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With more than 10 million visitors in 2018, the Louvre broke its own attendance record and asserted itself as the most visited museum in the world. The reason for its success? Well, obviously there's the extraordinary collection of priceless art such as the Mona Lisa, of course. But big celebrities like Beyoncé also helped to bring attention to the museum by filming a video there.

Browse through our pictorial overview of the events and visitors that have defined the Louvre in modern times.

▲For a very long time the Louvre Palace was the royal residence for many a French king, and thus the center of French power.

▲A drawing of the Louvre Palace from around 1625.

▲The Louvre is just as famous for its iconic buildings as it is for its incredible collection of art, like this Ancient Greek statue of Venus de Milo, which is on permanent display.

▲The iconic Louvre Pyramid was unveiled in 1989. It stands at the Cour Napoléon and adds a modern touch to its historical surroundings.

▲Construction on the Louvre Pyramid began in 1985, and over 5,000 workers helped build it.

▲Despite all these historic treasures, what really brought the visitors up were celebrities! When Jay-Z and Beyoncé visited Paris 2014 they made sure to arrange a private visit for themselves at the Louvre.

▲And in 2018 they were back! But this time not only did they visit the Louvre, they made an entire music video there. Under the moniker The Carters they filmed their video for the song "Ape***t."

▲Angelina Jolie brought her six kids to enjoy the museum in early 2018.

▲The 'Game of Thrones' star visited the museum in early 2019.

▲Victoria Beckham and her oldest son Brooklyn also made the trip to the museum in 2017.

▲J.Lo and partner Alex Rodriguez visited that same year.

▲During an official visit to France in 2004 British Queen Elizabeth also visited the iconic French museum.

▲Aniston and ex-husband Theroux attended an event at the Louvre in 2017.

▲Actress Katie Holmes has her picture taken with daughter Suri while at the Louvre.

▲Queen Elizabeth is far from the only member of the British royal family to visit. This picture of Camilla Parker Bowles posing in front of the 'Mona Lisa' was taken in 2013.

▲The late former French president Jacques Chirac visited the Louvre in 2000. He seemed rather puzzled by this small sculpture.

▲Many political figures have passed through the Louvre's iconic galleries, including Fidel Castro.

▲As it is an iconic symbol of France, the then newly elected French president Emmanuel Macron chose to give his victory speech in front of the museum in 2017.

▲The pyramid shone in the background of many of the pictures.

▲But it's not only celebrities that have brought the Louvre into the public eye in the last several decades. From the 2000s onwards the renowned museum became even more internationally famous thanks to such films as 'The Da Vinci Code,' some of which takes place within its walls.

▲At the movie's premiere at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, a huge replica of the Louvre Pyramid was put up at Cannes harbor.

▲The Louvre Palace, in which the museum is housed, is also where a lot of fashion shows are held, like this Louis Vuitton runway show in 2018.

▲The event had numerous celebrities in attendance, such as Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas.

▲Though mostly known for its collection of art up until the nineteenth century, the museum also regularly hosts a number of contemporary art events, like this contemporary art fair in 2010.

▲The palace also serves as a stage for charity balls and fundraisers, like the fundraising gala Liaisons au Louvre in 2011.

▲The Cour Napoléon is also where many events, shows, and displays are organized. In 2013 it was the setting for the exclusive Dîner en Blanc.

▲Also in 2013, Tour de France cyclists pass by the museum in the last stage of the race.

▲In March of 2019 French street artist JR marked the Pyramid's anniversary with a huge art installation on the courtyard surrounding the Pyramid.

▲With the help of 400 volunteers the artist placed some 2,000 pieces of paper around the Pyramid, creating an optical illusion. The work was called "The Secret of the Great Pyramid."

▲In 2018 the Louvre blew its attendance record out of the water, welcoming more than 10 million visitors to its galleries, a rise of 25% compared to the year before.

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Will the museum break the record again this year?

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