The event that catalyzed the French Revolution in 1789 was the financial crisis faced by the French monarchy and the subsequent convening of the Estates-General in May of that year. The monarchy's inability to address economic inequality, rising taxes, and widespread discontent among the Third Estate—a group representing the common people—sparked a chain of events that led to revolutionary fervor. The storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, became a symbolic act of rebellion against oppressive rule, rallying the populace and igniting revolutionary sentiments that would reshape France and influence democratic movements worldwide.