Bailly - First Mayor of Paris Execution

On 15 July 1789, the day after the Bastille, revolutionaries decided Paris would have a new organization, not dependant on the King and the function of Mayor of Paris was created!

And Jean Sylvain Bailly was the lucky man who was chosen for the - oh so easy - task of managing the city of Paris... and the Parisians... Can you imagine being the first mayor of Paris and you start your job in the midst of a revolution!

Two years later, he resigned from his role and left Paris, both moves were the smart thing to do... The following year, while he was heard during Marie-Antoinette's trial, and he actually took her defense... Not a smart move... On 12 November 1793, he was beheaded... You may recognize him as the center character on the "Oath of the Tennis Court" painting.