In the news1783
First human flight in 1783
King Louis XVI hosted the first successful human flight in a hot-air balloon at Versailles, lasting 25 minutes on November 21, 1783.
Palace of Versailles, 9 Jul 1786 – Versailles, 19 Jun 1787
9 facts3 sources
9 Jul 1786
Born in Palace of Versailles
19 Jun 1787
Dies in Versailles, aged 0
General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.
In the news1783
King Louis XVI hosted the first successful human flight in a hot-air balloon at Versailles, lasting 25 minutes on November 21, 1783.
Getting around
Fast winter mountain descent by sled
Adventurous travelers crossing the Alps at Mont-Cenis in winter could descend into France on a sled in a 15-minute thrill ride called the ramasse. The sleds were guided by a conductor who steered the craft down the snowy slopes at high speed.
In Europe1772–1795
Russia, Prussia and Austria divided Poland among themselves in three steps until, in 1795, it vanished from the map for 123 years.
Daily life
Limited rural schooling
In many rural areas, primary education was inconsistently provided by the local priest or his vicar, focusing only on basic reading, writing, and catechism.
What people wore
Commoners often went barefoot and wore secondhand
Ordinary rural people in France often went barefoot during the warmer seasons and relied heavily on secondhand clothing, as buying new outfits was exceptional.
Music
Wind instruments dominated outdoor civic festivals
Wind instruments, especially the bassoon-serpent, were highly prized for outdoor festivities and civic celebrations because they were loud enough to be heard by large crowds. During the Revolution, the government promoted powerful patriotic hymns like La Marseillaise, often played by wind ensembles to help mobilize and unify citizens.
At the table
Typical Peasant Diet in Rural France
Ordinary rural diets consisted of rye or oat bread, vegetable soups, and dairy, while meat was rarely eaten except for occasional pork.