At its peak, under Napoleon, the French territory was three times as large as it is today thanks to the emperor's very successful military campaigns. What was his secret?

The first massively photographed insurrection, the Paris Commune, which began on March 18, 1871, revealed the extraordinary power of images, both close to reality and subtly manipulated.

It's Barbara's birthday, and her mom is planning her a surprise party, as she always does. But this time Barbara really is surprised....

The Paris Commune was one of the first extensively photographed revolutionary movements. In its infancy, photography wasn't able to capture motion, but professionals from both sides understood the power of images and used them to convey their own visions of the events.

Barbara thinks she's tricked her mom, Isabelle, into doing all the household chores. But Isabelle uses Barbara's tactics against her to teach her a lesson.

The Orange Foundation funded a new school near Abidjan in Ivory Coast. The children and their parents are very happy that the school was built right in their village and that education is now more accessible to them.

Lionel talks about a very handy little word, le truc, that can be used for just about everything. And no, it doesn't mean "truck"!

Farid shows off his personal library to Lionel. He mostly enjoys detective stories, autobiographies, and travel books. He also expands on the benefits of reading.

Coryn Wolk makes exquisite creations out of stained glass. She uses several techniques, such as the lead and Tiffany methods, as well as oven fusion.

Véronique Schneider is a milliner, or hatmaker, who worked for the Comédie-Française in Paris and then moved to the Cour des Arts in Vauréal to make custom hats that anyone can wear.

In Ivory Coast, Noël Hala and his family have two occasions to celebrate on December 25: Christmas Day and his birthday!

The Champs-Élysées will still take on a festive air despite the quarantine and lack of crowds. Many lovers of the city of Paris were able to attend the virtual lighting ceremony online from anywhere in the world.

Caroline and Amal are in front of the Centre Georges Pompidou, a contemporary art museum built by, you guessed it, President Georges Pompidou! Its unusual architectural design created some controversy initially, but it has since become a very popular spot in Paris.

Lionel and Hamid are in the Parc de la Villette in the northeast of Paris. The area has changed a lot and now boasts an IMAX theater, vast green spaces, game areas for children, and much more.

Lionel shows us some of the fowl at the animal park, including the storks, which are the symbol of Alsace.