| On this morning a mob advanced on the Bastille (the state prison) in Paris, intent on asking the prison governor to release the arms and munitions stored there. Angered by the governor's evasiveness, the people stormed and captured the prison. This dramatic action came to symbolize the end of the ancien régime. Commemorating this event, one of the most pivotal in the history of France, Bastille Day has been celebrated annually on July 14 since 1880 as a French national holiday with parades, ... |