French Revolution

Historical eventJanuary 211793

French Revolution

French Revolution: After being found guilty of high treason by the National Convention, Louis XVI was guillotined in Paris.

Everything on January 21Original source

In context

When
Monday, January 21 1793233 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
18th century · 1790s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

Russia, Greece and some other countries used the Julian calendar into the early 20th century, so local records may show a date up to 13 days earlier.

At a glance

Dates: From 1793.

What happened

The French Revolution was a period of political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the Coup of 18 Brumaire on 9 November 1799. Many of the revolution's ideas are considered fundamental principles of liberal democracy, and its values remain central to modern French political discourse. It was caused by a combination of social, political, and economic factors which the existing regime proved unable to manage.

January 21 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1793French Revolution
  2. 2000Ecuador
  3. 20032003 Colima earthquake
  4. 2004NASA
  5. 2005Belmopan
  6. 2009Gaza Strip
  7. 20112011 Albanian opposition demonstrations
  8. 2014Rojava Revolution
  9. 20172017 Women's March
  10. 20232023 Monterey Park shooting
  11. 20252025 Kartalkaya hotel fire

Also in 1793

  • August 10LouvreThe Louvre (pyramid pictured) in Paris, today the world's most-visited museum, opened with an exhibition of 537 paintings and 184 objets…
  • March 18Andreas Joseph HofmannAndreas Joseph Hofmann proclaimed the Republic of Mainz, becoming the first republican state in Germany.
  • October 16War of the First CoalitionWar of the First Coalition: The two-day Battle of Wattignies concluded with Jean-Baptiste Jourdan leading French forces to victory over P…
  • October 9French RevolutionFrench Revolution: After a month-long siege, the leaders of Lyon surrendered, ending their revolt against the National Convention.
  • November 3French RevolutionFrench Revolution: Playwright, journalist and outspoken feminist Olympe de Gouges was guillotined.
  • July 20Alexander Mackenzie (explorer)Scottish explorer Alexander Mackenzie reached the Pacific coast at Bella Coola, British Columbia, completing the first recorded transcont…
  • January 23Russian EmpireThe Russian Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia partitioned the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth for the second time.

Everything we record for 1793 →

Sources

Cite this page

“French Revolution”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/french-revolution-1793-january-21, accessed October 28, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did French Revolution happen?

January 21 1793 — 233 years ago, on a Monday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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