The storming of the Bastille took place in 1789, specifically on 14 July, in Paris during the French Revolution.
Revolutionary crowds attacked the Bastille fortress because they sought weapons and gunpowder and viewed the prison as a symbol of royal authority. The fortress fell after fighting with its defenders, and its governor, Bernard-René de Launay, was captured and killed.
The event became a landmark of the Revolution, although the Bastille held only seven prisoners when it was captured. A common mix-up is confusing the date of the storming, 14 July 1789, with the Fête de la Fédération held on 14 July 1790.
That shared date helps explain Bastille Day: France’s national holiday commemorates both the 1789 uprising and the 1790 celebration of national unity.