On This Day
·

Madame du Barry becomes French King Louis XV's "official" mistress

Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (French: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774.

Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (French: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached maturity (then defined as his 13th birthday) in 1723, the kingdom was ruled by his grand-uncle Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, as Regent of France. Cardinal Fleury was chief minister from 1726 until his death in 1743, at which time the king took sole control of the kingdom.

His reign of almost 59 years (from 1715 to 1774) was the second longest in the history of France, exceeded only by his predecessor, Louis XIV, who had ruled for 72 years (from 1643 to 1715). In 1748, Louis returned the Austrian Netherlands, won at the Battle of Fontenoy of 1745.

Historical Significance

Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (French: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774.

Events Before

  1. John Hancock refuses to allow two British customs agents to go below deck of his ship, considered by some to be the firs

    John Hancock refuses to allow two British customs agents to go below deck of his ship, considered by some to be the first act of physical resistance to British authority in the colonies

  2. Captain James Cook departs from Plymouth, England, bound for the Pacific Ocean on his first voyage aboard the Endeavour

    Captain James Cook departs from Plymouth, England, bound for the Pacific Ocean on his first voyage aboard the Endeavour

  3. Philip Astley stages the world's first modern circus in London

    Philip Astley (8 January 1742 – 20 October 1814) was an English equestrian, circus owner, and inventor, regarded as being the "father of the modern circus".

  4. First mustard manufactured in America is advertised in Philadelphia

    First mustard manufactured in America is advertised in Philadelphia

  5. 1st American chartered fire insurance company opens in Pennsylvania

    1st American chartered fire insurance company opens in Pennsylvania

Events After

  1. Date of action in Victor Herbert and Grant Stewart's opera "Madeleine"

    Date of action in Victor Herbert and Grant Stewart's opera "Madeleine"

  2. British soldiers kill five men in a crowd throwing snowballs, stones, and sticks at them. African American Crispus Attuc

    British soldiers kill five men in a crowd throwing snowballs, stones, and sticks at them. African American Crispus Attucks is the first to die and is later held up as an early Black martyr. The Boston Massacre or Incident on King Street galvanizes anti-British feelings.

  3. British explorer Captain James Cook first sights Australia. Writes in his log book that “what we have as yet seen of thi

    British explorer Captain James Cook first sights Australia. Writes in his log book that “what we have as yet seen of this land appears rather low, and not very hilly, the face of the Country green and Woody, but the Sea shore is all a white Sand.”

  4. British Captain James Cook, aboard HMS Endeavour, first lands in Australia at Botany Bay

    HMS Endeavour was a Royal Navy research vessel that Lieutenant James Cook commanded to Tahiti, New Zealand and Australia on his first voyage of discovery from 1768 to 1771. She was launched in 1764…

  5. Marie Antoinette (14) marries future King Louis XVI (15) of France

    Marie Antoinette was the queen of France from 1774 until the fall of the monarchy in 1792 and her subsequent execution during the French Revolution. Born an archduchess of Austria, she was the…

More from the 1760s

Afghans defeat the Indian Maratha Empire in the Battle of Barari Ghat

Afghans defeat the Indian Maratha Empire in the Battle of Barari Ghat

Third Battle of Panipat: In one of the largest battles of the 18th century, the mostly Muslim Afghan Durrani Empire defe

Third Battle of Panipat: In one of the largest battles of the 18th century, the mostly Muslim Afghan Durrani Empire defeats the mostly Hindu Maratha Empire in northern India. An estimated 60,000 to 70,000 people are killed in the fighting, and about 40,000 Maratha prisoners are massacred afterward.

Treaty of Paris ends the French-Indian War, France agrees to surrender Canada to Great Britain

The Treaty of Paris, also known as the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763 by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement, following Great Britain and…

Austria, Prussia and Saxony sign the Treaty of Hubertusburg, marking the end of the French and Indian War and of the Sev

Austria, Prussia and Saxony sign the Treaty of Hubertusburg, marking the end of the French and Indian War and of the Seven Years' War

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on April 22, 1769?
Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (French: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached maturity (then defined as his 13th birthday) in 1723, the kingdom was ruled by his grand-uncle Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, as Regent of France.
Why is Madame du Barry becomes French King Louis XV's "official" mistress significant?
Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (French: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774.

Explore More

April 22 in HistoryYear 1769