Paris Turns 2,000 (Give or Take a Few Candles :)

Today is a special day–we just realized it's Paris Birthday! Technically, on this day, July 8, 1951, Paris celebrated it's 2,000th birthday. So, why not round down with a little buffer of a few years.

Historians believed the first settlement in the area dates back to between 250 and 225 B.C, when a Galic tribe called the Parisili (see the familarity?!) settled on an island in the middle of the Seine River. That little island is now known as the Île de la Cité, and it's right in the heard of modern-day Paris.

The Romans showed up around 52 B.C., took over, and renamed the settlement, Lutetia, which means "midwater dwelling". Over time the city spread to both sides of the river and eventually took on the name Paris. By 987 A.D., it officially became the capital of France.

Paris grew into a major center of art, science and architecture during the French Renaissance. In the 1800's, Napoleon III wanted to give the city a complete makeover so he hired Georges-Eugène Haussmann to redesign it–resulting it's now-famous wide boulevards, parks, and layout we see today. Merci!

The late 1800's also brought the rise of the Impressionist art movement with iconic Paris-based artists like Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir leading the way.

Today, the city is home to over 2 million people, with 10 million more in the metro area. It's still known around the world for its food, fashion, history and landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Louvre and so many more. Ee-feel we've just scratched the surface!