Which French military corps traditionally marches last in the Bastille Day parade?
Answer
French Foreign Legion
80 Bastille Day Trivia Questions with Answers
80 public questions with answers, drawn from the well. How many can you answer?
Bastille Day trivia examines France’s national day, the French Revolution, Parisian traditions, military ceremonies, and symbols of republican identity. Questions explore the Bastille fortress, the events of July 1789, parade customs on the Champs-Élysées, and landmarks connected with the bicentennial celebrations.
Do you know which military corps traditionally marches last, where the parade finishes, or what color cockade Camille Desmoulins urged Parisians to wear? You can also test your knowledge of the Bastille’s original function and the glass-and-metal structure opened at the Louvre in 1989. This hub fits history classrooms, Francophile game nights, cultural quizzes, and Bastille Day celebrations.
At which Paris square does the Bastille Day military parade traditionally finish?
Answer
Place de la Concorde
What was the Bastille fortress also known as in medieval Paris?
Answer
Bastille Saint-Antoine
What was the Bastille's primary function under the kings of France?
Answer
state prison
Which Paris summit coincided with the 1989 Bastille Day bicentennial?
Answer
15th G7 summit
What glass-and-metal structure opened at the Louvre in the bicentennial year 1989?
Answer
Louvre Pyramid
Which French president launched the Grand Louvre project for the 1989 bicentennial?
Answer
François Mitterrand
Who directed France's 1989 Bastille Day bicentennial parade?
Answer
Jean-Paul Goude
Which French president opened the Opéra Bastille on 13 July 1989?
Answer
François Mitterrand
Which Paris opera house now stands near the former Bastille site?
Answer
Opéra Bastille
What Paris bridge was built partly with stones from the demolished Bastille?
Answer
Pont de la Concorde
Which scandalous writer was moved from the Bastille days before it was stormed?
Answer
Marquis de Sade
What royal complex did Charles V create south of the Bastille for his own safety?
Answer
Hôtel Saint-Pol
Which military school's cadets traditionally open the Bastille Day parade?
Answer
École Polytechnique
Which French king ordered a larger Bastille fortification in 1369?
Answer
Charles V
Which Swiss regiment supplied grenadiers to the Bastille garrison in July 1789?
Answer
Salis-Samade Regiment
Which pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 Bastille Day military parade?
Answer
COVID-19 pandemic
What Paris racecourse hosted Bastille Day parade celebrations from 1880 to 1914?
Answer
Longchamp Racecourse
What alternate English name for Bastille Day translates the French phrase Quatorze juillet?
Answer
The Fourteenth of July
Which U.S. naval figure helped unfurl the Stars and Stripes at the Fête de la Fédération?
Answer
John Paul Jones
Which song became popular among workers during the Wheelbarrow Days?
Answer
Ah! ça ira
What nickname was given to volunteer workdays preparing the Champ de Mars?
Answer
Wheelbarrow Days
Which bishop celebrated mass at the Fête de la Fédération?
Answer
Talleyrand
Who proposed the 1880 law adopting 14 July as an annual national festival?
Answer
Benjamin Raspail
Which French republic wanted to revive the 14 July festival in 1880?
Answer
Third Republic
Which regiment reinforced the Bastille attackers after 3 pm?
Answer
Gardes Françaises
Which Paris complex was stormed for muskets before the Bastille on 14 July 1789?
Answer
Hôtel des Invalides
What royal warrant made the Bastille a symbol of arbitrary imprisonment?
Answer
lettre de cachet
Which estate reconstituted itself as the National Assembly on 17 June 1789?
Answer
Third Estate
Which finance minister's dismissal on 11 July 1789 fueled Paris unrest?
Answer
Jacques Necker
What Tahitian festival evolved from one-day Bastille Day competitions?
Answer
Heiva i Tahiti
Which former French colony in India celebrates Bastille Day with festivity?
Answer
Pondicherry
At which Paris square does the main Bastille Day parade route end?
Answer
Place de la Concorde
Which Paris arch anchors the start area of the Bastille Day parade route?
Answer
Arc de Triomphe
Which Paris field hosted the Fête de la Fédération in 1790?
Answer
Champ de Mars
In French, what is Bastille Day commonly and legally called?
Answer
le 14 juillet
Which nobleman, known as the Comte de Solages, was a prisoner in the Bastille?
Answer
Comte de Solages
Who was contracted to demolish the Bastille after its fall?
Answer
Pierre-François Palloy
Who was elected the first mayor of Paris immediately after the storming of the Bastille?
Answer
Jean Sylvain Bailly
Bastille Day trivia — quick answers
What are good Bastille Day trivia questions?
Good Bastille Day trivia questions cover the storming of the Bastille, French Revolutionary symbols, parade traditions, Paris landmarks, and bicentennial events. Examples include asking where the military parade finishes, what the Bastille was used for, which corps marches last, or which famous Louvre structure opened in 1989.
How hard is Bastille Day trivia?
Bastille Day trivia is generally moderate. Basic questions about the French Revolution and the national holiday are accessible, while parade protocol, historical dates, Parisian locations, and bicentennial landmarks require more specialized knowledge. It works well as a history or cultural round with a mix of easy and challenging clues.
What does Bastille Day commemorate?
Bastille Day commemorates the storming of the Bastille fortress in Paris on July 14, 1789, an event that became a powerful symbol of the French Revolution and opposition to royal absolutism. July 14 is also associated with the Festival of the Federation held in 1790, emphasizing national unity.
What was the Bastille used for?
The Bastille was a medieval fortress in Paris that became a state prison under the French monarchy. It held prisoners by royal order, including political detainees, although by 1789 it contained only a small number of inmates. Its fall on July 14, 1789, gave it enormous symbolic importance.
When was the first Bastille Day military parade held?
The modern Bastille Day military parade tradition dates to 1880, when July 14 became France’s national holiday. The parade is held in Paris and is traditionally associated with the Champs-Élysées. Although formats and routes have changed over time, it remains a major annual display of French military ceremony.