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

1316 - Charles IV (Holy Roman Emperor)

1553 - Margaret of Valois (wife of Henry IV of France)

1761 - Adélaïde-Emilie Filleul, Marquise de Souza-Botelho (French writer)

1899 - Pierre Victor Auger (French physicist)

1904 - Marcel Junod (Swiss physician)

1959 - Patrick Bruel (French singer)

1966 - Fabrice "Fab" Morvan (French singer and songwriter)


Deaths

1608 - Charles III (Duke of Lorraine)

1610 - Henry IV of France

1643 - Louis XIII of France

1669 - Georges de Scudéry (French writer)

1688 - Antoine Furetière (French writer)

1754 - Pierre-Claude Nivelle de La Chaussée (French writer)

1923 - Charles de Freycinet (French prime minister)

1943 - Henri La Fontaine (Belgian international lawyer)


Milestones/Events

1264 - Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England was captured in France, making Simon de Montfort the de facto ruler of England

1483 - Coronation of Charles VIII of France

1509 - Battle of Agnadello: In northern Italy, French forces defeated the Venetians

1610 - Louis XIII took the French throne

1643 - Four-year-old Louis XIV became king of France upon the death of his father

1747 - First battle of Cape Finisterre: British fleet defeated the French

1900 - Paris: The 1900 Summer Olympics opened

1978 - Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso): First round of presidential elections

1986 - France: Formula One Italian driver Elio De Angelis crashed his Brabham at the Paul Ricard circuit, and died the next day in Marseilles


Errors and Omissions

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