Today isn't a holiday here in the US. Over in France it's the national holiday. Known as Bastille Day in English speaking countries, the French call it 'fête nationale' (national celebration) or 'le 14 juillet' (14th of July). It comes from the Storming of the Bastille, a pivotal early moment, really the origination, of the French Revolution.
Prior to 1789 France was still a nation under the more-or-less all powerful Bourbon monarchy. Subsequent kings lived in the shadow of the 'Sun King' Louis XIV, the pinnacle of France's absolute authoritarian kings less than a 100 years prior. Things were changing in France but entrenched powerful groups weren't changing with it. An economic crisis, caused in part by the financial assistance given to the American Revolution, led to King Louis XVI calling the Estates General. This was a form of legislature with three groups represented: the clergy ('First Estate'), the nobility ('Second Estate') and commoners ('Third Estate'). This assembly was, to say the least, infrequently used, its last meeting was all the way back in 1614. It was an opportunity not missed by those interested in liberty and equality for the people.
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Coming together initially to address issues of debt and taxation, the Estates General of 1789 was getting nowhere fast due to extremely old rules and inflexibility of the Second Estate (nobility) in particular. The elected representatives of the Third Estate (typically commoners but also some clergymen or nobles) saw a chance to provide France with a written constitution for the first time. With far more members than the first two Estates combined, the Third Estate soon styled itself the 'National Assembly' and started to function on its own. The king tried to intervene but could only close their meeting hall. The legislature simply moved to a nearby tennis court, preceded with business and, soon joined by parts of the first two Estates, forced the king to recognize its authority.
In Paris politics and debate became all the rage and most supported the goal of creating a constitution. A shakeup on the king's privy council, namely a dismissal of the reform-minded finance minister, and the appearance of soldiers loyal to the crown (~25,000, about half mercenaries) stoked fears the king would interfere or even shut down the new assembly. Parisians began marching in the streets and clashed with these troops. Unrest spread in the days before July 14th, with mobs seizing various stores of food and weapons. Soldiers posted in the city made no attempt to prevent what became a general riot and in many cases French troops outright joined the increasingly bold partisans. The formation of a militia (48,000), intended to gain some semblance of law and order, essentially just gave organization to the would-be revolutionaries and became the official National Guard (headed at its outset by the Marquis de Lafayette).
The morning of July 14th, 1789, a large gathering swelled outside the Bastille, a medieval fortress in the city along the river Seine. Long used as a prison it was the foremost symbol of the tyranny of the French monarchy and frequently held political enemies of the king for indefinite periods of time. Those there that day, however, were almost certainly more interested in the 250 barrels of gunpowder housed inside than a meager seven prisoners. The garrison of about 100 men attempted to negotiate with the angry Parisians, who felt threatened by the fortress's cannons, and things broke down in the afternoon when about 1000 surged the castle's courtyard. Soldiers fired on the invaders causing the tense but largely confused gathering to become a vengeful mob, which attacked for the next few hours before the castle's commander surrendered. During the fighting 98 insurgents were killed to only one defender. Afterward the officers inside were all murdered in addition to a couple of the rank-and-file. What's perhaps most interesting of all is that 5000 supposedly Royal troops stationed just down the road once again did nothing to stop it.
This was what really kicked off the French Revolution. The combination of a successful revolt on such a prevalent symbol of the hated aspects of the old regime immediately became a massively influential event. The king stood down and dispersed any remaining soldiers he controlled. The Paris Commune was formed. French nobility began to leave the country en masse, becoming émigrés. The Revolution spread from Paris to the countryside, and everyone who opposed the king and the nobility was emboldened. Demolition of the Bastille fortress began immediately and it was gone in months.
While the rest of the Revolution became an example of what to fear and needs to be avoided in political upheaval, with a bloody cycle of purges (e.g. Robespierre's Reign of Terror) and the eventual rise of a talented but evermore egomaniacal dictator, this was a moment of hope for a better and more free future. It was the beginning of what would be Republican France. Today the national holiday, akin to our Independence Day, includes large-scale celebrations, like a military parade (the oldest in the world) and fireworks.
If the Bastille and French Revolution are things you're interested in, there are obviously tons of non-fiction books on the subject. You can also read the Charles Dickens masterpiece A Tale of Two Cities. No scene is wasted in following the outbreak and crescendoing fever pitch of the Revolution. You see both justice and injustice done at the behest of the mob. It's an amazing and unforgettable read.
'It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.'
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