The event that sparked the start of the French Revolution in 1789 was the convening of the Estates-General on May 5, 1789, followed by the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789. The Estates-General was called to address the financial crisis faced by King Louis XVI's government, which required tackling issues of taxation and representation. However, frustrations over social inequality and lack of political power among the Third Estate (commoners) led to escalating tensions. The storming of the Bastille became a symbol of the revolution, representing the uprising against tyranny and the demand for liberty, equality, and fraternity, which defined the revolutionary period.