What is the date representing the symbolic start of the French Revolution as Parisians stormed the Bastille?

• A. July 14th, 1789
• B. June 17th, 1789
• C. August 4th, 1789
• D. May 5th, 1789

Answer: (A)

The date tied to the symbolic start of the French Revolution is the day Parisians stormed the Bastille, on July 14, 1789. This dramatic act against royal authority became a powerful emblem of popular sovereignty, showing that ordinary people could challenge the king and mobilize across social groups. It captured the imagination of the nation and is remembered as a turning point that energized revolutionary momentum, later celebrated as Bastille Day. The other dates mark important moments in the early revolutionary process—such as the Third Estate declaring itself the National Assembly, the abolition of feudal privileges, and the opening of the Estates-General—but none of them are the storming of the Bastille itself.