Maximilien Robespierre was born on 6 May 1758 in Arras. A French lawyer and revolutionary leader, Robespierre was an influential member of the Jacobin Club and the Committee of Public Safety. Known as the Incorruptible, he championed the rights of the poor and opposed the death penalty at first, but during the Reign of Terror of 1793-94 he supported the use of extraordinary measures against enemies of the Revolution, and thousands were executed. He promoted the Cult of the Supreme Being as a civic religion. After a coup by fellow deputies on the 9th of Thermidor, he was arrested and guillotined the next day, and his legacy remains fiercely debated.
Before and after
- 9 October 1757Birth of Charles X of France
- 28 November 1757Birth of William Blake
- 5 December 1757Battle of Leuthen
- 28 April 1758Birth of James Monroe
- 6 May 1758Birth of Maximilien Robespierre
- 25 December 1758Halley's Comet returns as predicted
- 1759Construction of British Museum
- from 16 January 1759 to 19 January 1759Invasion of Martinique
- 25 January 1759Birth of Robert Burns
More in Wars, politics & history
- from 1524 to 1525German Peasants' War
- from 1568 to 1918Russo-Turkish Wars
- 1689Bill of Rights 1689
- 30 April 1707Acts of Union 1707
- 30 August 1721Treaty of Nystad
- from 10 October 1733 to 3 October 1735War of the Polish Succession
The era
This moment belongs to the Early modern world (1500 CE to 1760 CE), voyages, printing and new ideas. You can also browse everything in the 18th century.