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1357 AD. Construction was underway.
C. 1370 AD. The main construction occurred from this year onwards, creating a strong fortress with eight towers that protected the strategic gateway of the Porte Saint-Antoine on the eastern edge of Paris.
1417 AD. The fortress was declared a state prison.
C. 1550 AD. The defences of the Bastille were fortified in response to the English and Imperial threat, with a bastion constructed to the east of the fortress.
1652 AD. The Bastille played a key role in the rebellion of the Fronde and the battle of the faubourg Saint-Antoine, which was fought beneath its walls.
1784 AD. The high cost of maintaining the building prompted talk of demolition.
1789 July 14 AD. The people stormed and captured the place; this dramatic action came to symbolize the end of the old regime. The Bastille was subsequently demolished by order of the Revolutionary government.
1880 AD. Bastille Day, celebrated annually on July 14, was chosen as a French national holiday.
