- The Eiffel Tower was initially criticized by many Parisians who considered it an eyesore when first constructed in 1889.
- French was the official language of England for over 300 years after the Norman Conquest in 1066.
- The French Revolution, which began in 1789, led to the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte and the end of monarchy in France.
- Marie Antoinette, the last Queen of France before the revolution, never actually said “Let them eat cake.”
- The French national motto “Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité” was first popularized during the French Revolution and remains official today.
- The Louvre Museum in Paris is the world’s most visited art museum and home to over 35,000 works.
- Napoleon Bonaparte was not actually short for his time; he stood about 5'6", average for a Frenchman in 1800.
- The storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, marked a turning point in the French Revolution.
- The Treaty of Versailles, ending World War I, was signed in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles in 1919.
- The French flag, known as the “Tricolore,” represents liberty (blue), equality (white), and fraternity (red).
- France was the first country in the world to ban food waste from supermarkets by law in 2016.
- The French monarchy lasted for over 1,000 years before the execution of King Louis XVI in 1793.
- The Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris took nearly 200 years to complete and began construction in 1163.
- The French invented the metric system during the Revolution as a more rational and universal system of measurement.
- In 2000, France officially switched to the euro, replacing the franc which had been in use since the 14th century.
- The French Resistance played a crucial role in undermining Nazi operations during the German occupation of World War II.
- The “Sun King,” Louis XIV, ruled France for 72 years, making him the longest-reigning monarch in European history.
- France was a colonial power with territories on every continent including parts of North America, Africa, and Asia.
- The Montgolfier brothers launched the first successful hot air balloon flight in France in 1783.
- Joan of Arc, a peasant girl who led French forces during the Hundred Years’ War, was later canonized as a saint.
- France has changed governments and constitutions more than a dozen times since the fall of the monarchy.
- The Arc de Triomphe was commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 to honor those who fought for France during the Napoleonic Wars.
- French is one of the few languages in the world taught on every continent and used in international diplomacy.
- The famous Bayeux Tapestry depicts the Norman conquest of England in 1066 and is housed in Normandy, France.
- The guillotine remained France’s official method of execution until capital punishment was abolished in 1981.
- In 1804, Napoleon crowned himself Emperor of the French inside Notre-Dame Cathedral, defying the Pope’s traditional role.
- French philosopher René Descartes, who coined “I think, therefore I am,” is considered the father of modern philosophy.
- The Palace of Versailles, a symbol of royal excess, was originally a hunting lodge before Louis XIV expanded it.
- France’s motto has been inscribed on public buildings since the Third Republic and is protected by the constitution.
- During World War I, nearly 1.4 million French soldiers died, and many of their names are inscribed in memorials across the country.
- The Enlightenment movement which fueled ideas behind democracy and reason had major roots in 18th-century French intellectual circles.
Famous French People
Louis Pasteur, the French biologist and chemist, discovered pasteurization and developed vaccines for rabies and anthrax.
Coco Chanel revolutionized women's fashion by introducing comfortable and elegant styles, including the iconic little black dress.
Auguste Rodin is considered one of the greatest French sculptors of all time, best known for "The Thinker" and "The Kiss."
French composers such as Maurice Ravel (famous for "Boléro") and Georges Bizet (composer of "Carmen") are celebrated for their lasting influence on classical music.
Voltaire was a leading Enlightenment thinker who advocated for civil liberties, freedom of speech, and religious tolerance.
Brigitte Bardot was not only a famous French actress and model but also became an animal rights activist later in life.
Victor Hugo, author of "Les Misérables" and "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame," is buried at the Panthéon in Paris.
Language
French is considered one of the most romantic languages in the world and often associated with poetry and love.
There are over 120 million students currently learning French as a foreign language globally making it the second most-studied language.
French is spoken on every continent and is the official language in 29 countries, making it a truly global language.
French is one of the six official languages of the United Nations and one of the two working languages of the UN Secretariat.
French is the second most widely learned foreign language after English and is projected to reach over 700 million speakers by 2050, due to population growth in Africa.
The French language has contributed more than 30% of modern English vocabulary including words like "rendezvous" and "cuisine."
France has official language protection laws; the use of foreign words in media and advertising is heavily regulated.
The French Academy (Académie Française) has governed the evolution of the French language since 1635 under Cardinal Richelieu.
The French language is unique in that it doesn’t naturally include any words containing the letter "W." If you do spot a "W" in a French word, it’s a giveaway that the term was borrowed from another language, most often English. Examples include Wifi, WebCam, and web design, all of which are adopted directly from English
Arts
French Impressionism began in the 19th century and revolutionized modern art with artists like Monet and Manet.
Montmartre district in Paris was a hub for artists like Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, and Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, who all lived and created masterpieces there.
The Mona Lisa Was Stolen in 1911: This iconic painting was stolen from the Louvre and remained missing for two years before being recovered.
Rodin’s “The Thinker” Was Originally Part of a Larger Work: The Thinker was intended to be part of a massive piece called The Gates of Hell, inspired by Dante’s Inferno.
France Celebrates Museums with "La Nuit des Musées": Every year, France hosts “Museum Night,” where museums across the country open their doors for free, allowing visitors to explore art collections late into the evening.
Street Art is Officially Recognized in Paris: The city of Paris has dedicated spaces and initiatives to promote street art to embrace urban artists and murals as part of its cultural landscape.
Inventions
The Braille system for reading and writing used by blind people was invented by Frenchman Louis Braille in 1824.
The stethoscope, now essential in medicine, was invented in 1816 by French physician René Laennec in Paris.
France was home to the invention of photography, thanks to Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, who created the first photograph in 1826.
The first public movie screening was held by the Lumière brothers in Paris in 1895 marking the birth of cinema.
The metric system, used worldwide today, was invented and adopted during the French Revolution for universal standardization.
Food
French cuisine was awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 2010 for its cultural significance and gastronomic tradition.
Each region in France has its own distinct cheese varieties from Brie and Camembert to Roquefort and Comté. There are over 1,000 officially recognized French cheeses. Although some non-French sources claim it's 400 or less.
France has strict laws governing the production of wine and cheese to maintain quality, origin, and tradition.
The Michelin Guide which rates the world’s best restaurants was created in France in 1900 by a tire company.
French chefs were the first to formalize cooking into an art with codified rules and culinary schools like Le Cordon Bleu.