Events from the year 2001 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 ...

Jacques Chirac Jacques René Chirac (, , ; 29 November 193226 September 2019) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. Chirac was previously Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988, as well as Ma ...

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

Lionel Jospin Lionel Robert Jospin (; born 12 July 1937) is a French politician who served as Prime Minister of France from 1997 to 2002. Jospin was First Secretary of the Socialist Party from 1995 to 1997 and the party's candidate for President of France in ...

Events

*March – The

Renault Vel Satis The Renault Vel Satis is an executive car that was produced by the French manufacturer Renault, launched at the 2001 Geneva Motor Show to replace the already discontinued Safrane. It was previously revealed as a concept car in 1998, at the Paris ...

is launched at the

Geneva Motor Show The Geneva International Motor Show is an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva. The show is hosted at the Palexpo, a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport. The Salon is organised by th ...

. *8 March – Cantonales Elections held. *11 March – Cantonales Elections held. *11 March –

Municipal Elections In many parts of the world, local elections take place to select office-holders in local government, such as mayors and councillors. Elections to positions within a city or town are often known as "municipal elections". Their form and conduct vary ...

held. *18 March –

held. *April –

PSA Peugeot Citroën The PSA Group (), legally known as Peugeot S.A. (Peugeot Société Anonyme, trading as Groupe PSA; formerly known as PSA Peugeot Citroën from 1991 to 2016) was a French multinational automotive manufacturing company which produced automobiles ...

replaces two of its longest running cars – the

Citroën Xantia The Citroën Xantia, pronounced "Zan–ti–a" is a large family car ( D) produced by the French automaker Citroën, and designed by Bertone. Presented to the press in December 1992, the car was produced between 1992 and 2002 in Europe, with a f ...

and

Peugeot 306 The Peugeot 306 is a small family car built by the French car manufacturer Peugeot from 1993 to 2002. It replaced the 309. Peugeot gave the 306 many updates and aesthetic changes to keep up with the competition, and it was replaced by the 307 in ...

– with the

Citroën C5 The Citroën C5 is a large family car (classified as a mid-size crossover since 2021) produced by the French manufacturer Citroën since March 2001, currently at its third generation. It replaced the Citroën Xantia, in the large family car cl ...

and

Peugeot 307 The Peugeot 307 is a small family car produced by the French automaker PSA Peugeot Citroën, under their Peugeot marque, from 2001 to 2008 in Europe, and was the successor to the Peugeot 306, which was discontinued in 2002 after being in product ...

respectively. *September –

Citroën Citroën () is a French automobile brand. The "Automobiles Citroën" manufacturing company was founded in March 1919 by André Citroën. Citroën is owned by Stellantis since 2021 and previously was part of the PSA Group after Peugeot acquired ...

launches the all-new C3 hatchback at the

Frankfurt Motor Show The International Motor Show Germany or International Mobility Show Germany, in German known as the ''Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung'' (''IAA'' – International Automobile Exhibition), is one of the world's largest mobility shows. It cons ...

as a replacement for the outdated Saxo. *21 September – The AZote Fertilisant chemical factory in

Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...

, explodes, killing 29 and seriously wounding over 2500. *November – The Peugeot 307 is voted

European Car of the Year The European Car of the Year ("ECOTY") award is an international Car of the Year award established in 1964, by a collective of automobile magazines from different countries in Europe. The current organising companies of the award are ''Auto'' (Ita ...

Sport

*15 April –

Paris–Roubaix Paris–Roubaix is a one-day professional bicycle road race in northern France, starting north of Paris and finishing in Roubaix, at the border with Belgium. It is one of cycling's oldest races, and is one of the 'Monuments' or classics of the ...

cycle race won by

Servais Knaven Henricus Theodorus Josephus (Servais) Knaven (born 6 March 1971) is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer, currently a directeur sportif for Team Ineos. He rode at the 1992 Summer Olympics and the 2004 Summer Olympics. As a rider, Knaven won ...

of the Netherlands. *1 July –

French Grand Prix The French Grand Prix (french: Grand Prix de France), formerly known as the Grand Prix de l'ACF (Automobile Club de France), is an auto race held as part of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One World Championsh ...

won by

Michael Schumacher Michael Schumacher (; ; born 3 January 1969) is a German former racing driver who competed in Formula One for Jordan, Benetton, Ferrari, and Mercedes. Schumacher has a joint-record seven World Drivers' Championship titles (tied with Lewis ...

of Germany. *7 July –

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. *29 July – Tour de France ends, won by

Lance Armstrong Lance Edward Armstrong (''né'' Gunderson; born September 18, 1971) is an American former professional road bicycle racing, road racing cyclist. Regarded as a sports icon for winning the Tour de France seven consecutive times from 1999 Tour de ...

of the United States.

Births

* 5 April – Thylane Blondeau, model and the daughter of soccer player Patrick Blondeau

Deaths

January to March

*10 January –

Jacques Marin Jacques Marin (9 September 1919 – 10 January 2001) was a French actor on film and television. Marin's fluency in English and his instantly recognisable features made him a familiar face in some major American and British productions (''Cha ...

, actor (born 1919). *21 January – Jean-Marie Goasmat, cyclist (born 1913). *30 January **

Jean-Pierre Aumont Jean-Pierre Aumont (born Jean-Pierre Philippe Salomons; 5 January 1911 – 30 January 2001) was a French actor, and holder of the Légion d'Honneur and the Croix de guerre 1939–1945, Croix de Guerre for his World War II military service. Ea ...

, actor (born 1911). **

Michel Marcel Navratil Michel Marcel Navratil, Jr. (12 June 1908 – 30 January 2001) was a French philosophy professor who was one of the last survivors of the sinking of RMS Titanic, sinking of ''Titanic'' on 15 April 1912. He, along with his brother, Edmond ...

, last French survivor and male survivor of the

Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United ...

disaster (born 1908) *8 February – Raymond Polin, philosopher (born 1910). *18 February –

Balthus Balthasar Klossowski de Rola (February 29, 1908 – February 18, 2001), known as Balthus, was a Polish-French modern artist. He is known for his erotically charged images of pubescent girls, but also for the refined, dreamlike quality of his image ...

, artist (born 1908). *19 February –

Charles Trenet Louis Charles Augustin Georges Trenet (; 18 May 1913 – 19 February 2001) was a renowned French singer-songwriter who composed both the music and the lyrics to nearly a thousand songs over a career that lasted more than 60 years. These include ...

, singer and songwriter (born 1913). *4 March –

Jean René Bazaine Jean René Bazaine (21 December 1904 – 4 March 2001) was a French painter, designer of stained glass windows and writer. He was the great great grandson of the English Court portraitist Sir George Hayter. Studies Bazaine was born in Paris. He ...

, painter,

stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

window designer and writer (born 1904).

April to June

*10 April –

Jean-Gabriel Albicocco Jean-Gabriel Albicocco (15 February 1936, Cannes – 10 April 2001, Rio de Janeiro) was a French film director. In 1960 he married French actress and singer Marie Laforêt. He is considered a figure of the French New Wave cinema or ''Nouvel ...

, film director (born 1936). *19 April –

André du Bouchet André du Bouchet (April 7, 1924 – April 19, 2001) was a French poet. Biography Born in Paris, André du Bouchet lived in France until 1941 when his family left occupied Europe for the United States. He studied comparative literature first ...

, poet (born 1924). *20 April –

Maurice Lauré Maurice Lauré (24 November 1917 - 20 April 2001) is primarily known for creating the ''taxe sur la valeur ajoutée'' (TVA in French, otherwise known as value added tax (VAT) in English). Originally an engineer of the École Polytechnique with th ...

, creator of ''taxe sur la valeur ajoutée'' (TVA) (born 1917). *6 May –

René Bondoux René Bondoux (26 May 1905 – 6 May 2001) was a French fencer. He won a gold medal in the team foil event at the 1932 Summer Olympics and a silver in the same event at the 1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (German: ''Olymp ...

, fencer (born 1905) *14 May –

Paul Bénichou Paul Bénichou (; 19 September 1908 – 14 May 2001) was a French/Algerian writer, intellectual, critic, and literary historian. Bénichou first achieved prominence in 1948 with ''Morales du grand siècle'', his work on the social context of the F ...

, writer, critic and literary historian (born 1908). *15 May –

Jean-Philippe Lauer Jean-Philippe Lauer (7 May 1902 – 15 May 2001), was a French architect and Egyptologist. He was considered to be the foremost expert on pyramid construction techniques and methods. Biography Arrival in Egypt He was born in the 8th arrondi ...

, architect and

Egyptologist Egyptology (from ''Egypt'' and Greek , '' -logia''; ar, علم المصريات) is the study of ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, architecture and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end of its native religious ...

(born 1902). *15 May –

Sacha Vierny Sacha Vierny (10 August 1919 – 15 May 2001) was a French cinematographer. He was born in Bois-le-Roi, Seine-et-Marne, Île-de-France, France, and died in Paris, France, at the age of 81. He is most famous for his work with Alain Resnais – esp ...

cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the photographing or recording of a film, television production, music video or other live action piece. The cinematographer is the ch ...

(born 1919). *17 May –

Jacques-Louis Lions Jacques-Louis Lions (; 3 May 1928 – 17 May 2001) was a French mathematician who made contributions to the theory of partial differential equations and to stochastic control, among other areas. He received the SIAM's John von Neumann Lecture pr ...

, mathematician (born 1928). *6 June –

Marie Brémont French supercentenarians are citizens, residents or emigrants from France who have attained or surpassed 110 years of age. , the Gerontology Research Group (GRG) had validated the longevity claims of 161 French supercentenarians. France was home ...

supercentenarian A supercentenarian (sometimes hyphenated as super-centenarian) is a person who has reached the age of 110 years. This age is achieved by about one in 1,000 centenarians. Supercentenarians typically live a life free of major age-related diseases u ...

, the oldest recognized person in the world from November 2000 until her death (born 1886). *11 June –

Pierre Eyt Pierre Étienne Louis Eyt S.T.D. (4 June 1934 – 11 June 2001) was a French cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and Metropolitan Archbishop of Bordeaux and Bazas. Early life and priesthood He was born in Laruns, France as the son of Je ...

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 ...

(born 1934). *13 June – Louis de Maigret, Military officer (born 1914). *15 June –

Henri Alekan Henri Alekan (10 February 1909, Paris – 15 June 2001, Auxerre, Bourgogne) was a French cinematographer. Life Alekan was born in Montmartre in 1909. At the age of sixteen he and his brother became travelling puppeteers. A little later h ...

(born 1909). *18 June –

René Dumont René Dumont (March 13, 1904 – June 18, 2001) was a French engineer in agronomy, a sociologist, and an environmental politician. Biography Dumont was born in Cambrai, Nord, in the north of France. His father was a professor in agriculture ...

agronomist An agriculturist, agriculturalist, agrologist, or agronomist (abbreviated as agr.), is a professional in the science, practice, and management of agriculture and agribusiness. It is a regulated profession in Canada, India, the Philippines, the ...

, sociologist and environmental politician (born 1904). *23 June –

Corinne Calvet Corinne Calvet (April 30, 1925 – June 23, 2001), born Corinne Dibos, was a French actress who appeared mostly in American films. According to one obituary, she was promoted "as a combination of Dietrich and Rita Hayworth", but her person ...

, actress (born 1925).

July to September

*July –

Hélène de Beauvoir Henriette-Hélène de Beauvoir (6 June 1910 – 1 July 2001) was a French painter. She was the younger sister of philosopher Simone de Beauvoir. Her art was exhibited in Europe, Japan, and the US. She married Lionel de Roulet. When Hélène de B ...

, painter (born 1910). *3 August –

Jeanne Loriod Jeanne Blanche Armande Loriod (13 July 1928 – 3 August 2001) was a French musician, regarded as the world's leading exponent of the ondes Martenot, an early electronic instrument. Born in Houilles, Yvelines, she was the younger sister of Yvonne ...

, musician (born 1928). *4 August –

Michel de Salzmann Michel de Salzmann (31 December 1923 in Paris – 4 August 2001 in Paris), son of Jeanne de Salzmann, was a psychiatrist, and the president of the Gurdjieff Foundation from 1990 until his death. His friends and pupils salute him as one of the m ...

, psychiatrist (born 1923). *12 August –

Pierre Klossowski Pierre Klossowski (; ; 9 August 1905 – 12 August 2001) was a French writer, translator and artist. He was the eldest son of the artists Erich Klossowski and Baladine Klossowska, and his younger brother was the painter Balthus. Life Born in Par ...

, writer, translator and artist (born 1905). *15 August – Raymond Abescat, oldest man in France and oldest veteran in France at the time of his death (born 1891). *25 August –

Philippe Léotard Philippe Léotard (his full name was Ange Philippe Paul André Léotard-Tomasi; 28 August 1940 – 25 August 2001) was a French actor, poet and singer. Biography He was born in Nice, one of seven children - four girls, then three boys, of whi ...

, actor and singer (born 1940). *4 September –

Simone de la Chaume Simone Thion de la Chaume (24 November 1908 – 4 September 2001) was a French amateur golfer. In 1924, she became the first foreign player to win the Girls Amateur Championship and in 1927 the first to win the British Ladies Amateur, then the ...

, golfer (born 1908).

October to December

*18 October –

Micheline Ostermeyer Micheline Ostermeyer (23 December 1922 – 17 October 2001) was a French athlete and concert pianist. She won three medals at the 1948 Summer Olympics in shot put, discus throw, and high jump. After retiring from sports in 1950, she became a full ...

, athlete and pianist (born 1922). *31 October –

Régine Cavagnoud Régine Cavagnoud (27 June 1970 – 31 October 2001) was a World Cup alpine ski racer from France. She was the World Cup and World Champion in Super-G in 2001. Later that year, Cavagnoud was involved in a high-speed collision while training ...

alpine skier Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel bindings, unlike other types of skiing ( cross-country, Telemark, or ski jumping), which use skis with free-heel bindings. Whether for ...

(born 1970). *11 November – Pierre Billaud, radio reporter and journalist, killed in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

(born 1970). *12 December – Jean Richard, actor (born 1921). *18 December –

Gilbert Bécaud Gilbert Bécaud (, 24 October 1927 – 18 December 2001) was a French singer, composer, pianist and actor, known as "Monsieur 100,000 Volts" for his energetic performances. His best-known hits are "Nathalie" and "Et maintenant", a 1961 release t ...

, singer, composer and actor (born 1927). *19 December –

Marcel Mule Marcel Mule (24 June 1901 – 18 December 2001) was a French classical saxophonist. He was known worldwide as one of the great classical saxophonists, and many pieces were written for him, premiered by him, and arranged by him. Many of these piec ...

, classical saxophonist (born 1901).

Full date unknown

* Édouard Artigas, fencer (born 1915). *

Marcel Bleibtreu Marcel Bleibtreu (August 26, 1918 – December 25, 2001) was a French Trotskyist activist and theorist. Marcel Bleibtreu was born during his family's refuge in Marseille from wartime bombing. Bleibtreu became a radical thinker as a child. After stu ...

Trotskyist Trotskyism is the political ideology and branch of Marxism developed by Ukrainian-Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky and some other members of the Left Opposition and Fourth International. Trotsky self-identified as an orthodox Marxist, a rev ...

activist and theorist (born 1918). *

Pierre Chevalier Pierre Chevalier may refer to: *Pierre Chevalier (caver) (1905–2001), French caver, mountaineer and explorer *Pierre Chevalier (director) (1915–2005), French film director *Pierre Chevalier (politician) (born 1952), Belgian politician *Pierre M ...

, caver and mountaineer (born 1905). *

André Pascal André Pascal (1932–2001), born André Pascal Nicolas di Fusco in Marseille, was a French songwriter and composer. History As an adolescent he was already well versed in French poetry from François Villon to Alfred de Vigny. He could express ...

, songwriter and composer (born 1932).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2001 in France 2000s in France