Louis XIV

Louis XIV was born in 1638, to parents Louis XIII and Anne of Austria. He was the long awaited heir to the throne. When he was four years old, his father died. Since he was too young to become king, his mother, Anne, became his regent. His mother asked the cardinal Mazarin to educate him, since his father could not. He married Marie Thérèse of Austria when they were both 21 years of age. Their marriage brought peace between the people of French dynasty of the Bourbons, and the people of the Spanish Habsbourg dynasty. Since the Spanish didn't pay up to the French, another war broke out costing more money called the devolution. The treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle was signed in 1668, and peace was restored. Later in 1661, Mazarin died and Louis officially took control. 

In 1662, Louis XIV threw a large, expensive party when he officially took the sun as his symbol. When he came to power, the treasury was nearing bankruptcy because of all these lavish parties. To get out of this situation, he assigned the position of controleur général des finances to Jean-Baptiste Colbert, and the position of surintendent des finaces to Nicolas Fouquet in 1665. Fouquet was arrested for planning to take power. Colbert and Louis XIV raised current taxes, and created new ones like the aides and douanes - to raise money, la gabelle - on salt, and the taille - on land- to raise funds. These new taxes were tough on the people, and they were unhappy. 

In 1666, with Colbert, the sun king founded the Academy of Sciences. A year later, Louis allowed for the Paris observatory to be built through the Academy. The scientists in the observatory discovered tow rings around Saturn, and made other scientific discoveries. 

Even in such a financial crisis, Louis built the palace of Versailles, a huge, elegant castle surrounded by many gardens and fountains. He moved in in 1682. Marie Thérèse died in 1683. In 1685, Louis evoked the edit of Nantes - signed by his father, which allowed multiple religions in France. Louis decided that the only religion in France was to be Catholicism. He ordered all schools and religious buildings of any other religion to be destroyed. This made many people even more unhappy.

Just days before his 77th birthday, Louis XIV died of Gangrene in the palace of Versailles. He outlived his son and grandson, so his successor was his 5 year old great-grandson. His reign was the longest out of any European monarch.