French Revolution

Historical eventOctober 51789

French Revolution

French Revolution: Upset about the high price and scarcity of bread, thousands of Parisian women and allies marched (pictured) on the Palace of Versailles.

Everything on October 5Original source

In context

When
Monday, October 5 1789237 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
18th century · 1780s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

Russia, Greece and some other countries used the Julian calendar into the early 20th century, so local records may show a date up to 13 days earlier.

At a glance

Dates: From 1789.

What happened

The French Revolution was a period of political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the Coup of 18 Brumaire on 9 November 1799. Many of the revolution's ideas are considered fundamental principles of liberal democracy, and its values remain central to modern French political discourse. It was caused by a combination of social, political, and economic factors which the existing regime proved unable to manage.

October 5 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1789French Revolution
  2. 1988Lloyd Bentsen
  3. 1990The Herald (Melbourne)
  4. 19911991 Jakarta Indonesian Air Force C-130 crash
  5. 1994Order of the Solar Temple
  6. 1999Ladbroke Grove rail crash
  7. 2000Overthrow of Slobodan Milošević
  8. 2000Colour revolution
  9. 2011Mekong River massacre
  10. 2014Jules Bianchi
  11. 2021Windows 11

Also in 1789

  • September 11Alexander HamiltonAlexander Hamilton (pictured), co-writer of The Federalist Papers, became the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.
  • May 4Boydell Shakespeare GalleryThe Boydell Shakespeare Gallery, part of a cultural project initiated by engraver John Boydell, opened in London.
  • July 11French RevolutionFrench Revolution: Jacques Necker was dismissed as Director-General of Finances of France, sparking public demonstrations in Paris that l…
  • September 22United States Postmaster GeneralThe office of United States Postmaster General was formally established.
  • December 11University of North Carolina at Chapel HillThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (structure pictured), one of the oldest public universities in the United States and the…
  • August 28William HerschelWith the first use of his 1.2-metre (3.9 ft) telescope, then the largest in the world, William Herschel discovered a new moon of Saturn,…
  • October 24Brabant RevolutionThe Brabant Revolution, sometimes considered to be the first expression of Belgian nationalism, began with the invasion of the Austrian N…
  • January 23John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore)Bishop John Carroll purchased a plot of land that would become the home of the future Georgetown University, the oldest Catholic universi…

Everything we record for 1789 →

Sources

Cite this page

“French Revolution”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/french-revolution-1789-october-5, accessed October 26, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did French Revolution happen?

October 5 1789 — 237 years ago, on a Monday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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