Bastille Day is a national holiday in France. It commemorates the anniversary of the fall of the Bastille prison on July 14, 1789, marking the beginning of the French Revolution. Although by the late 18th century it was little used and was scheduled to be demolished, the Bastille had come to symbolize the harsh rule of the Bourbon monarchy. During the unrest of 1789, on July 14 a mob approached the Bastille to demand the arms and ammunition stored there, and, when the forces guarding the structure resisted, the attackers stormed the prison and released the seven prisoners held there. The incident became a symbol of the end of the ancien régime.