French was once the official language of England.
Following the Norman Conquest, French was the language of the King and Court from 1066 to 1362 (that's about three hundred years). Though English regained prominence in the 14th century, the English language today is still peppered with French-derived words and phrases.
Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite is the national motto.
The country’s national motto Liberte, Egalite, Franernite ("Liberty, Equality and Fratenity"😉 has its roots in the French Revolution, but wasn’t popularized until the end of the 19th century. The famous trio of words were first vocalized in 1790 in a speech given by Maximilien Robespierre. Interestingly, the phrase is also the national motto of the Republic of Haiti (a former French colony).
The French consume 11.2 billion glasses of wine per year.
Wine is the tipple of choice in France, accounting for almost sixty percent of the country’s total alcohol consumption. The population’s penchant for a glass (or two) of wine might have something to do with the fact that France is one of the world’s biggest wine producers, creating some of the best varieties on Earth. Champagne, Burgundy and Chablis, for instance, are all home-grown.
The three Musketeers—Athos, Porthos, and Aramis—are based on three real Musketeers.
The three Musketeers in The Three Musketeers were based on real men, whom Dumas discovered in a historical novel while doing research. Athos's real name was Armand de Sillégue, Seigneur d'Athos et d'Autevielle (Athos was a small village in southwest France). Not much is known about his life, other than that he was a King's Musketeer who died in Paris in 1643. Porthos is based on Isaac de Portau, who became a Musketeer in 1643. Aramis was Henri d'Aramitz, a Musketeer who served 15 years in the French army.