14th July: Bastille Day

Today is Bastille Day, the national day of France. It commemorates the beginning of the French Revolution with the Storming of the Bastille on the 14 July 1789. 10 facts about Bastille Day:

1. Bastille Day is not just a celebration of the events of 1789 but also of the Fête de la Fédération, which was a huge celebration to mark the first anniversary. This began very formally with a Mass and General Lafayette and King Louis XVI swearing an oath to the constitution; and then the party started. Feasting and Fireworks lasted for four days afterwards.
2. It has been an official celebration since 1880 when a politician called Benjamin Raspail proposed a law recognising 14 July as a national holiday. At the time, this date wasn't the only contender. France could have been celebrating on 4th August, marking the end of the feudal system on that date in 1789, but Senate chose 14 July.
3. The military parade, which has taken place in Paris almost every year since 1880, is the oldest regular military parade in the world.
4. During World War II, the German occupying troops held their own parade along the same route.
5. As well as the military parade, it's traditional for the President of France to give a press interview about recent events, future projects and the state of the nation. Nicolas Sarkozy chose not to do it, but François Hollande reinstated it in 2012.
6. There are celebrations in many other countries besides France on this day, in particular, places with large numbers of French ex-pats and former colonies. These include Pondicherry in India, New Orleans, The Auckland, New Zealand suburb of Remuera, and in Battersea Park in London.
7. Jean Michel Jarre has performed special concerts three times, in 1979, 1990 and 1995. The 1979 concert set a Guinness record for the largest outdoor concert audience.
8. In 1998, there was an extra cause for celebration as, two days earlier, France had won the World Cup.
9. Other nations are often invited to take part in the parade. In 2004, to commemorate the centenary of the Entente Cordiale, the British led the military parade with the Red Arrows flying overhead, and in 2007, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, the military parade was led by troops from the 26 other EU member states, all marching at the French time.
10. The 100th and 200th anniversaries of the storming of the Bastille have been celebrated with iconic buildings - the Eiffel Tower and La Pyramide du Louvre respectively.