Dive into the history of Paris with us, thanks to this series of history facts returning on the greatest events that occurred in the French capital city over the centuries.
August is a month packed with major historical events, from the birth of a great photographer in love with the City of Lights to the Liberation of Paris to an unforgettable solar eclipse to the stealing of the most famous painting in the Louvre.
Come along and discover these incredible but true stories, sometimes striking, sometimes surprising.
It happened in August in Paris:
Ephemeris for August 7 in Paris: Aviator Charles Godefroy flies under the Arc de Triomphe
On August 7, 1919, French aviator Charles Godefroy achieved the feat of flying under the Arc de Triomphe, to the astonishment of Parisians. [Read more]
Ephemeris for August 8: Signing of the Saint-Germain-en-Laye peace edict
Signed on August 8, 1570, the Treaty of Peace of Saint-Germain-en-Laye put an end to the third French War of Religion, then in progress for two years, and granted Protestants freedom of worship within a territorial limit, as well as four cities of safety. However, the peace was short-lived, culminating in the resumption of conflicts between Catholics and Protestants two years later, on the night of St. Bartholomew's Day. [Read more]
August 9 ephemeris: The last shell fired by Big Bertha on Paris
On August 9, 1918, the Big Bertha fired a final shell at Paris, bringing to an end 4 months of incessant bombardment of the capital. A veritable weapon of psychological warfare, this German army artillery piece had a range of 128km, a record for the time. [Read more]
Ephemeris of August 10 in Paris: Sans-Culottes seize the Tuileries Palace
On August 10, 1792, the Sans-Culottes stormed the Tuileries Palace in a bloody day that sounded the death knell for royalty and monarchy in France. [Read more]
Ephemeris of August 11 in Paris: The total solar eclipse of 1999
On August 11, 1999, in Paris and the rest of France, the Moon totally eclipsed the Sun for just under 3 minutes. It was the last total eclipse of the 20th century, and also of the second millennium. [Read more]
Ephemeris of August 12 in Paris: Creation of the Gaumont film company
On August 12, 1895, Gaumont was founded by Léon Gaumont, who had no idea that he had just created the oldest film production company in history. [Read more]
Ephemeris for August 13 in Paris: Eugène Delacroix's death, rue de Furstemberg
On August 13, 1863, the painter Eugène Delacroix breathed his last in his apartment on rue de Furstemberg, in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. [Read more]
Ephemeris for August 14th in Paris: Willy Ronis' birth at the foot of the Butte Montmartre
On August 14, 1910, Willy Ronis was born at the foot of the Butte Montmartre. In love with Paris, the photographer spent his life capturing scenes of everyday Parisian life with tenderness and poetry, preferring snapshots taken in the moment to staged images. [Read more]
Ephemeris for August 15 in Paris: Laying the foundation stone of the Arc de Triomphe
On August 15, 1806, the first stone was laid for the Arc de Triomphe, built by order of Napoleon 1st to commemorate the victories of the French armies. [Read more]
Ephemeris of August 16 in Paris: Resistance fighters ambushed in the Bois de Boulogne
On August 16, 1944, a few days before the Liberation of Paris, French Resistance fighters were ambushed in the Bois de Boulogne and shot by SS officers and French Gestapo agents. [Read more]
Ephemeris for August 17: Last convoy of deportees and closure of the Drancy camp
On August 17, 1944, the last convoy of deportees left the Drancy camp for Buchenwald. The following day, 1,467 prisoners were liberated. [Read more]
History fact: it happened on August 18 in Paris, Henry IV’s wedding at Notre-Dame de Paris
On August 18, 1572, Henry of Navarre – future king Henry IV – marries Marguerite of Valois – or Queen Margot – the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral. An alliance by way of reconciliation between the Catholic and the Protestant Churches that will lead to the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre in spite of everything. [Read more]
Ephemeris of August 19 in Paris: The Liberation of Paris
From August 19 to 25, 1944, Paris was finally liberated from German occupation. It was the triumph of the Allies and fighting France, and the establishment of General de Gaulle as leader of a liberated and victorious France. [Read more]
Ephemeris for August 21 in Paris: First deadly Resistance attack on the Barbès metro station
On August 21, 1941, the Resistance carried out the first murderous attack in Paris against the German forces that had occupied the capital for over a year. Pierre Georges, who was to become Colonel Fabien, shot a Kriegsmarine soldier twice in the Barbès-Rochechouart metro station. [Read more]
Ephemeris for August 22 in Paris: The theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre Museum
On August 22, 1911, Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa disappeared from the Musée du Louvre, under the noses of the guards. It was a shock. It would be another two years before Mona Lisa's smile could be seen again in sunny Florence. [Read more]
Ephemeris of August 24 in Paris: The St Bartholomew's Day Massacre
On August 24, 1572, 4,000 Huguenots were brutally murdered in Paris during the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre, the culmination of the Wars of Religion between Catholics and Protestants. [Read more]
Ephemeris of August 25 in Paris: General de Gaulle's speech at the Hôtel de Ville
On August 25, 1944, back in Paris, Charles de Gaulle gave his famous speech "Paris outragé! Paris brisé! Paris martyrisé! mais Paris libéré!" at the Hôtel de Ville. An impromptu speech celebrating the city's liberation and calling for national unity. [Read more]
Ephemeris for August 26 in Paris: Opening of the first railway line from Paris
On August 26, 1837, the first railroad line out of Paris was inaugurated. This new railway line, which was also the first in France to be built solely for passenger transport, linked the capital's 8th arrondissement to Le Pecq station in the Yvelines. [Read more]
Ephemeris of August 28 in Paris: The Black Death epidemic
In August 1348, Paris faced a terrible disease that spared neither women, children, nobles nor the poor. Within 4 years, the Black Death epidemic would decimate a third of the Parisian population. [Read more]
August 31st Paris Ephemeris: Lady Diana's fatal accident in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel
On August 31, 1997, after a frantic chase through the streets of Paris with paparazzi, Princess Lady Diana died in a tragic car accident in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel. [Read more]
