Today in Francophone History

Learn about important dates in French and francophone history: famous birthdays, holidays and celebrations, and other milestones. If the above does not match today's date or you wish to choose a specific date, please click here

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Birthdays

1646 - Antoine Galland (French archaeologist)

1688 - Joseph-Nicolas Delisle (French astronomer)

1826 - Zénobe Gramme (Belgian engineer)

1842 - Edouard Lucas (French mathematician)

1846 - Comte de Lautréamont (French writer)

1875 - Pierre Monteux (French conductor)

1876 - Maurice de Vlaminck (French painter)

1902 - Louise Lévêque de Vilmorin (French writer)

1914 - Marguerite Duras (French writer)

1920 - Éric Rohmer (French film director)

1945 - Daniel Cohn-Bendit (French political activist)

1975 - Delphine Arnault (French billionaire businesswoman)


Deaths

1305 - Jeanne of Navarre (wife of Philip IV of France)

1807 - Joseph Jérôme Lefrançois de Lalande (French astronomer)

1817 - André Masséna, Duke of Rivoli, Prince of Essling, and Marshal of France

1842 - Jean Moufot (French philosopher and mathematician)

1874 - Charles Ernest Beulé (French archaeologist and politician)

1890 - Edmond Hébert (French geologist)


Holidays/Celebrations

Sénégal - Independence Day


Milestones/Events

1814 - Napoleon abdicated for the first time

1918 - World War I: Second Battle of the Somme ended

1949 - Twelve nations, including Belgium, Canada, France, and Luxembourg, signed The North Atlantic Treaty creating the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

1960 - Sénégal gained independence from France

1971 - First test runs of the TGV


Errors and Omissions

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