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1623
Back in 1623, Louis XIII - father of Louis XIV - built a 'hunting lodge, a little gentleman's chateau' of brick, stone, and slate at Versailles. -
1789
The French Revolution began in 1789 and did not officially end until 1815, when Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated in the Battle of Waterloo. Revolutionaries overthrew the monarchy, and on August 26, 1789, The Declaration of the Rights of Man was adopted, establishing the first republican government -
1799
After more than a decade of turmoil and fighting, Napoleon took control of the government and was crowned as First Consulate in 1799. In 1804, Napoleon named himself emperor, and for the next decade would build France into a military power and expand his empire until his defeat in 1850. -
1853
Haussmann played a major role in the restructuring of the city and creating what is seen today as contemporary Paris. Haussmann's Paris is characterized by the empty space surrounding its monuments and the grand boulevards. -
1883
Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel was a pioneering French fashion designer whose modernist philosophy, menswear-inspired fashions, and pursuit of expensive simplicity made her an important figure in 20th-century fashion. -
1889
The plan to build a tower 300 metres high was conceived as part of preparations for the World's Fair of 1889. Emile Nouguier and Maurice Koechlin, the two chief engineers in Eiffel's company, had the idea for a very tall tower in June 1884. -
1889
This "World's fair" was a celebration of the centennial of the French Revolution and inspired the controversial construction of the Eiffel Tower. -
1904
"Wagner's Post Office Bank was won in competition in 1903 and erected in two stages, 1904-06 and 1910-12. The Hall roof, completed as part of the first stage in 1906, was a major innovation although only a small part of the vast project. -
1996
Off the coast of Long Island, New York, a Paris-bound Boeing 747 carrying TWA flight 800 explodes, killing all 230 on board. -
2003
A big heat wave in Paris has had temperatures up to 44°C (112°F), killing more than 3,000 people