Events from the year 1903 in France.

Incumbents

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Émile Loubet Émile François Loubet (; 30 December 183820 December 1929) was the 45th Prime Minister of France from February to December 1892 and later President of France from 1899 to 1906. Trained in law, he became mayor of Montélimar, where he was note ...

President of the Council of Ministers The President of the Council of Ministers (sometimes titled Chairman of the Council of Ministers) is the most senior member of the cabinet in the executive branch of government in some countries. Some Presidents of the Council of Ministers are th ...

Emile Combes Emil or Emile may refer to: Literature *''Emile, or On Education'' (1762), a treatise on education by Jean-Jacques Rousseau *Émile (novel), ''Émile'' (novel) (1827), an autobiographical novel based on Émile de Girardin's early life *''Emil an ...

Events

*10 August –

Paris Métro train fire The disastrous Paris Métro train fire occurred on the evening of 10 August 1903, on what was then Line 2 Nord of the system and is now Paris Métro Line 2. There were 84 deaths, most at Couronnes station, so it is also known as the Couronnes D ...

kills 84 people mostly at Couronnes station.

Sport

*1 July – First

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...

begins. *19 July – Tour de France ends, won by

Maurice Garin Maurice-François Garin (; 3 March 1871 – 19 February 1957) was an Italian then French road bicycle racer best known for winning the inaugural Tour de France in 1903, and for being stripped of his title in the second Tour in 1904 along with ...

Births

January to March

*16 January –

William Grover-Williams William Charles Frederick Grover-Williams (born William Charles Frederick Grover, 16 January 1903 – 18 March 1945 (or shortly thereafter)), also known as "W Williams", was a British Grand Prix motor racing driver and special agent who worked ...

, motor racing driver and war hero. *13 February –

Georges Simenon Georges Joseph Christian Simenon (; 13 February 1903 – 4 September 1989) was a Belgian writer. He published nearly 500 novels and numerous short works, and was the creator of the fictional detective Jules Maigret. Early life and education ...

, writer (died 1989) *21 February **

Anaïs Nin Angela Anaïs Juana Antolina Rosa Edelmira Nin y Culmell (February 11, 1903 – January 14, 1977; , ) was a French-born American diarist, essayist, novelist, and writer of short stories and erotica. Born to Cuban parents in France, Nin was the d ...

, writer (died 1977) **

Raymond Queneau Raymond Queneau (; 21 February 1903 – 25 October 1976) was a French novelist, poet, critic, editor and co-founder and president of Oulipo ('' Ouvroir de littérature potentielle''), notable for his wit and cynical humour. Biography Queneau wa ...

, poet and novelist (died 1976) *27 February –

Fernand Gambiez Fernand Gambiez (27 February 1903 – 29 March 1989) was a French Army general and military historian who fought in World War II, the First Indochina War and the Algerian War. During the Algerian War, Gambiez was commander-in-chief of the French A ...

, General and military historian (died 1989) *8 March –

Jean d'Eaubonne Jean d'Eaubonne (March 8, 1903 – July 30, 1971) was a French art director. He received an Oscar nomination in 1951 for his work on Max Ophüls's ''La Ronde''. Selected filmography * '' The Polish Jew'' (1931) * '' Love and Luck'' (1932) * '' M ...

art director Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film industry, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and ...

(died 1970) *9 March –

André Godinat André Godinat (9 March 1903 in Reuil – 3 October 1979 in Épernay) was a French professional road bicycle racer. He became French national road race champion in 1931. In 1932, he won a stage in the 1932 Tour de France. Major results ;19 ...

, cyclist (died 1979)

April to June

*8 May –

Fernandel Fernand Joseph Désiré Contandin (8 May 1903 – 26 February 1971), better known as Fernandel, was a French actor and singer. Born near Marseille, France, to Désirée Bedouin and Denis Contandin, originating in Perosa Argentina, an Occitan to ...

, actor (died 1971) *15 May –

Germaine Dieterlen Germaine Dieterlen (15 May 1903 in Paris – 13 November 1999 in Paris) was a French anthropologist. She was a student of Marcel Mauss, worked with noted French anthropologists Marcel Griaule (1898-1956) and Jean Rouch ...

, anthropologist (died 1999) *22 May –

Yves Rocard Yves-André Rocard (22 May 1903 – 16 March 1992) was a French physicist who helped develop the atomic bomb for France. Rocard was born in Vannes. After obtaining a double doctorate in mathematics (1927) and physics (1928) he was awarded the ...

, physicist (died 1992) *2 June –

Max Aub Max Aub Mohrenwitz (June 2, 1903, Paris – July 22, 1972 Mexico City) was a Mexican-Spanish experimentalist novelist, playwright, poet, and literary critic. In 1965 he founded the literary periodical ''Los Sesenta'' (the Sixties), with edi ...

, author, playwright and literary critic (died 1972) *18 June –

Raymond Radiguet Raymond Radiguet (18 June 1903 – 12 December 1923) was a French novelist and poet whose two novels were noted for their explicit themes, and unique style and tone. Early life Radiguet was born in Saint-Maur, Val-de-Marne, close to Paris, th ...

, author (died 1923) *25 June –

Pierre Brossolette Pierre Brossolette (25 June 1903 – 22 March 1944) was a French journalist, left-wing politician and major hero of the French Resistance in World War II. He ran an intelligence hub of Parisian resistance at the Rue de la Pompe, before serving ...

, journalist and Resistance fighter (died 1944) *28 June –

André Maschinot André Maschinot (28 June 1903 – 10 March 1963) was a French footballer. He played for FC Sochaux, and played for the France national football team in the 1930 FIFA World Cup. He scored two goals in one of the two first ever World Cup matches, ...

, soccer player (died 1963)

July to September

*25 July – André Fleury,

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

and

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ (music), organ. An organist may play organ repertoire, solo organ works, play with an musical ensemble, ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumentalist, instrumental ...

(died 1995) *15 August –

Pascal Pia Pascal Pia (15 August 1903, Paris – 27 September 1979, Paris), born Pierre Durand, was a French writer, journalist, illustrator and scholar. He also used the pseudonyms Pascal Rose, Pascal Fely and others. In 1922 he published the erotic ...

, writer, journalist, illustrator and scholar (died 1979) *19 August – Claude Dauphin, actor (died 1978) *29 August –

Jean Follain Jean Follain (29 August 1903 – 10 March 1971) was a French writer, poet and corporate lawyer. In the early days of his career he was a member of the "Sagesse" group.

, author, poet and lawyer (died 1971)

October to December

*1 October –

Pierre Veyron Pierre Veyron (1 October 1903 – 2 November 1970) was a French Grand Prix motor racing driver active from 1933 through 1953. Career Pierre Veyron enrolled at university to study engineering. Veyron's friend, Albert Divo, convinced Veyron to take ...

, motor racing driver (died 1970) *10 October –

Ferdinand Le Drogo Ferdinand Le Drogo (10 October 1903 – 24 April 1976) was a French professional road bicycle racer. He is most known for his silver medal in the Elite race of the 1931 Road World Championships. Ferdinand Le Drogo was the older brother of cycli ...

, cyclist (died 1976) *16 October – Cécile de Brunhoff, storyteller (died 2003) *19 October –

Jean Delsarte Jean Frédéric Auguste Delsarte (19 October 1903, Fourmies – 28 November 1968, Nancy) was a French mathematician known for his work in mathematical analysis, in particular, for introducing mean-periodic functions and generalised shift o ...

, mathematician (died 1968) *24 October –

Charlotte Perriand Charlotte Perriand (24 October 1903 – 27 October 1999) was a French architect and designer. Her work aimed to create functional living spaces in the belief that better design helps in creating a better society. In her article "L'Art de Vivre" f ...

, architect and designer (died 1999) *1 November –

Jean Tardieu Jean Tardieu (born in Saint-Germain-de-Joux, Ain, 1 November 1903, died in Créteil, Val-de-Marne, 27 January 1995) was a French artist, musician, poet and dramatic author. Life and career He earned a degree in literature and worked for a publi ...

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, th ...

musician A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wri ...

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...

and

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

(died 1995) *3 November – Charles Rigoulot,

weightlifter Olympic weightlifting, or Olympic-style weightlifting (officially named Weightlifting), is a sport in which athletes compete in lifting a barbell loaded with weight plates from the ground to overhead, with each athlete trying to successfully lift ...

professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

race car Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organi ...

driver and

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

(died 1962) *9 November – Léon-Étienne Duval,

Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...

(died 1996) *15 November –

Lucien Rebatet Lucien Rebatet (15 November 1903 – 24 August 1972) was a French writer, journalist, and intellectual. He is known as an exponent of fascism and virulent antisemite but also as the author of '' Les Deux étendards'', regarded by some as one of ...

, author, journalist and intellectual (died 1972) *27 November – Julien Moineau, cyclist (died 1980) *30 November –

Claude Arrieu Louise-Marie Simon (30 November 1903 – 7 March 1990), pen name Claude Arrieu, was a prolific French composer. She wrote hundreds of works in varying formats, including stage works, concert works, and movie scores. She was also a teacher, and w ...

, composer (died 1990) *17 December –

Roland de Vaux Roland Guérin de Vaux (17 December 1903 – 10 September 1971) was a French Dominican priest who led the Catholic team that initially worked on the Dead Sea Scrolls. He was the director of the Ecole Biblique, a French Catholic Theological S ...

, priest and archaeologist (died 1971) *23 December –

Armand Blanchonnet Armand Blanchonnet (23 December 1903 – 17 September 1968) was a French cyclist and Olympic Champion. He won the gold medal at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France wit ...

, cyclist and Olympic gold medallist (died 1968)

Full date unknown

Maryse Choisy Maryse Choisy (1903–1979) was a French philosophical writer, journalist and founder of the journal ''Psyché''. Biography Born in Saint-Jean-de-Luz on 1 February 1903, she was brought up by her rich aunts in a historical castle in the Basque c ...

, philosophical writer (died 1979) *

Pierre Naville Pierre Naville (1 February 1903 – 24 April 1993) was a French Surrealist writer and sociologist.Stubb, JeremyObituary: Pierre Naville ''The Independent'', 3 June 1993. He was a prominent member of the "Investigating Sex" group of Surrealist ...

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, p ...

and sociologist (died 1993)

Deaths

*28 January **

Augusta Holmès Augusta Mary Anne Holmès (16 December 1847 – 28 January 1903) was a French composer of Irish descent (her father was from Youghal, Co. Cork). In 1871, Holmès became a French citizen and added the accent to her last name.Rollo Myers: "Augusta ...

, composer (born 1847) **

Robert Planquette Jean Robert Planquette (31 July 1848 – 28 January 1903) was a French composer of songs and operettas. Several of Planquette's operettas were extraordinarily successful in Britain, especially ''Les cloches de Corneville'' (1878), the length of ...

, composer of songs and operettas (born 1848) *5 March –

Gaston Paris Bruno Paulin Gaston Paris (; 9 August 1839 – 5 March 1903) was a French literary historian, philologist, and scholar specialized in Romance studies and medieval French literature. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1901, 19 ...

, writer and scholar (born 1839) *14 March –

Ernest Legouvé Gabriel Jean Baptiste Ernest Wilfrid Legouvé (; 14 February 180714 March 1903) was a French dramatist. Biography Son of the poet Gabriel-Marie Legouvé (1764–1812), he was born in Paris. His mother died in 1810, and almost immediately after ...

, dramatist (born 1807) *28 March –

Émile Baudot Jean-Maurice-Émile Baudot (; 11 September 1845 – 28 March 1903), French telegraph engineer and inventor of the first means of digital communication Baudot code, was one of the pioneers of telecommunications. He invented a multiplexed printi ...

, telegraph engineer (born 1845) *8 May –

Paul Gauguin Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (, ; ; 7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903) was a French Post-Impressionist artist. Unappreciated until after his death, Gauguin is now recognized for his experimental use of colour and Synthetist style that were distinct fr ...

, painter (born 1848) *16 May –

Sibyl Sanderson Sibyl Sanderson (December 7, 1864May 16, 1903) was a famous American operatic dramatic coloratura soprano during the Parisian Belle Époque. Biography She was born in Sacramento, California, in the United States. Sibyl's father Silas Sanderson ...

, American operatic soprano (born 1864 in the United States) *13 November –

Camille Pissarro Jacob Abraham Camille Pissarro ( , ; 10 July 1830 – 13 November 1903) was a Danish-French Impressionist and Neo-Impressionist painter born on the island of Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, St Thomas (now in the US Virgin Islands, but t ...

, painter (born 1830)

Full date unknown

* Jean-Jules Allasseur, sculptor (born 1818) *

Louis-Arsène Delaunay Louis-Arsène Delaunay (1826–1903), French actor, was born in Paris, the son of a wine-seller. He studied at the Conservatoire, and made his first formal appearance on the stage in 1845, in Molière's ''Tartuffe'' at the Odéon, where he was e ...

, actor (born 1826)

References

{{Year in Europe, 1903 1900s in France

Incumbents

Events

Sport

Births

January to March

April to June

July to September

October to December

Full date unknown

Deaths

Full date unknown

See also

References