Charlotte Corday
A young woman from the provinces who believed a single, violent act could save France from the Revolution's bloody turn.
1768–1793 (age 25)·French assassin·Birthday: July 27
Biography
Born into a minor noble family in Normandy, Charlotte Corday was educated in a convent and steeped in the Enlightenment ideals of Rousseau. As the French Revolution spiraled from hope into the Terror, she aligned herself with the ousted Girondins, viewing them as the last bastion of republican virtue. Convinced that journalist Jean-Paul Marat was the chief architect of the September Massacres and the radical purge, she traveled to Paris with a chilling resolve. On July 13, 1793, she gained entry to Marat's bath, where he treated a skin condition, and stabbed him through the heart. Her calm demeanor at trial and swift execution by guillotine four days later transformed her into a complex symbol: a martyr for moderates and a monstrous fanatic for the Jacobins.
#1 When Charlotte Was Born
The biggest hits of 1768
Charlotte's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1768Born
1773Started school
1781Became a teenager
1784Could drive
1786Could vote
1789Turned 21
1793Died at 25
Key Achievements
- Assassinated the radical journalist and politician Jean-Paul Marat in his bath on July 13, 1793.
- Her act became one of the most famous political murders of the French Revolution.
- Her trial and execution were widely publicized, making her a polarizing figure in revolutionary history.
Did You Know?
She was a direct descendant of the dramatist Pierre Corneille.
During her trial, she stated, "I killed one man to save a hundred thousand."
The painter Jacques-Louis David, a Jacobin supporter, depicted Marat's death but never painted Corday.
“I killed one man to save a hundred thousand.”
