Today in History:
La Marseillaise, French National Anthem, Is Composed (1792)
Written and composed by French army officer Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in 1792, La Marseillaise was adopted in 1795 as France's first anthem. Although it was then banned by Napoleon I, Louis XVIII, and Napoleon III, it was restored as France's national anthem in 1879. The evocative lyrics and recognizable tune of La Marseillaise have led to its use as a revolutionary anthem and have inspired many pieces of classical music and pop culture.
"La Marseillaise" ("The Marseille [Song]"; French pronunciation: [la maʁsɛˈjɛz]) is the national anthem of France. The name of the song originally was Chant de guerre pour l'Armée du Rhin ("War Song for the Army of the Rhine").
It was written and composed by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in 1792 and adopted in 1795 as the nation's first anthem.
It is also the first example of the "European march" anthemic style. Since being adopted as France's national anthem, the evocative lyrics and instantly recognisable tune of La Marseillaise have led to its use as a revolutionary anthem as well as to the inspiration of many pieces of classical music and popular culture.
Source: encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com
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