Jean-Sylvain Bailly

Jean-Sylvain Bailly (Known as "Bailly")

Astronomer, President of National Assembly, First Mayor of Paris, Tennis Court Oath Leader

Born Sep 15, 1736

Paris (Louvre Palace), France

Passed Away Nov 12, 1793 Paris (Champ de Mars), French Republic

Lifespan 57 years old

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Notice / Correction

"Je tremble, oui, mais c'est seulement de froid (I tremble, yes, but only from the cold)."

Archival Overview

Renowned astronomer of the Académie des Sciences who made history on June 20, 1789, by administering the Tennis Court Oath and becoming the very first Mayor of Paris during the storming of the Bastille.

Biographical Record

A celebrated astronomer who calculated the orbit of Halley's Comet and moons of Jupiter, Bailly was uniquely elected to all three French academies (Sciences, Française, Inscriptions). Elected senior deputy of Paris to the Estates-General in 1789, he presided over the Third Estate when it declared itself the National Assembly.

On June 20, 1789, Bailly stood on a table in the indoor tennis court at Versailles, administering the solemn oath never to separate until France had a constitution. Appointed first Mayor of Paris, his ordering of the National Guard to fire on an unruly mob on the Champ de Mars in 1791 sealed his fate; when guillotined in the rain, a spectator taunted: 'Tu trembles, Bailly!' He replied: 'Oui, mais c'est seulement de froid'.

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Rest in Peace Forever remembered and cherished Your legacy lives on in all of us With deep gratitude for your life and light

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Final Resting Place

Perpetual Memorial

Madeleine Cemetery (Burial site of victims of the Terror)
Paris, France

                         GPS: 48.8736, 2.3256                    

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