Construction Begins, The first conerstone is laid. The first stone of the cathedral is laid with Pope Alexander III in attendance

The Apse and Choir for the cathedral are completed.Bishop Maurice de Sully celebrates the first Mass after the high altar has been consecrated

Work Begins on the Wester Facade

Western Facade Completed

The Crown of Thorns placed in the Cathedral by St. Louis during the construction of Sainte-Chapelle

Western Towers and Rose Window Completed

The Cathedral is Completed

Incorporating Gothic elements, several different builders guide the cathedral to completion

Philip the Fair opens the first States General

Henri VI of England is crowned. Mary Stuart becomes Queen of France after her marriage to François II, and is crowned

Marguerite de Valois is married to the Huguenot Henri de Navarre

geographers decided that all distances in France would be measured from Notre-Dame. One hundred and seventy-six years later, when Paris was liberated during World War II, General de Gaulle rushed to the cathedral after his return, to pray in thanksgiving. In many ways, Notre-Dame was and still is the center of France

French revolutionaries cause major damage to the building, especially the statuary

After the anointing by Pius VII, Napoléon seizes the crown from the pontiff and crowns first himself, then Josephine

Publication of Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame sparks a campaign to restore the cathedral

Viollet-le-Duc is appointed to lead a complete restoration of Notre Dame

During the Commune, the Cathedral was nearly burned by the Communards – and some accounts suggest that indeed a huge mound of chairs was set on fire in its interior. Whatever happened, Notre-Dame survived the Commune essentially unscathed

The Te Deum Mass celebrates the liberation of Paris. (According to some accounts the Mass was interrupted by snipping from both the internal and external galleries.)

The Requiem Mass of General de Gaulle is held

After the Magnificat of this day, Pope John Paul II celebrates Mass on the parvis in front of the Cathedral

Notre-Dame Cathedral, was devastated by a fire. The fire began at around 6.30 p.m. local time, and burned until the next morning