed off his creation in Paris on April 6, 1818. -
Royal Flight to Varennes
After feeling threatened by the people in France, the royal family decided to silently flee the country. Fearing for their lives, they left at night in a carriage trying to cross a border to another country where they could be safe. In a town just 5 miles from the border, they were discovered and brought back to Paris. Their subjects never trusted them again, and saw their attempted escape as a sign of treason -
Louis XVI Executed
In January of 1793, King Louis XVI was executed. France was sick of his poor leadership skills, and insufficient ruling of the country, so he was put to death via guillotine. Less than 10 years later, the French Revolution ended and monarchy style leadership disappeared for some years. -
Date of Death
On October 16th, 1793, Marie Antoinette was executed. Facing the same death as her husband, she was put in a guillotine and decapitated only at age 37.
