Today (April 27, 2012) it is precisely 213 years 7 months, and 29 days to the completion of the declaration of the rights of man, which makes it a perfect occasion to celebrate this remarkable human creation.
Here is a beautiful lecture by Jonathan Israel about the history of basic human rights:
The History of Basic Human Rights: The Declaration of the Rights of Man, 1789
It was a pleasant surprise to see the prominent role of Condorcet among the philosophers who contributed to the 1989 deceleration.
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Some remarks, going from the futile to the less so. (i) The title of your post refers to the *Déclaration des droits de l’homme et du citoyen, 1789* (Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen) hence the counting should be 223 years plus change, not 213 years plus change. (ii) The pictures taken from the talk seem to refer to the *second* Déclaration, dated 1793, and then the counting goes down to 219… (iii) Whichever *Déclaration* one wishes to refer to, forgetting *and Citizen* in its title is taking the risk of a serious historical mistake: in the minds of their authors, both Déclarations were very much about *public* life, see for example the Article 1 of the 1793 version in the first picture of your post, stating that *Le but de la société est le bonheur commun*.
Dear Didier, thanks for your thoughtful comments.