Timeline: France

Timeline

7 Apr 451 CE
Attila the Hun sacks the city of Metz, France, killing most of the citizens, and continuing his campaign of conquest until stopped at the Battle of Chalons (Battle of the Catalonian Plains) later that year.
20 Jun 451 CE
The Battle of the Catalaunian Plains (Battle of Chalons) takes place in the region of modern-day France when Flavius Aetius stops the invasion of Atilla the Hun. Although the outcome of the battle was inconclusive, Attila left the field first.
10 Oct 732 CE
The Battle of Tours (Battle of Pitiers) is fought between Charles Martel, King of the Franks, and the forces of the Umayyad Caliphate during the Umayyad Invasion of Gaul, ending in a decisive victory for Martel.
15 Aug 778 CE
The Battle of the Roncevaux Pass is fought in the Pyrenees between a large Basque force and the rearguard of Charlemagne's army led by the Frankish commander, Roland. Roland defended his position to the last man, falling heroically, and inspiring later works of French literature, notably the 11th century, *The Song of Roland*.
845 CE
Viking chief Ragnar Lothbrok raids Paris.
885 CE - 886 CE
Viking siege of Paris. Odo of West Francia successfully defends the city.
888 CE - 898 CE
Reign of King Odo of France.
911 CE
Treaty of Saint Clair sur Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo; establishes Normandy, ends Viking raids on the Seine.
922 CE - 923 CE
Reign of Robert I of France.
923 CE - 936 CE
Reign of Rudolph of France.
936 CE - 954 CE
Reign of Louis IV of France.
954 CE - 986 CE
Reign of Lothair of France.
986 CE - 987 CE
Reign of Louis V of France.
987 CE - 996 CE
Reign of Hugh Capet; unites Francia, founds Kingdom of France.
11 Jun 1144 CE
The Basilica of St. Denis is dedicated in Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris, now recognized as the first masterpiece of Gothic architecture.
22 Jul 1209 CE
The Massacre at Beziers, the first major engagement of the Albigensian Crusade, at Beziers, France as Crusaders slaughter the population for supporting the heresy of Catharism, killing upwards of 10,000 people.
27 Jul 1214 CE
The decisive Battle of Bouvines is fought in the Kingdom of France between French forces and the allied army under Holy Roman Emperor Otto IV during the Anglo-French War of 1213-1214, ending in a French victory and the collapse of the Angevin Empire.
16 Mar 1244 CE
The 9-month Siege of Montsegur ends in Southern France when the stronghold of the Cathars surrenders to Catholic French forces who then burn over 200 Cathars alive in a large bonfire.
13 Oct 1307 CE
French King Philip IV has members of the Knights Templar, including their Grand Master, Jacques de Molay, arrested at dawn on a Friday. They are later tortured and executed by being burned at the stake. According to some legends concerning Friday the 13th, its association with bad luck comes from this event.
18 Mar 1314 CE
Jacques de Molay, the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar is executed through burning at the stake in Paris, France on charges of heresy as ordered by King Philip IV of France who owed the Templars a large sum of money.
23 Aug 1328 CE
The Battle of Cassel is fought between French forces under King Philip VI and Flemish rebels under Nicolaas Zannekin during the Flemish revolt of 1323-1328, fought over French policies, ending in a decisive victory for the French and the slaughter of over 3,000 Flemish rebels.
2 Aug 1343 CE
Olivier IV, Lord of Clisson, is executed for treason by King Philip VI of France, causing his wife, Jeanne de Clisson, to sell her lands and possessions and become a privateer, attacking French ships to avenge her husband's death. Jeanne de Clisson regularly slaughtered the entire crew of a ship, leaving one sailor alive to report on the event.
26 Aug 1346 CE
The Battle of Crecy is fought during the Hundred Years' War between French forces under King Philip VI and the English army under Edward III, ending in an English victory and heavy losses for the French.
29 Oct 1390 CE
The first recorded witch trial in Paris, France is held, possibly at Le Chatelet, and presided over by the Provost of Paris, Jean de Folleville, resulting in the conviction and later execution of Jeanne de Brigue, an alleged "soothsayer" known for her ability to find lost things.
6 Jan 1412 CE
Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc) is born in a small village in France. She began to receive visions around the age of 13 and later led the French forces to victory at the Battle of Orleans, and other engagements, during the Hundred Years' War. Captured by the English, she was burned at the stake.
25 Oct 1415 CE
The Battle of Agincourt is fought between English forces under King Henry V and the Kingdom of France during the Hundred Years' War, ending in a victory for the greatly outnumbered English troops and becoming one of the most well-documented and famous engagements in English history.
26 Sep 1423 CE
During the Hundred Years' War, the Battle of La Brossiniere is fought in the region of France between English and French forces, ending in a decisive victory for the French and a humiliating defeat for the English, with casualties numbering over 1,500.
29 Apr 1429 CE
Joan of Arc arrives at the besieged city of Orleans, entering by the eastern gate with reinforcements and supplies, boosting the French morale and leading to the English army lifting the siege nine days later.
12 Jun 1429 CE
The Battle of Jargeau ends in a French victory during the Hundred Years' War, led by Joan of Arc, her first offensive victory of the war.
6 Nov 1429 CE
Henry VI is crowned King of England at the age of almost eight-years-old, the youngest English monarch to take the throne. He would also be crowned King of France in 1431, the only monarch to hold these titles at the same time through coronations.
23 May 1430 CE
Joan of Arc is captured outside the town of Compiegne, France by Burgundian allies of the English when she is pulled from her horse by a Burgundian bowman. After being held for some months, she was sold to the English.
21 Feb 1431 CE
Joan of Arc is questioned directly during a public examination by an ecclesiastical court on charges brought against her for heresy. The trial began on 9 January of that year, but Joan was not given the opportunity to respond to questions until 21 February. She was found guilty of heresy and burned at the stake in Rouen, France on 30 May 1431, declared a Christian martyr in 1456, and canonized by the Church as a saint in 1920.
14 Feb 1439 CE
The Strasbourg Massacre in the Alsace region (modern-day France) occurs in which an estimated 2,000 members of the Jewish community are burned to death for allegedly poisoning the wells and causing the Black Death of the bubonic plague.
1 Aug 1469 CE
The famous French dynastic order of chivalry, the Order of Saint Michael is founded by King Louis XI to ensure the loyalty of knights to the monarch. The order is still recognized today.
7 Nov 1492 CE
The Ensisheim meteorite crashes into a wheat field outside the town of Ensisheim, Alsace, modern-day France with an impact so loud it was heard 100 miles (160 km) away. The event became well-known through the work of the poet Sebastian Brandt who published broadsheets about it.
5 Nov 1499 CE
The Catholicon dictionary is published ( "Catholicon" meaning "Universal") the first Breton and French dictionary, compiled, most likely, by Jehan Lagaeux.
28 Apr 1503 CE
The Battle of Cerignola is fought in Apulia, Italy between the forces of Spain and France (with Swiss allies), resulting in a decisive victory for Spain. The event is considered one of the first European battles won through the tactical use of gunpowder small arms.
17 Apr 1524 CE
Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazano, sailing for France, enters present-day New York Harbor, the first European to arrive in the region and describe it in detail. The 500th anniversary of the event was celebrated in New York City in 2024.
17 Oct 1534 CE
The Affair of the Placards occurs when anti-Catholic posters appear in the French cities of Blois, Orleans, Paris, Rouen, and Tours, heightening tensions between Catholics and Protestants in the country prior to the French Wars of Religion.
30 Jun 1559 CE
King Henry II of France is mortally wounded by Gabriel, Count of Montgomery during a jousting tournament, dying on 10 July. The accident ended jousting as a sport in France and changed the rules of the joust in other regions of Europe.
1 Mar 1562 CE
The Massacre of Wassy (also known as the Massacre of Vassy) in which the forces under the Catholic Duke of Guise slaughtered Protestant worshippers in the town of Wassy, France. The event began what is now known as the French Wars of Religion.
19 Mar 1563 CE
The Treaty of Amboise is signed at the Chateau of Amboise, granting the Huguenots certain religious freedoms and marking the end of the first part of the French Wars of Religion.
23 Mar 1568 CE
The Peace of Longjumeau is signed between King Charles IX of France and Catherine de' Medici, ending the second phase of the French Wars of Religion. The peace would not last and was revoked in August, setting off further conflict.
29 Mar 1632 CE
The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye is signed between England and France, ending the Anglo-French War of 1627-1629, and restoring Canadian territories taken by the English to the French, including Acadia and Quebec.
13 May 1637 CE
The modern table knife, with blunt edges, is invented (or circulated) by Cardinal Richelieu of France to prevent dinner guests from picking their teeth at the dinner table with the sharp points of daggers and reduce the possibility of dinner-table violence.
20 Aug 1648 CE
The Battle of Lens, the last major conflict of the Thirty Years' War, is fought between the French forces under Louis II de Bourbon, Prince de Conde and the Spanish forces under Archduke Leopold Wilhelm, ending in a decisive French victory and contributing to the Peace of Westphalia that ended the war.
17 Aug 1661 CE
Nicolas Fouquet, Superintendent of Finances under King Louis XIV of France, throws a grand party at his estate to impress the king. The event was so lavish that Louis XIV suspected Fouquet of embezzlement and he was arrested on 5 September and sentenced to life in prison, dying there in 1680.
25 Oct 1666 CE
The anti-French alliance is formed by Brandenburg, Brunswick, Denmark, and the Netherlands in response to perceived aggression and expansionist policies by King Louis XIV of France, primarily to safeguard the Spanish Netherlands.
27 Oct 1674 CE
The Siege of Grave ends when the armies of the Dutch Republic destroy the town, held by French defenders, during the Franco-Dutch War. The number of casualties is unknown but during the course of the siege, 25 July-27 October, over 100,000 cannonballs were fired at the town.
9 Apr 1682 CE
French explorer Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle arrives at the mouth of the Mississippi River and claims the Mississippi River basin for France by planting a cross and the arms of France and establishing French claims to the region.
24 Jul 1712 CE
The Battle of Denain, fought during the War of the Spanish Succession, ends in a French victory over the Dutch and Austrian forces owing mainly to the brilliant tactics of Marshall Claude de Villars.
9 Nov 1729 CE
The Treaty of Seville is signed between Britain, France, and Spain, ending the Anglo-Spanish War of 1727-1729 and restoring a short-lived balance to Europe that would last only ten years before hostilities broke out again.
17 May 1756 CE
The Seven Years' War formally begins when Great Britain declares war on France.
29 Apr 1760 CE
The Siege of Quebec begins as French forces try to retake the city from the English, who had seized it a year before during the French and Indian War. The siege lasted until 17 May when the British garrison was reinforced, resulting in the French withdrawal and a British victory.
16 May 1770 CE
14-year-old Marie Antoinette marries 15-year-old Louis-Auguste (the future King Louis XVI) at a ceremony at the Palace of Versailles.
11 Jun 1775 CE
The coronation of King Louis XVI takes place at Reims Cathedral, the last coronation before the French Revolution.
6 Feb 1778 CE
The Treaty of Amity and Commerce is signed between France and the United States during the American Revolutionary War recognizing the US as a free and independent nation and establishing trade. The Treaty of Alliance, providing military support from France to the US, was signed the same day. These are the first two treaties negotiated by the USA.
14 Dec 1782 CE
French aviation pioneers and brothers, Joseph-Michel Montgolfier and Jacques-Etienne Montgolfier conduct their first test flight of a manned hot air balloon, floating 1.9 miles (3 km) before losing control and coming down. In June 1783, they successfully flew 1.2 miles (2 km), landing safely and laying claim to the title of inventors of flight.
22 Jun 1783 CE
A poisonous cloud of sulphur-rich "dry fog" reaches Paris, France from the eruption of the Laki Volcanic Eruption in Iceland of 8 June, causing respiratory issues, unusual temperatures, crop-damage, poor harvests, and a higher than usual death rate in France and other European countries.
21 Nov 1783 CE
The first crewed untethered hot air balloon flight occurs in Paris, France, when Jean-Francois Pilatre de Rozier and Francois Larent d'Arlandes take off from the garden of the Chateau de la Muette, travel approximately 5.5 miles (9 km), and land safely on the outskirts of the city.
4 Jun 1784 CE
Opera singer Madame Elizabeth Thible becomes the first female balloonist, flying in an untethered, free-floating, hot air balloon for approximately 45 minutes and reaching an altitude of 4,900 feet (1,500 m) above Lyon, France, accompanied by a Monsieur Fleurant.
20 Jun 1789 CE
The Tennis Court Oath is sworn at an indoor tennis court in Versailles, France by the Third Estate who had been locked out of the Estates-General meeting, vowing not to disband until they had created a new constitution for France and sparking the beginning of the French Revolution.
11 Jul 1789 CE
The popular public figure Jacques Necker is dismissed from his position as Director-General of Finances by King Louis XVI of France, angering the general population of Paris and leading directly to the storming of the Bastille on 14 July.
26 Aug 1789 CE
The last article of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen is adopted by the National Constituent Assembly of France during the French Revolution, declaring the universality of human rights.
2 Mar 1791 CE
The first demonstration of the Optical Telegraph (the semaphore system) is staged by inventor Claude Chappe to communicate between Brulon and Parce, France over a distance of 10 miles (16 km). Chappe's demonstration encouraged the further development of semaphore, leading to the first line between Paris and Lille in 1794.
20 Sep 1792 CE
The Battle of Valmy is fought near Valmy, France, during the War of the First Coalition between French forces and the armies of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Holy Roman Empire, ending in a victory for the French who stopped the invasion and capture of Paris.
6 Nov 1792 CE
The Battle of Jemappes is fought between the army of the new French Republic and the forces of the Holy Roman Empire during the War of the First Coalition, ending in a victory for the French and proving the abilities of the new French volunteer army under General Charles Francois Dumouriez.
5 Sep 1793 CE
The Reign of Terror begins in France during the French Revolution, killing an estimated 45,000 people through public executions, deaths in prison, or other murders before it ends in July 1794.
8 Jun 1794 CE
Maximilien Robespierre introduces the new state religion of the Cult of the Supreme Being, a form of Deism, to replace Roman Catholicism and the Cult of Reason during the French Revolution.
23 Jan 1795 CE
During the War of the First Coalition, the French army's 8th Hussar Regiment captured 14 Dutch ships and 850 guns by riding across the frozen Den Helder Harbor and boarding the immobilized vessels which surrendered without resistance. A rare occurrence of cavalry capturing warships.
4 Apr 1796 CE
French Naturalist Georges Cuvier, the "Father of Paleontology", delivers his first public lecture in Paris on the species of elephants, establishing the mammoth and other fossils as extinct species.
12 Oct 1799 CE
French Balloonist Jeanne Genevieve Garnerin becomes the first woman to parachute from a balloon (or any other aircraft) when she descends from an altitude of 3,000 feet (900 m).
1 Oct 1800 CE
The Third Treaty of San Ildefonso is secretly signed between France and Spain, agreeing that Spain will surrender territory in North America to France in exchange for areas in Tuscany. In 1803, that North American territory would form the Louisiana Purchase when the United States bought it from France.
9 Aug 1803 CE
Inventor Robert Fulton tests his steamboat on the River Seine, Paris, France, but the heavy engine breaks the hull, sinking the ship. The test allowed Fulton to successfully build his steamship *Clermont*, launched in 1807, establishing steamboat travel.
21 Mar 1804 CE
The Code Napoleon is officially adopted as the French Civil Code, laying the foundation for French civil law, including religious freedoms and property rights, observed today.
7 Jul 1807 CE
The first of the Treaties of Tilsit is signed by French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and Russian Emperor Alexander I on a raft in the Neman River, ending the War of the Fourth Coalition.
4 Jan 1809 CE
Louis Braille is born in Coupvray, France. Blinded in his youth, Braille would later develop the reading and writing system that bears his name.
26 Feb 1815 CE
Napoleon escapes from exile on the island of Elba, taking advantage of the absence of British and French ships which had stood guard, as well as a carnival party taking place in the town of Portoferraio, from which he sailed aboard the brig Inconstant with approximately 1,000 soldiers. He landed at Golfe-Juan, southern France, on 1 March to begin his "Hundred Days" campaign to retake France.
8 Jan 1816 CE
French mathematician, philosopher, and physicist Marie-Sophie Germain becomes the first woman to be awarded the grand prize by the Paris Academy of Sciences for her work on elasticity.
18 May 1816 CE
Famous socialite and dandy Beau Brummell flees England to escape gambling debts and the threat of prison, ending his reign as London's premiere fashion trend-setter and remaining in France until his death in 1840.
5 Jun 1832 CE
The Paris Uprising of 1832 (also known as the June Rebellion) breaks out in Paris as insurgents riot to overthrow the monarchy of King Louis Philippe and restore a republic. The uprising was suppressed on 6 June and is best known today for the part it plays in Victor Hugo's *Les Misérables*.
2 Jan 1839 CE
The first photograph of the moon is taken by French inventor and photographer Louis Daguerre. The photo was lost in a fire at Daguerre's laboratory two months later.
15 Dec 1840 CE
The grand state funeral for Napoleon Bonaparte is held in Paris, France, and his coffin interred at the Saint-Jerome Chapel at Les Invalides. Napoleon had died on St. Helena in November 1821, but his remains were brought back to Paris for a formal interment.
28 Nov 1843 CE
The British and French governments formally recognize the independence of Hawaii through the Anglo-Franco Proclamation, becoming the first non-European indigenous state to be recognized by European powers. The United States recognized Hawaiian independence in 1949. The date is celebrated as *La Ku`oko`a* (Independence Day) and is a National Holiday in Hawaii.
3 Jul 1845 CE
The Theatre Robert-Houdin opens in Paris, founded by the magician and illusionist Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin, who revolutionized magic shows and became so influential that the world-famous Harry Houdini honored him through his stage name. The theater became famous later for the work of filmmaker Georges Melies between 1888-1923. It was demolished in 1924.
25 Jun 1848 CE
A photograph of the barricades along the Rue Saint-Maur, Paris, France, taken during the June Days Uprising by Charles-Francois Thibault becomes the first known example of photojournalism.
24 Sep 1852 CE
The Giffard dirigible, the first engine-powered and steerable airship, is flown by its inventor, Henri Giffard, from Paris to Elancourt, 17 miles (27 km), proving the viability of travel by airship. He was unable to make a return trip, however, because his steam engine was not powerful enough to fly against the wind.
18 Apr 1857 CE
*The Spirits' Book* is published by the French academic Hippolyte Leon Denizard Rivail, writing under the pen-name Allan Kardec, establishing the principles of Spiritualism, a movement that would become increasingly popular in Europe and the United States in the 19th and early 20th century.
9 Apr 1860 CE
French inventor Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville creates the first known recording of a human voice on a phonautograph, recording a man singing "Au Clair de la Lune" seventeen years before Thomas Edison is said to have invented the phonograph.
5 May 1862 CE
The Battle of Puebla is won by Mexican forces over the invading French army near Puebla de los Angeles, Mexico, during the Second Franco-Mexican War. The smaller Mexican army defeated the larger French forces, halting a significant invasion. The date is celebrated as Cinco de Mayo.
17 Nov 1869 CE
The Suez Canal in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez, officially opens with a length of 120.1 miles (193.3 km) under the control of France. It was nationalized in 1956 and has since been managed by Egypt's Suez Canal Authority.
16 Aug 1880 CE
The French Directorate of Fine Arts commissions sculptor Auguste Rodin to create a set of bronze doors for the scheduled construction of the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, and requested images taken from Dante's *Divine Comedy*. The museum was never built but the commission resulted in Rodin's masterpiece *The Gates of Hell*.
17 Jun 1885 CE
The Statue of Liberty arrives in New York Harbor as a gift to the American people from France aboard the French frigate *Isere*, in 350 pieces and packed in 214 crates. It was later assembled on Bedloe's Island (now Liberty Island), New York City and was dedicated 28 October 1886.
26 Jan 1887 CE
Construction of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France begins and takes two years, two months, and five days to complete (on 31 March 1889) in time for the 1889 World's Fair and commemorating the beginning of the French Revolution. The tower was considered an eyesore by many Parisians and was supposed to be dismantled after 20 years but its designer, Gustave Eiffel, encouraged scientific uses of his creation, ensuring its preservation. Today it is among the world's most popular tourist attractions.
31 Mar 1889 CE
The Eiffel Tower is inaugurated when its designer, Gustave Eiffel, leads city officials and journalists to the top and raises the French flag. As the elevators were not yet working, the group had to climb the stairs all the way to the top. The tower officially opened to the public on 15 May of the same year.
6 Oct 1889 CE
The famous cabaret Moulin Rouge ("Red Windmill") opens in Montmartre, Paris, established by Joseph Oller and Charles Zidler. It was the first building in Paris to have electricity.
14 Aug 1893 CE
The world's first motor vehicle registration is introduced in France through the Paris Police Ordinance of 14 August 1893, mandating that all motor vehicles display a metal plate on the left-hand side of the vehicle with a registration number along with the owner's name and address.
22 Jul 1894 CE
The Paris-Rouen Motor Race is run, considered the first competitive motor race in history, as contestants compete in their "horseless carriages." The winner was Albert Lemaitre driving an early Peugeot.
22 Oct 1895 CE
The Montparnasse Derailment occurs at the Montparnasse train station, Paris, France, when the brakes on the Granville-Paris Express locomotive fail and it crashes onto the street, landing on its nose, killing one person and injuring five. The fatality, Marie-Augustine Aguillard, was not even supposed to be there – she was standing in for her boyfriend at his newsstand while he went to get the evening newspapers.
28 Dec 1895 CE
The French filmmakers, the Lumiere brothers – Auguste Marie Louis Nicolas and Louis Jean – best known for their Cinematographe motion picture system – give their first paid public screening of ten short films at Salon Indien du Grand Café in Paris, France. The event is widely regarded as the birth of cinema.
19 Jul 1900 CE
The first line of the Paris Metro rapid transit system opens during the World's Fair, expands over the next fourteen years, and is firmly established during World War I.
1 Jul 1903 CE
The first Tour de France bicycle race begins in Montgeron, France, ending in Paris on 19 July and covering 1,509 miles (2, 428 km). It was won by cyclist Maurice Garin.
10 Mar 1906 CE
The Courrieres mine disaster in Northern France kills 1,099 miners following a coal-dust explosion, the worst mining tragedy in European history.
28 Mar 1910 CE
The first successful takeoff for a piloted seaplane is achieved by Henri Fabre off Etang de Berre, France, flying his aircraft, the Canard, over 1,900 feet (600 m) and marking the first time an airplane took off from and landed on water.
3 Dec 1910 CE
French engineer and inventor Georges Claude debuts neon lighting at the Paris Motor Show, demonstrating the new technology by lighting two large red neon tubes between 3-18 December, leading to the development of neon signs by 1920.
12 Sep 1940 CE
The Cave of Lascaux is discovered near Montignac, Southwestern France, when four teenagers find it while searching for their lost dog, Robot. The cave features 1,500 engravings and 600 paintings dated to between 17,000 and 22,000 years ago.
25 Aug 1944 CE
The Liberation of Paris during World War II takes place when the German garrison in Paris surrenders, having held the city since June of 1940.
5 Jul 1946 CE
The bikini swimsuit is first modeled by 19-year-old Parisian dancer Micheline Bernardini at the Piscine Molitor (Molitor Pool), Paris, France. The suit was designed by French engineer Louis Reard and named after the Bikini Atoll in the Pacific, site of US atomic tests, because he believed it would be equally "explosive." 5 July is now celebrated as National Bikini Day.
17 Oct 1961 CE
The 1961 Paris Massacre occurs when the French National Police under Maurice Papon attack and kill Algerians during a peaceful demonstration on the bridge Pont Saint-Michel. The French government has since admitted to forty Algerians killed by police, but historians place the number higher at over 200 who died from beatings or drowning when they were thrown off the bridge into the River Seine.
22 Dec 1971 CE
Médecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) is founded by French doctors in Paris, France, as a non-governmental organization for humanitarian medical care. Today, the organization is active in over 75 countries.
31 Aug 1997 CE
Diana, Princess of Wales, is killed in a car accident in Paris, France, as her driver is fleeing pursuing paparazzi. Her death inspired worldwide mourning.