Bastille Day, national holiday in France and its overseas départements and territories, marking the anniversary of the fall on July 14, 1789, of the Bastille, in Paris. Originally built as a mediaeval fortress, the Bastille eventually came to be used as a state prison. Political prisoners and detained citizens were held there. Bastille had come to symbolise the harsh rule of the Bourbon monarchy. 

During the unrest of 1789, on July 14 a mob stormed the prison and released the seven prisoners held there. The taking of the Bastille signalled the beginning of the French Revolution, and it thus became a symbol of the end of the ancien régime. It became an official holiday in 1880. The slogan "Vive le 14 Juillet!" ("Long live the 14th of July!") has continued to be associated with the day.