30th July 1792: La Marseillaise, the future French national anthem, first sung in Paris by a group of volunteer soldiers from the city of Marseille

La Marseillaise was composed by a French army officer and was originally called the ‘War Song for the Army of the Rhine’ with the aim of rallying soldiers fighting in Strasbourg during the French Revolutionary Wars.

20th March 1815: Napoleon Bonaparte begins his Hundred Days as ruler of France following his escape from Elba

Napoleon sought to consolidate his rule by promising reforms and peace in Europe, but the powers of the Seventh Coalition including Britain, Prussia, Austria, and Russia declared him an outlaw and he was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo.