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.
Bayeux, 23 Feb 1787 – rue du Ranelagh, 11 Jan 1867
7 facts2 sources
23 Feb 1787
Born in Bayeux
1804–1817
Sociétaire of the Comédie-Française
19 Mar 1814
A daughter is born
11 Jan 1867
Dies in rue du Ranelagh, aged 79
She lived through 9 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Bayeux.
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.
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.
Daily life
Simple peasant housing
Most peasant homes were single-room structures built of mud with thatched roofs, lacking ceilings and window glass.
In the news1789
On July 14, 1789, Parisian citizens stormed the Bastille prison, a pivotal event that signaled the start of the French Revolution and the collapse of royal authority.
Music
Popular dances included minuet and contredanse
The minuet and the contredanse were the two most popular dances, with the latter being a favorite figure dance involving four couples. People frequently organized and enjoyed balls in the provinces during this period.
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.
Getting around
Long travel times across France
To cross France from Brest to Strasbourg, it took 20 to 30 days on foot or by a slow-moving carriage. Travelers using horse-drawn carriages that changed horses at relay stations could cover the same distance in half that time, though this was an exhausting effort.