An imperial monument inaugurated by a king (Louis-Philippe), the Arc de Triomphe became the symbol of national civic-mindedness in the 19th century. In 1840, the return of Napoleon’s ashes and their transfer to the Invalides was the occasion of the first large popular gathering around the monument. In 1885, more than 2 million Parisians attended the funeral of Victor Hugo, celebrated under the Arch before his burial in the Pantheon. In 1919, victorious French troops marched under the monument and an aviator flew under the arch in his biplane. A symbol of the republican nation, the Arc de Triomphe is the starting point for the 14-July military parades.