Those watching the cultural news of the past week probably saw the festivities in France on July 14, Bastille Day, which is celebrated annually. In some ways, the original Bastille Day marked the beginning of modern France, as it awoke violently from its feudal and early modern heritage. It certainly changed both church and state.

The Bastille Day parade in 2017 on the Champs-Élysées in Paris inspired Donald Trump to plan a military parade in Washington to commemorate the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday.

France celebrates Bastille Day on Monday with parades, fireworks, and festivities nationwide. The holiday marks the 1789 storming of the Bastille prison, a pivotal moment in the French Revolution. This year,