Historedia
Person

Jean Sylvain Bailly

Events
2
Episodes
7
Years
1789–1793

Every event in Historedia whose sources name Jean Sylvain Bailly, with the role they cite and all of that event’s episodes. This is not a biography, and mentions are grouped by name, so two people with the same name can share this page.

Events and episodes

  1. Tennis Court Oath

    1789

    Role: Leader of the Third Estate's National Assembly

    1. May 1789 · Estates-General conveningEstates-General deadlocks over voting procedure

      Convened in May 1789 to address fiscal crisis, the Estates-General stalled over whether to vote by order or by head.

    2. 17 June 1789 · Third Estate deliberationsThird Estate declares itself the National Assembly

      On 17 June 1789 the Third Estate began calling itself the National Assembly and invited the other estates to join against the king's wishes.

    3. 20 June 1789 · Indoor tennis court (Salle du Jeu de Paume) near the Palace of VersaillesDeputies swear the Tennis Court Oath

      Fearing an imminent royal attack, deputies met on Guillotin's suggestion in an indoor tennis court near Versailles and swore not to separate until a constitution was established.

    4. 27 June 1789 · Royal concession on voting procedureLouis XVI concedes voting by head

      After the oath reinforced the Assembly despite royal attempts to thwart it, Louis XVI formally requested voting by head counts on 27 June 1789.

  2. Execution of Jean Sylvain Bailly

    1793

    Role: executed prisoner; astronomer and former mayor of Paris

    1. July 1793 · Melun (arrest site, outside Paris)Arrest at Melun

      Fleeing in July 1793, Bailly was recognized and arrested at Melun while seeking refuge with Laplace.

    2. 10–11 November 1793 · Revolutionary Tribunal, ParisTrial Before the Revolutionary Tribunal

      On 10 November 1793 Bailly faced the Revolutionary Tribunal in Paris, was speedily tried, and sentenced to death the next day.

    3. 12 November 1793 · Champ de Mars, ParisExecution at the Champ de Mars

      Bailly was guillotined on 12 November 1793 at the Champ de Mars, chosen symbolically as the site of his alleged betrayal of the republican movement.

Sources

  1. Tennis Court Oath Wikipedia
  2. Jean Sylvain Bailly Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-04