Creation of École Polytechnique

It is 1794 and in the aftermath of the Revolution, the newly formed French Republic is in need of expert scientific and technical workers, and must reorganize its educational institutions. A decree on March 11 leads to the founding of the École Centrale des Travaux Publics, which becomes École Polytechnique in 1795. The institution’s goal is to train engineers of all kinds. The first education plan, focusing on mathematics and physics, is developed by Gaspard Monge.