On July 14, 1789, during the early stages of the French Revolution, a state prison on the east side of Paris, the Bastille, was attacked by an angry and aggressive mob. The event marked a turning point in the history of France. The British…
Read MoreThe late 1790s marked a turning point in American foreign policy, and nothing tested the fledgling country more than the XYZ Affair. Rooted in a failed negotiation with France, the incident triggered a series of events that dramatically altered the course of the French…
Read MoreOn June 26, 1945, the world came together to create the United Nations, marking a pivotal moment in international diplomacy. In the auditorium of the Herbst Theater in San Francisco, delegates from 50 nations gathered together in hopes of creating an organization that would…
Read MoreOn June 17, 1885, Lady Liberty arrived in the United States. Aboard the French frigate Isère and stuffed in 214 crates that held the disassembled statue, nearly a quarter-of-a-million onlookers crowded in Battery Park in New York City, along with nearly a hundred boats in the…
Read MoreOn June 12, 1429, Joan of Arc achieved her first offensive military victory, winning a battle near the small town of Jargeau on the southern bank of the Loire River in central France. By the end of 1428, writes historians, “the English and their…
Read MoreOn June 8, 1794, the streets of Paris and other French cities thrummed with an extraordinary energy for one of the weirder aspects of the French Revolution. Citizens gathered en masse to witness an event orchestrated by one of the French Revolution’s most enigmatic…
Read MoreOn June 5, 1944, General Dwight D. Eisenhower faced one of the most crucial decisions of World War II. As the Supreme Allied Commander, he was responsible for launching Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe. Despite unfavorable weather conditions, Eisenhower decided to…
Read MoreOn May 29, 1913, the Théâtre des Champs-ÉlysĂ©es in Paris witnessed one of the most legendary and tumultuous premieres in the history of classical music: the debut of Igor Stravinsky’s ballet “The Rite of Spring” (Le Sacre du Printemps). The event has since become…
Read MoreJoan of Arc’s pivotal role in lifting the Siege of OrlĂ©ans during the Hundred Years’ War marked a turning point in the conflict and solidified her as a legendary figure in French history. Born into a peasant family in DomrĂ©my in 1412, Joan experienced divine…
Read MoreAs the sun rose on the morning of March 31, 1889, anticipation hung thick in the air. Parisians and visitors from around the world gathered in the Champ de Mars park, their eyes fixed on the towering structure that loomed before them. At 9:00…
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