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

1644 - François de Neufville, duc de Villeroi (French soldier)

1727 - Michel Adanson (French botanist)

1772 - Charles Fourier (French philosopher)

1803 - Flora Tristan (French feminist and socialist philosopher)

1899 - Robert Casadesus (French pianist)

1909 - Robert Charroux (French writer)

1929 - Bob Denard (French soldier)

1936 - Jean-Pierre Changeux (French neuroscientist)

1945 - Joël Robuchon (French chef)

1946 - Colette Besson (French runner)

1961 - Pascal Olmeta (French soccer player)

1962 - Alain Robert, aka Spider-Man (French rock and urban climber)

1971 - Guillaume Depardieu (French actor)

1973 - Carole Montillet (French skier)

1973 - Ève Salvail (Canadian model)


Deaths

1498 - King Charles VIII of France

1719 - Jean-Baptiste de la Salle (French saint)

1801 - Noël François de Wailly (French lexicographer)

1804 - Toussaint Louverture (Haitian Revolutionary)

1823 - Jacques Charles (French chemist)

1943 - Alexandre Millerand (President of France)

2003 - Cécile de Brunhoff (French storyteller)


Holidays/Celebrations

Rwanda Massacre Remembrance Day / International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda


Milestones/Events

1795 - France adopted the meter as the basic measure of length

1906 - The Algeciras Conference gave France and Spain control over Morocco

1946 - Syria's independence from France was officially recognized

1956 - Spain relinquished its protectorate in Morocco

1994 - Kigali, Rwanda: Massacres of Tutsis began


Errors and Omissions

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