In 1793, a few years into the French Revolution, the skies over Paris darkened. It was an eclipse. Most of the Parisians were too sophisticated and Enlightened to think much of it, though. RR Palmer writes:

“In more than one way, the eclipse was symbolic. It is significant that the Parisians laughed. The grandfathers of these same men would probably have been struck by fear. They would perhaps have seen in the darkness a sign of God's disapproval, abandoned their purpose, and either crept back into their homes or rushed headlong into the churches. The men of 1793 simply stared, exchanged a few witticisms, and proceeded with their business. After fifty years of the Age of Enlightenment even men in the street, uneducated though they might be, saw in the eclipse a mere phenomenon of nature. Old superstitions had lost their force—a fact of importance in producing the French Revolution.”

So they shrugged. But in retrospect, the timing of the eclipse was an almost unbelievable portent. It happened on September 5 of that year, which was also the first day of the Reign of Terror. You cannot make this stuff up!