Events from the year 2003 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 ...
–
Jean-Pierre Raffarin
Jean-Pierre Raffarin (; born 3 August 1948) is a French politician who served as Prime Minister of France from 6 May 2002 to 31 May 2005.
He resigned after France's rejection of the referendum on the European Union draft constitution. Howeve ...
Events
*3 March – Speech of
Dominique de Villepin
Dominique Marie François René Galouzeau de Villepin (; born 14 November 1953) is a French politician who served as Prime Minister of France from 31 May 2005 to 17 May 2007 under President Jacques Chirac.
In his career working at the Minist ...
, UN against war in
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
.
*10 March – President
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 ...
promises to veto any UN resolution authorising
war in Iraq
This is a list of wars involving the Republic of Iraq and its predecessor states.
Other armed conflicts involving Iraq
* Wars during Mandatory Iraq
** Ikhwan raid on South Iraq 1921
* Smaller conflicts, revolutions, coups and periphery confli ...
.
*May –
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
C3 Pluriel, a small convertible.
*30 May – Last flight of
Air France
Air France (; formally ''Société Air France, S.A.''), stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the flag carrier of France headquartered in Tremblay-en-France. It is a subsidiary of the Air France–KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global air ...
's
Concorde
The Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde () is a retired Franco-British supersonic airliner jointly developed and manufactured by Sud Aviation (later Aérospatiale) and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC).
Studies started in 1954, and France an ...
between Paris and
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
.
*1 June –
29th G8 summit in
Évian-les-Bains
Évian-les-Bains (), or simply Évian ( frp, Èvian, , or ), is a Communes of France, commune in the northern part of the Haute-Savoie Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region, Southeastern France. ...
starts, with tight security and tens of thousands of protesters.
*7 July –
Corsica
Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...
voters reject a referendum for increased autonomy from France by a very narrow margin.
*11 August – A
heat wave
A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the ...
in Paris causes temperatures up to 44 °C (112 °F).
*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 ...
cease production of the decade-old
Saxo to be replaced by the 3-door
C2. The
Peugeot 106
The Peugeot 106 is a supermini produced by French automaker Peugeot between 1991 and 2003. Launched in September 1991, it was Peugeot's entry level offering throughout its production life, and was initially sold only as a three door hatchback, ...
also ceases production by this time.
*24 October – The
Concorde
The Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde () is a retired Franco-British supersonic airliner jointly developed and manufactured by Sud Aviation (later Aérospatiale) and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC).
Studies started in 1954, and France an ...
makes its last commercial flight.
*24 December – At the request of the United States Embassy in Paris, the
French Government
The Government of France ( French: ''Gouvernement français''), officially the Government of the French Republic (''Gouvernement de la République française'' ), exercises executive power in France. It is composed of the Prime Minister, who ...
orders
Air France
Air France (; formally ''Société Air France, S.A.''), stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the flag carrier of France headquartered in Tremblay-en-France. It is a subsidiary of the Air France–KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global air ...
to cancel several flights between France and the U.S. in response to terrorist concerns.
Births
*24 August –
Alexandre Coste
Alexandre Grimaldi-Coste (born 24 August 2003) is the son of Prince Albert II of Monaco and Nicole Coste. As his parents never married, Grimaldi-Coste is not in the line of succession to the Monegasque throne.
Early life
Born Éric Alexandre ...
, illegitimate son of
Albert II, Prince of Monaco
Albert II – Website of the Palace of Monaco (Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre Grimaldi; born 14 March 1958) is Prince of Monaco, since 2005.
Albert was born at the Prince's Palace of Monaco, and he is the second child and only son of Prince Rai ...
.
*17 November –
Luce Douady, climber (d.
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
)
Deaths
January to March
*11 January –
Maurice Pialat
Maurice Pialat (; 31 August 1925 – 11 January 2003) was a French film director, screenwriter and actor known for the rigorous and unsentimental style of his films. His work is often described as " realist", , film director, screenwriter and actor (born 1925).
*19 January –
Françoise Giroud
Françoise Giroud, born Lea France Gourdji (21 September 1916 in Lausanne, Switzerland and not in Geneva as often written – 19 January 2003 in Neuilly-sur-Seine) was a French journalist, screenwriter, writer, and politician.
Biography
Giroud ...
, journalist, screenwriter, writer and politician (born 1916).
*30 January –
Paul-André Meyer
Paul-André Meyer (21 August 1934 – 30 January 2003) was a French mathematician, who played a major role in the development of the general theory of stochastic processes.
He worked at the Institut de Recherche Mathématique (IRMA) in Str ...
, mathematician (born 1934).
*10 February –
Alfred Aston
Alfred Aston (16 May 1912 – 10 February 2003) was a French football winger and manager. He was part of France national team at the FIFA World Cup 1934 and 1938. He was capped 31 times for his country.
He played football until the age of 4 ...
, international soccer player (born 1912).
*20 February –
Maurice Blanchot
Maurice Blanchot (; ; 22 September 1907 – 20 February 2003) was a French writer, philosopher and literary theorist. His work, exploring a philosophy of death alongside poetic theories of meaning and sense, bore significant influence on post- ...
, writer, philosopher, and literary theorist (born 1907).
*22 February –
Daniel Toscan du Plantier
Daniel Toscan du Plantier (7 April 1941 – 11 February 2003) was a French film producer. Educated at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques he became advertising manager for the ''France Soir'' daily newspaper in 1966 and between 1975 and 1985 was di ...
, film critic.
*24 February –
Bernard Loiseau
Bernard Daniel Jacques Loiseau (, 13 January 1951 – 24 February 2003) was a French chef at Le Relais Bernard Loiseau in Saulieu. He obtained his three stars in the Michelin Guide, and had a peak rating of 19.5/20 in the Gault Millau restaura ...
, chef (born 1951).
*28 February –
Albert Batteux
Albert Batteux (2 July 1919 – 28 February 2003) was a French football midfielder and a manager. He is the most successful manager in the history of Ligue 1 having won eight domestic titles, twice reaching the European Cup final and a third-p ...
, international soccer player and manager (born 1919).
*4 March –
Sébastien Japrisot
Sébastien Japrisot (4 July 1931 – 4 March 2003) was a French author, screenwriter and film director. His pseudonym was an anagram of Jean-Baptiste Rossi, his real name. Renowned for subverting the rules of the crime genre, Japrisot broke dow ...
, author, screenwriter and film director (born 1931).
*14 March –
Jean-Luc Lagardère
Jean-Luc Lagardère (10 February 1928, Aubiet – 14 March 2003, Paris) was a major French businessman, CEO of the Lagardère Group, one of the largest French conglomerates.
Jean-Luc Lagardère was a '' Supelec'' engineer. He began his caree ...
, engineer and businessman (born 1928).
April to June
*7 April –
Cecile de Brunhoff, storyteller (born 1903).
*17 April –
Jean-Pierre Dogliani
Jean-Pierre Dogliani (17 October 1942 – 17 April 2003) was a French footballer who played as a midfielder. He was caretaker manager for RC Strasbourg for two games in September and October 1988.
Honours
Angers
*French Division 2: 1968–69
B ...
, soccer player (born 1942).
*18 April –
Jean Drucker
Jean Drucker (12 August 1941 – 18 April 2003) was a French Television executive. He was born in Vire (Calvados) and died of a heart attack in Mollégès (Bouches-du-Rhône).
Family history
Of Jewish heritage, his parents arrived in Fran ...
, journalist.
*23 April –
Fernand Fonssagrives
Fernand Fonssagrives (June 8, 1910 – April 23, 2003), born Fernand Vigoureux near Paris, was a photographer known for his 'beauty photography' in the early 1940s, and as the first husband of the model Lisa Fonssagrives. He died in 2003 at Little ...
, photographer (born 1910).
*12 May –
Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan
Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan ( ar, صدر الدين آغا خان, , 1933 – 2003) was a statesman and activist who served as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from 1966 to 1977, during which he reoriented the agency's focus beyond ...
,
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integrati ...
(born 1933).
*23 May –
Jean Yanne
Jean may refer to:
People
* Jean (female given name)
* Jean (male given name)
* Jean (surname)
Fictional characters
* Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character
* Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations
* J ...
, humorist, actor and film director (born 1933).
*24 May –
François Boyer
François Boyer (1920 – 24 May 2003) was a French screenwriter. He achieved considerable success with his first attempt at screenwriting, ''Forbidden Games'' (1952). Initially, he found no studio interested in his work, so he redesigned the scre ...
, screenwriter (born 1920).
*25 May –
Laurette Séjourné
Laurette Séjourné (L’Aquila, October 24, 1914 – Mexico City, May 25, 2003) was a Mexican archeologist and ethnologist best known for her study of the civilizations of Teotihuacan and the Aztecs and her theories concerning the Mesoamerican cu ...
,
archeologist
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts ...
and
ethnologist
Ethnology (from the grc-gre, ἔθνος, meaning 'nation') is an academic field that compares and analyzes the characteristics of different peoples and the relationships between them (compare cultural, social, or sociocultural anthropology) ...
(born 1911).
*27 May –
Jacques Henri-Labourdette, architect (born 1915).
*29 May –
Pierre Restany
Pierre Restany (24 June 1930 – 29 May 2003), was an internationally known French art critic and cultural philosopher.
Restany was born in Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda, Pyrénées-Orientales, and spent his childhood in Casablanca. On returning ...
,
art critic
An art critic is a person who is specialized in analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating art. Their written critiques or reviews contribute to art criticism and they are published in newspapers, magazines, books, exhibition brochures, and catalogue ...
and cultural philosopher (born 1930).
*31 May –
Nicolas Barone, cyclist (born 1931).
*7 June –
Georges Pichard
Georges Pichard (17 January 1920 – 7 June 2003) was a French comics artist, known for numerous magazine covers, serial publications and albums, stereotypically featuring partially exposed voluptuous women.
Biography
A native of Paris, he was ...
,
comics artist
A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comic book illustrators in that they produce both the literary and g ...
(born 1920).
*13 June –
Guy Lux
Guy Maurice Lux (21 June 1919 – 13 June 2003) was a French TV host and producer best known for his 1961 creation of the game show ''Intervilles'' and its numerous spinoffs. During his 40 year career, he produced, directed, hosted, and wrote ...
,
game show host
A game show host is an individual who manages a game show, introduces contestants, and asks quiz questions to test the knowledge of said contestants. They may also have other duties pertinent to production.
History
In 1938, Freddie Grisewood wa ...
and producer (born 1919).
July to September
*4 July –
André Claveau
André Claveau (, 17 December 1911 – 4 July 2003) was a popular singer in France from the 1940s to the 1960s. He won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1958 singing "Dors, mon amour" (Sleep, My Love), with music composed by Pierre Delanoë and l ...
, singer (born 1915).
*18 July –
Marc Camoletti, playwright (born 1923).
*August –
Christian Boussus
Christian Boussus (5 March 1908 – August 2003) was a left-handed French tennis player who found success in the 1920s and 1930s.
Tennis career
He started playing amateur tennis in the late 1920s by entering one of his first tournaments at the ...
, tennis player (born 1908).
*1 August –
Marie Trintignant
Marie Trintignant (; 21 January 1962 – 1 August 2003) was a French film and stage actress. She appeared in over 30 movies during the span of her 36-year career. Her family was deeply involved in France's film industry, as her father was an acto ...
, actress (born 1962).
*9 August –
Jacques Deray
Jacques Deray (born Jacques Desrayaud; 19 February 1929 – 9 August 2003) was a French film director and screenwriter. Deray is prominently known for directing many crime and thriller films.
Biography
Born Jacques Desrayaud in Lyon, France, in 1 ...
, film director (born 1929).
*27 August –
Pierre Poujade
Pierre Poujade (; 1 December 1920 – 27 August 2003) was a French populist politician after whom the Poujadist movement was named.
Biography
Pierre Poujade was born in Saint-Céré (Le Lot), France, and studied at Collège Saint-Eugène d'Aur ...
, politician (born 1920).
*31 August –
Pierre Cahuzac, soccer player (born 1927).
*27 September –
Jean Lucas, motor racing driver (born 1917).
October to December
*15 October –
Pierre Chanal, soldier and suspected
serial killer
A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A
*
*
*
* with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...
(born 1946).
*16 November –
Bettina Goislard, United Nations worker (born 1974).
*21 October –
Jean Hélène
Jean Hélène (8 August 1953 in Mulhouse – 21 October 2003) was a French journalist specializing in Africa. He was working for Radio France Internationale in Ivory Coast when he was killed in Abidjan by police Sergeant Théodore Séry Dago. Jean ...
, journalist (born 1953).
*22 October –
Philippe Ragueneau
Philippe Ragueneau (19 November 1917 – 22 October 2003) was a French journalist and writer. He was born in Orléans (Loiret) and died in Gordes (Vaucluse). Ragueneau was a resistance and then military fighter during World War II, and friend of ...
, journalist and writer (born 1917).
*26 November –
Stefan Wul
Stefan Wul was the ''nom de plume'' of the French science fiction writer Pierre Pairault (27 March 1922 – 26 November 2003), born in Paris.
Biography
He was a dental surgeon, but science fiction was his real passion. Most of his books reflect ...
, writer (born 1922).
*6 December –
Paul-Louis Halley, billionaire businessman (born 1934).
*25 December –
Francine Lancelot, dancer, choreographer and dance historian (born 1929).
*26 December –
Georges Boudarel
Émile Raymond Georges Marius Boudarel (21 December 1926 – 26 December 2003) was a French academic and militant communist who was accused of torturing French prisoners for the Viet Minh during the First Indochina War.
Biography
Born at ...
, academic and Communist militant (born 1926).
*December –
Guy Héraud, politician and lawyer (born 1920).
References
Links
{{DEFAULTSORT:2003 In France
2000s in France