Celebrated on July 14 each year, Bastille Day in France commemorates the storming of the Bastille fortress-prison on July 14, 1789 during the French Revolution.

The day marks the uprising of modern France and is celebrated much like Independence Day in the United States. Bastille Day celebrations begin each year with a large military parade down the Champs-Élysées in Paris and continue throughout the day, culminating in fireworks displays in the evening.

The picture above was taken on the Pont de la Concorde during Bastille Day celebrations in 2010. The faint outline of the darkened Eiffel Tower can be seen on the left as fireworks explode over the River Seine.

Missing Paris on this Bastille Day? Get back to the City of Light with these cheap flights to Paris.

Flickr: Whiternoise