| 2012 may 19th |
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Marilyn Monroe sings "Happy Birthday Mister President"
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Fifty years ago at a birthday gala in Madison Square Garden organised for US President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe sang her legendary "Happy Birthday Mister President".
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| 2012 may 20th |
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The Orient Express's last journey
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The Orient Express made its last journey 35 years ago after being in service for 94 years.
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| 2012 may 20th |
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East Timor obtains independence
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Ten years ago East Timor became the 191st independent state. Its first president, Xanana Gusmão, was the former chief of the guerilla forces.
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| 2012 may 21st |
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The death of Niki de Saint Phalle
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Painter and sculptor Niki de Saint Phalle died ten years ago. This New Realist artist became famous worldwide for her "Nanas" sculptures of voluptuous women in extremely bright colours made from wire, papier mâché and polyester. Her works are widely exhibited. Her "Ivor Stravinski Fountain", for example, stands near the Pompidou Centre in the heart of Paris.
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| 2012 may 22nd |
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Nixon, an American in Moscow
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Forty years ago, Richard Nixon paid an official visit to Moscow. No US president had been to the Soviet Union since Franklin Roosevelt attended the Yalta meeting in Ukraine, in 1945, to prepare the post-war period. Richard Nixon and Leonid Brejnev put their desire for détente vefore their differences on the question of Vietnam.
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| 2012 may 23rd |
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Judge Falcone is assassinated by the Mafia
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Twenty years ago, the Italian judge Giovanni Falcone, a symbol of the fight against the Mafia, was killed with three of his bodyguards in a bomb attack near Palermo, in Sicily. Two months later, his successor, Judge Paolo Borsellino, was the victim of a car bomb.
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| 2012 may 26th |
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The Tunisian president Bel Ali has the country's constitution altered in his favour
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Ten years ago, the President of the Tunisian Republic had the Constitution altered so that presidential candidates could run for office until the age of 75 and were no longer restricted by the number of mandates.
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| 2012 may 28th |
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The death of Romy Schneider
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Thirtieth anniversary of the death of the actress Romy Schneider, who became famous playing Princess Elizabeth of Austria in the series "Sissi". She starred in the films of the world's greatest directors: Welles, Preminger, Visconti, Ford, Sautet, Costa-Gavras, Chabrol, Tavernier and Zulawski, who directed her in the extraordinary ?That most important thing:Love? (1974).
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| 2012 may 30th |
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First suicide attack in Israel
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Forty years ago, in the hall of Lod Airport at Tel-Avis, three Japanese men took out grenades and machine guns and began shooting into the crowd. They killed 26 people and wounded another 100 They belonged to the Japanese Red Army, a terrorist organisation set up in 1969 and allied to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
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| 2012 june 3rd |
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The birth of Alain Resnais
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Alain Resnais's 90th birthday. His first feature film, 'Hiroshima mon amour' established him, and he has never stopped filming since. A committed left-wing activist, like his ?New Wave? friends, he made films that have a strong moral or political content. From the 1980s onwards, he also made films that were more "entertaining", such as ?Smoking, No smoking?, or ?On connaît la chanson?.
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| 2012 june 4th |
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Opening of the second Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro
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From 4 to 11 June 1992, the second Earth Summit was held under the aegis of the UN. It became the departure point for a general consciousness-raising of environmental problems worldwide.
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| 2012 june 5th |
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Outbreak of the Six-Day War
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Despite serious diplomatic efforts, the third war in the Middle East between Israelis and Arabs broke out 45 years ago. The Isreali army, led by General Moshe Dayan, went on the offensive and within just a few days took a number of new territories: the Egyptian Sinai, the Syrian Golan Heights, the Jordanian Left Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.
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| 2012 june 6th |
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Israel launches the "Peace in Galilee"operation
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The Israeli army launched the "Peace in Galilee" operation against the Palestinian presence in Lebanon 30 years ago.
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| 2012 june 8th |
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The founding of Universal
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Carl Laemmle founded the US film production company "Universal Film Manufacturing Company" exactly 100 years ago. It specialised in fantasy films and westerns, two genres which made it extremely successful.
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| 2012 june 8th |
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Serena William wins Roland Garros
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Ten years ago, the Williams sisters played each other in the final at Roland Garros. Serena, the younger sister, beat Venus in two sets, 7/5-6/3. One after the other, they would be first in first place in the 2002 World ranking.
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| 2012 june 8th |
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The UEFA Euro 2012 football cup, organised jointly by Poland and Ukraine, will run from 8 June to 1 July 2012.
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| 2012 june 9th |
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Alberto Costa wins the Roland Garros tennis tournament
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Ten years ago, Alberto Costa beat fellow Spaniard Juan-Carlos Ferrero in the Roland Garros final in four sets: 6/1-6/0-4/6-6/3. Ferrero would go on to the 2003 final.
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| 2012 june 10th |
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Three Roland Garros wins for Raphaël Nadal and Justine Hénin
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Five years ago, after Justine Hénin's win the day before, Rafael Nadal once again won the men's singles, thereby preventing Roger Federer from winning all the Grand Slam tournaments. This was the first time that the winners of both men's and ladies' finals won for the third year running.
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| 2012 june 11th |
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Planet Earth meets E.T.
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Thirty years ago, Steven Spielberg introduced E.T. to the world. The endearing extra-terrestrial, abandoned by his fellow "countrymen" on Planet Earth, was taken in by the young Elliott. A strong friendship grows. Assisted by his sister and brother, Elliott does everything he can to help his friend go home.
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| 2012 june 11th |
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The Blues leave the World Cup
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At the World Cup in South Korea ten years ago, France's World Champion football team suffered an unexpected defeat at the hand of the Senegalese, then drew 0-0 with Uruguay before being beaten by Denmark. The team made a discreet exit.
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| 2012 june 12th |
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Anne Frank's 13th birthday notebook
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Seventy years ago, Anne Frank was given a little notebook on red and white squared paper for her 13th birthday. She used it to write the diary which made her name so famous. Anne Frank came from a German Jewish family with whom she hid in Amsterdam from 1942 to 1944, when they were arrested by the Nazis. She died in 1945 at the Bergen-Belsen camp. Her father survived Auschwitz, and published her diary in 1947.
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| 2012 june 14th |
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The death of Jacques Rouland
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Jacques Rouland, a figure of French radio and television, died ten years ago. He hosted and directed a popular show on film, entitled Mardi Cinéma.
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| 2012 june 17th |
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The Watergate Scandal
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Forty years ago, in the Democrat Party's ?Watergate? building in Washington, the US police surprised five men planting microphones. Two "Washington Post" journalists, Woodward and Bernstein, would later reveal, thanks to a mysterious informer, that the men were working on behalf of the US President, Republican Richard Nixon, right in the middle of an election campaign.
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| 2012 june 25th |
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The death of Jacques-Yves Costeau
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Fifteenth anniversary of the death of France's best-known marine explorer, "Captain Cousteau.
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| 2012 june 28th |
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The death of François Périer
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Tenth anniversary of the death of French actor François Périer, whose film career began in 1938. Even early on he worked with some of the finest directors, including Marcel Carné, Julien Duvivier and Jean Boyer. He starred in numerous secondary roles until the early 1980s, working with directors like Jean Cocteau, Federico Fellini and Jean-Pierre Melville.
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| 2012 june 29th |
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The iPhone is launched in the United States
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Five years ago, Apple, on the strength of a new lease of life triggered by the launch of the iPod, entered the mobile phone market hoping for the same success. The iPhone was launched in the United States, backed by a vast marketing campaign.
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| 2012 june 30th |
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World Cup: Brazil on a cloud
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Ten years ago, Brazil won the World Cup, this time against Germany, in Yokohama. Led by the competition's top scorer, Ronaldo, the Brazilians dominated a championship full of surprises.
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| 2012 july 1st |
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A points-based driving licence goes into force in France
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Fifteen years ago, the French government decided to base the national driving licence on 12 points. The various infringements to the Highway Code warrant a loss of points, between one and six per offence.
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| 2012 july 1st |
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The death of Robert Mitchum
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Fifteenth anniversary of the death of American actor Robert Mitchum.
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| 2012 july 4th |
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Schumacher attacks Battiston
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Germany played France in an exciting semi-final of the 1982 World Cup. Atone point, when French substitute Battiston had the ball in front of the German goal, goalie Schumacher rushed at him, forgetting the ball, and landing a kick full in the face, leaving him lying on the ground unconscious.
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| 2012 july 4th |
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A life sentence for Klaus Barbie
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Il y a 25 ans Klaus Barbie was sentenced to imprisonment for life 25 years ago by the Rhône Cour d'Assises.
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| 2012 july 5th |
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The first animal to be cloned: "Dolly
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Fifteen years ago, two Scottish scientists successfully cloned the first mammal from a grown animal, in this instance, a sheep named Dolly in tribute to Dolly Parton. Dolly suffered from an incurable illness and was put to sleep six years after her birth.
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| 2012 july 7th |
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Salazar creates dictatorship in Portugal
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The former Portuguese Finance Minister, Antonio de Oliveira Salazar, was appointed Prime Minister 80 years ago. He took advantage of this new-found power to introduce a dictatorial regime and founded a new, national and Christian state (O estado nôvo). Salazar imposed a single party, the National Union, and was backed by an omnipresent police force who repressed any opposition.
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| 2012 july 8th |
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The death of writer Georges Bataille
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Fiftieth anniversary of the death of Georges Bataille.
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| 2012 july 8th |
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Jane Fonda goes to North Vietnam
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Forty years ago, American actress Jane Fonda travelled to Hanoi for two weeks to denounce US policy in Vietnam. On Radio Hanoi she urged the American GIs to cease bombing North Vietnam. She even went as far as to climb on to a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun wearing a military helmet.
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| 2012 july 11th |
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Third World Cup title for Italy
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Thirty years ago, Italy's Squadra Azurra joined Brazil in having won three World Cup titles.
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| 2012 july 12th |
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First Rolling Stones concert
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Fifty years ago, a group of young British blues and rock 'n roll enthusiasts made their first public appearance at the Marquee Jazz Club in London. Their name was the Rolling Stones. Keith Richard and Michael Philip Jagger met in Richmond early in 1960 and were joined by Richard Taylor and Brian Jones in 1961.
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| 2012 july 12th |
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The founding of the ANPE
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France's National Employment Agency (ANPE) was founded 45 years ago by an ordinance taken by the Social Affairs Minister in charge of Employment, Jacques Chirac. ANPE is an autonomous agency, whose objective is to register all available jobs and to help the 300,000 unemployed in France at the time by offering them employment or training.
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| 2012 july 14th |
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Failed attack against Jacques Chirac
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Ten years ago one Maxime Brunerie, 25, fired a shot in the direction of the President during a 14 July parade on the Champs-Elysées in Paris. Just as he was aiming his rifle at Mr Chirac, he was held back by three spectators.
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| 2012 july 16th |
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The death of Patrick Dewaere
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Thirtieth anniversary of the death of French actor Patrick Dewaere, who was known for his roles in films such as Bertrand Blier's "Les Valseuses" and Alain Corneau's "Série Noire".
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| 2012 july 17th |
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Jews rounded up at the Paris Velodrome
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Seventy years ago, upon an order by René Bousquet, Secretary General of the Police at the Interior Ministry, 13,000 Jews including 4,051 children, from Paris and the Paris region, were arrested overnight by the French police. They were rounded up in the Vélodrome d'Hiver sports stadium and left there for several days. The prisoners were first taken to Drancy and then to the Auschwitz concentration camp.
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| 2012 july 18th |
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The birth of Henri Salvador
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Henri Salvador was born 95 years ago. "Monsieur Boum Boum", as he was known, started out as a talented jazz guitarist and composer. In 1944, he went on tour with the Ray Ventura orchestra, and travelled across the Americas for four years. Back in Paris at the Liberation, he remained loyal to Ray Ventura until 1948, and then started a solo career.
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| 2012 july 27th |
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Homosexuality is decriminalised
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Thirty years ago, Justice Minister Robert Badinter put a proposal to decriminalise homosexuality to the vote in the National Assembly. Article 332-1 of the Penal Code was repealed, homosexuality was no longer considered as a crime, and nine years later (1991) was withdrawn from the World Health Organisation list of mental illnesses.
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| 2012 july 27th |
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2012 Olympic Games in London
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27 July to 12 August.
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| 2012 july 28th |
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The birth of Francis Veber
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Seventy-fifth birthday of the French film director Francis Veber.
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| 2012 july 29th |
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The death of Michel Serrault
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Five years ago, Michel Serrault died of cancer at Equemauville, in Normandy. The French actor became known to the general public when he starred in "La Cage aux folles?, and went on to become one of the finest French film actors of all time.
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| 2012 august 2nd |
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The death of Michel Berger
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Twenty years ago, an extremely talented French musician died. Michel Berger turned everything he touched to gold. A star at the age of 17, he went on to "discover" Véronique Sanson, to work with, and marry France Gall, to write the ?Starmania" musical with Luc Plamondon, and songs for Johnny Hallyday. Michel Berger's career stopped suddenly one summer day in 1992 on a tennis court on the French Riviera.
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| 2012 august 4th |
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The death of Jeanne Calment
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Fifteen years ago, Jeanne Calment, considered to be the oldest human being alive since 1995, finally died at the age of 122 years and 164 days. In 1997, there were 6,000 centenarians in France. She had never worked, but was still riding a bicycle at 100.
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| 2012 august 5th |
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The death of Marilyn Monroe
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Marilyn Monroe, born Norma Jean Mortenson, died in Los Angeles 50 years ago today at the age of 36.
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| 2012 august 8th |
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Gandhi and Nehru are arrested
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Seventy years ago, the British arrested Mohandas Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and a number of other Indian nationalist leaders. The arrests would lead to riots that left eight people dead. Gandhi and Nehru were imprisoned several times running up to 1945. India won its independence in 1947.
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| 2012 august 11th |
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Hussein of Jordan
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Sixty years ago, the King Talal, suffering from mental deficiency, was deposed by the Jordanian parliament. His son Hussein, aged 16, became the third Hashemite sovereign to reign over Jordan.
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| 2012 august 12th |
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The NAFTA Agreement is signed
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Twenty years ago, the United States, Canada and Mexico signed the NAFTA Free Trade agreement, to counter Japanese expansion and the consolidation of the European Union. The Agreement established a "common market" of 21 million square kilometres and 385 million inhabitants.
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| 2012 august 16th |
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The death of Pierre Brasseur
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Fortieth anniversary of the death of French actor and film director Pierre Brasseur.
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| 2012 august 18th |
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The birth of Robert Redford
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Robert Redford's 75th birthday.
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| 2012 august 22nd |
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The so-called "Petit-Clamart attack" on the life of General de Gaulle
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Fifty years ago, a presidential motorcade, which had left the Elysée Palace to drive to General de Gaulle's birthplace, Colombey-les-deux-Eglises, was attacked by three men armed with sub-machine guns, as it drove through the suburb of Petit-Clamart. The men were members of the OAS (Secret Army Organisation), who were against the independence of Algeria.
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| 2012 august 24th |
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Fires in Greece
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Five years ago, Greece was subject to the worst fires in its history. After several weeks of drought, the fires blighted the Peloponnese and the Island of Euboea and killed 63. However, no major historical building or monument was destroyed.
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| 2012 august 26th |
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The birth of Nina Companéez
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Seventy-fifth birthday of the screenplay writer and film director Nina Companéez.
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| 2012 august 28th |
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Belgium moves deeper into crisis
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Five years ago, Yves Leterme resigned after failing to manage to form a government after the Flemish and Walloon federal elections. Since 10 juin, Belgium has been deprived of a government because of differences of opinion regarding the degree of autonomy to be granted to Dutch-speaking areas.
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| 2012 august 29th |
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The death of Ingrid Bergmann
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Thirtieth anniversary of the death of the great actress Ingrid Bergmann.
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| 2012 august 30th |
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Ben Johnson takes world record for the 100 metres
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Twenty-five years ago, Ben Johnson beat the world record for the 100 metres in 9.83 seconds.
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| 2012 august 31st |
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Founding of SNCF
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The founding of the French national railway network.
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| 2012 august 31st |
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The death of Diana, Princess of Wales
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Fifteen years ago, Diana, the former wife of the Prince of Wales, died at the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital in Paris after a car accident in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel. Her friend, Dodi al-Fayed, a rich Egyptian, was killed immediately, as was the chauffeur Henri Paul, who was driving fast to shake off paparazzi.
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| 2012 september 4th |
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Mark Spitz wins seven medals at the Munich Olypics
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Forty years ago, the legendary American swimmer Mark Spitz won seven gold medals at the same Olympics: in the freestyle (100 m, 200 m, 4x100 m, 4x200 m), butterfly (100 m, 200 m), and the 4x100 m medley.
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| 2012 september 5th |
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Drama at the Munich Olympics
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Forty years ago, during the Munich Olympic Games, eight terrorists from the Palestinian Black September movement, got into the Village and killed two members of the Israeli team and took another nine hostage. The hostages were assassinated and five of the terrorists and a policemen killed when the storm troops moved in.
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| 2012 september 5th |
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The death of Mother Teresa
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Mother Teresa died five years ago in Calcutta at the age of 87. She founded the Order of the Missionrires of Charity in 1950, and devoted her life to the poor in Calcutta and other cities in India. She opened over 50 schools and 200 homes, orphanages and mobile clinics.
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| 2012 september 6th |
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The death of Luciano Pavarotti
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The Italian tenor, Luciano Pavarotti, died five years ago at the age of 72 at Modena. Known for singing Bel canto in the 1960s and 1970s, he widened his audience when he launched the "Three Tenors" and also sang with a number of pop stars.
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| 2012 september 14th |
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The death of Jacques Martin
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Five years ago, Jacques Martin, a popular French presenter of a programme known as the "Petit Rapporteur", died in Biarritz at the age of 74. In 1998, a stroke had forced him to put an end to his TV career.
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| 2012 september 14th |
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The death of Grace Kelly
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American actress Grace Kelly became Princess of Monaco 30 years ago when she married the Prince Rainier Grimaldi.
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| 2012 september 16th |
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The death of Maria Callas
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Thirty-five years ago, Maria Callas died in Paris at the age of 54. The undisputed queen of opera, she was extraordinarily expressive. She initially stopped appearing on stage in 1958, but her admirers were able to applaud her one last time in "Tosca? in 1965, 12 years before her death.
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| 2012 september 16th |
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Massacres at Sabra and Shatila in Lebanon
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Thirty years ago, and two days after the assassination of Bechir Gemayel, the Lebanese Christian phalangists entered the Palestinian camps of Sabra and Chatila on 16 September 1982. For three days, the "Lebanese forces" killed and committed other acts of brutality without interruption. The final death toll stood at 3,000.
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| 2012 september 22nd |
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The death of Marcel Marceau
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Five years ago, Marcel Marceau left the stage for the last time at 84 after a career spanning 60 years. ?Alongside Commandant Coursteau, the best-known Frenchman? appeared on stages all over the world until the end of his life. ?Bip?, his character, celebrated his 50th ?birthday? in 1997, and said a final farewell in 2000.
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| 2012 september 23rd |
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Belgium authorises euthanasia
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Ten years ago in Belgium, a law authorising euthanasia was adopted under the government of Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, who brought six liberal, socialist and ecologist parties together in 1999. Belgium was the second country after the Netherlands to introduce the reform.
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| 2012 september 25th |
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First issue of "Le Point
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The first issue of the French weekly "Le Point" was published 40 years ago today. The news magazine was set up by a group of journalists from another weekly, ?L'Express?. They were in disagreement with the director, Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber, and decided to leave to create their own weekly.
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| 2012 september 26th |
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Ben Bella comes to power in Algeria
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Fifty years ago, after the Evian Agreements (18 March 1962), which recognised Algeria's independence, the new Algerian National Assembly elected the leader of the national liberation front (FLN), Ahmed Ben Bella, the first President of the Council, by 159 votes to one.
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| 2012 september 28th |
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The Franco-German TV channel, Arte, is born
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Twenty years ago, the fifth Hertzian network in France was attributed to Franco-German TV channel Arte. Since May that year, the European cultural channel had only been accessible via cable and satellite. In September it could be watched on Channel 5 by everyone in France.
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| 2012 october 1st |
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The advent of colour television
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Colour television was officially launched in France 45 years ago at 2.15 pm precisely. The very first reportage broadcast for the inauguration, showing a parachute drop, was made by Alexandre Tarta, with Pierre Tchernia as commentator. The SECAM process invented by Henri de France made its official debut in 1959. In the United States, the first colour programmes were broadcast in 1954.
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| 2012 october 3rd |
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The death of Jean Anouilh
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French playwright Jean Anouilh died 25 years ago.
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| 2012 october 5th |
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The Beatles first "hit" is released
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The Beatles' first single ?Love me do? was released in Britain 50 years ago. It was recorded in London under the direction of arranger George Martin. The record rose to 17th place in the Hit Parade. By February 1963, it was at "Number One", and the Beatles' career was launched. That same month, their second record, "Please, Please Me", went straight to "Number One" and Beatlemania spread like wildfire.
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| 2012 october 5th |
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The French National Front is founded
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Jean-Marie le Pen, the youngest member of the French parliament back in 1956, founded his far-right wing party, the National Front, 40 years ago. He was supported by the ?New Order? movement, whose campaign he had managed for the 1965 presidential elections, backing a former junior minister of the Vichy government, Tixier-Vignancour.
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| 2012 october 8th |
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Solidarnosc is banned in Poland
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Thirty years ago, the Polish parliament banned the independent union headed by Lech Walesa. "Solidarnosc" had been set up during the occupation of the Gdansk shipyards in 1980. Violent demonstrations against the Communist regime immediately broke out all over Poland. "Solidarity" continued to exist secretly and was authorised once again in 1989.
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| 2012 october 11th |
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Opening of the Vatican II Council
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Pope John 23rd opened the first session of the Vatican Council in Saint Peter's basilica in Rome 50 years ago. The meeting brought together more than 2,000 eccesiastics and non-Catholic experts. The Pope opened his address with an "aggiornamiento? (an update) of the dogmas of the Catholic church.
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| 2012 october 14th |
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The Northern Ireland parliament is suspended
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Ten years ago, the UK government took control of the Northern Irish institutions again. The semi-autonomous government, headed by David Trimble, was introduced in 1999, follwoing the Stormont Agreement. When members of Sinn Fein were accused of spying on behalf of the IRA, London's reaction was immediate and without appeal.
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| 2012 october 16th |
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The outbreak of the Cuban missile crisis
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For two weeks 50 years ago, from 16 to 28 October 1962, to world was in grave danger, and atomic war was even mentioned. The missile crisis created a serious schock and left its mark on the collective memory.
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| 2012 october 18th |
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The death of Pierre Mendès-France
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Thirtieth anniversary of the death of French politician, Pierre Mendès France. A prisoner of wzr, then a Resistant, he became Minister of the Economy at the Liberation and introduced an austerity policy. He headed the Council from June 1954 to February 1955 to bring a peaceful solution to tension in the colonies. He put an end to the war in Indochina, granted Tunisia its independence and allowed Germany to join NATO. A member of the PSA then PSU parties, he supported François Mitterrand during the presidential elections of 1965, 1974 and 1981.
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| 2012 october 19th |
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Panic on Wall Street
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Twenty-five years ago, two "black Mondays" on the stock markets, on 19 and 26 October, created panic on Wall Street.
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| 2012 october 20th |
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Alain Bombard survives at sea without food or water
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Sixty years ago, the navigator and doctor Alain Bombard left Las Palmas in the Canaries on board a rubber canoe he called L'Hérétique, without food or water. Two months later he reached Barbados in the Caribbean, thus proving that it is possible to survive on sea water and plankton after a shipwreck.
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| 2012 october 25th |
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First commercial flight for the A380
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Singapore Airlines made the A380's first commercial flight from Singapore to Sydney five years ago. The A380 is the biggest civilian aircraft ever built and the largest plane in history to be 'mass'-produced.
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| 2012 october 27th |
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The death of François-Henri de Virieu
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French journalist François-Henri de Virieu died 15 years ago. He hosted and produced a popular debate programme called "L'Heure de Vérite" (the Hour of Truth).
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| 2012 october 28th |
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Referendum on the Presidential election
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Fifty years ago, Charles de Gaulle asked the French to vote for or against a universal suffrage system for the presidential elections. As many as 62.25% voted in favour. In organising this referendum, De Gaulle consolidated the foundations of the Fifth Republic, but he was also seriously criticised by his opponents who considered that the measure gave the president far too much power.
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| 2012 november 1st |
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The Evin Law comes into force
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Twenty years ago, Law 91-32 of 10 January 1991, known as the Evin Law, came into force. It made smoking forbidden in all "covered and enclosed places destined for collective use?.
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| 2012 november 5th |
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The death of Jacques Tati
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Thirtieth anniversary of the death of Jacques Tati, the film director and creator of the Mr. Hulot character, with whom he seemed to have merged. He invented practical jokes with a fascinating precision, was a scrupulous stage director, and perhaps better poet than producer.
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| 2012 november 10th |
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The death of Leonid Brezhnev
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Thirtieth anniversary of the death of Leonid Brezhnev, who was General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party from 1964 to 1982 and twice President of the Supreme Soviet praesidium head of State - from 1960 to 1964 and 1977 to 1982.
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| 2012 november 11th |
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The Anglican church opens its door to women priests
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Twenty years ago in London, the Synod of the Anglican Church authorised women to become priests. For Church of England reformers, this decision was motivated by the desire to adapt to the realities of modern-day society. Ordaining women priests was a question of "justice and modernity".
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| 2012 november 14th |
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The first BBC programme
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Ninety years ago, the British Broadcasting Company (later the British Broadcasting Corporation) broadcast its first programme. During the Second World War it became the radio of the Resistance in Europe and played a key role in supporting the troops and the British population.
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| 2012 november 16th |
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The first case of SARS
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Ten years ago, the first case of SARS or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, an unusal form of pneumonia, was identifed in the region of Guangdong in China. In February 2003, the virus spread beyond the Chinese borders, carried by tourists and business travellers.
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| 2012 november 17th |
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Jamaa islamiya kills 62
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In Egypt, 15 years ago, 58 foreign tourists and four Egyptians were killed in front of the Hatchepsout temple in Luxor by Jamaa islamiya activists.
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| 2012 november 17th |
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Founding of the UMP Party
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The Union for a popular movement (UMP) set up a new political party ten years ago. Initially known as the Union for the presidential majority, the UMP succeeded the RPR with the aim of creating one single right-wing party.
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| 2012 november 18th |
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The death of Paul Eluard
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Sixty years ago, during the Second World War, Eugène Grindel published a number of texts under the name Paul Eluard, including the famous poem 'Liberté', which became symbolic of the Resistance movement. Throughout his work, Paul Eluard fought for 'social poetry'. A Dadaist, then Surrealist, he was known for creating images such as "the earth is blue like an orange". His writing was accessible to everyone and paid tribute to Gala, his first wife.
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| 2012 november 18th |
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The death of Jacques Anquetil
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The cyclist Jacques Anquetil died 25 years ago today.
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| 2012 november 20th |
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The Cuban crisis dies down
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Fifty years ago, after over a month of tension between the US, the USSR and Cuba, Castro announced that he agreed to the withdrawal of the Soviet bombers and Kennedy would lift the naval blockade around the island. The missile crisis marked the height of the Cold War. Khrushchev was rapidly replaced and international relations moved into a phase commonly known as "détente".
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| 2012 november 21st |
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Seven new countries join NATO
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Ten years ago, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia were invited to join NATO, in compliance with their wishes.
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| 2012 november 21st |
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Jacques Chirac is charged with misappropriating funds
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Five years ago, the former President of the French Republic, Jacques Chirac, was charged with "misappropriating public funds", when he was Mayor of Paris. The employment of official representatives was brought into question. This is the first time that a President has been charged after his term of office.
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| 2012 november 22nd |
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The birth of Rosy Varte
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Eighty-fifth birthday of French actress Rosy Varte.
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| 2012 november 22nd |
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The death of René Coty
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René Coty died 50 years ago. He was a French statesman whose career culminated in 1954 when he was elected President of the Republic.
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| 2012 november 22nd |
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The death of Maritie Carpentier
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Maritie Carpentier died ten years ago. Maritie and her husband Gilbert, who died on 18 September 2000, produced numerous radio shows and later television programmes. The couple were extremely famous in France from the 1950s to the 1990s.
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| 2012 november 22nd |
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The death of Maurice Béjart
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Fifth anniversary of the death of the dancer and choreographer Maurice Béjart in Lausanne at the age of 80. Béjart had taught dance in Belgium for 20 years and had over 230 choreographies to his name. He was working on his latest piece entitled "Around the world in 80 minutes".
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| 2012 november 23rd |
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Ellen MacArthur wins the monohull class of the Route du Rhum race
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Ten years ago, Ellen MacArthur won the monohull class in the Route du Rhum race shattering the previous record in the category by over two days. She even managed to arrive in Guadeloupe before the mulithulls, which had set sail 24 hours later. She was the second woman to win this competition alongside Florence Arthaud.
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| 2012 november 24th |
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Seventy-fifth birthday of Claude Lelouch.
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Seventy-fifth birthday of French film director Claude Lelouch.
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| 2012 november 24th |
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The death of Barbara
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Popular French singer Barbara died 15 years ago today. She sustained a strong and close relationship with a fascinated public for over 30 years, and dedicated one of her best-known songs to them: ?Ma plus belle histoire d'amour?. She also made a few appearances on flim, notably in Jacques Brel's ?Franz? and ?Je suis né à Venise?, a film of a Maurice Béjart ballet, before playing in "Lily passion", a musical comedy, with Gérard Depardieu.
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| 2012 november 25th |
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The death of Harold Washington
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Twenty-fifth anniversary of the death of the first black mayor of Chicago, Harold Washington.
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| 2012 november 26th |
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First screening of ?Casablanca?
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Michael Curtiz's film"Casablanca" was screened for the very first time 70 years ago at the Hollywood Theater in New-York. It brought two great film stas together: Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart.
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| 2012 november 27th |
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The birth of Jacques Chirac
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Jacques Chirac's 80th birthday. The former President of the French Republic was 30 when he was recruited to Prime Minister Georges Pompidou's cabinet, which launched his career. He went on to hold several local mandates even Mayor of Pais concurrently with goverment postions (Minister of the Economy, Minister for Agriculture). He was Prime Minister to Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, then to François Mitterrand under the first cohabitation, and won two presidential elections, in 1995 and 2002.
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| 2012 november 27th |
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The scuppering of the French navy
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Seventy years ago, at 4:40 in the morning, the German army invaded the Toulon arsenal. The sailors in the French fleet headed by Admiral Jean de Laborde scuppered the entire fleet. Ships, machines and artillery were completely destroyed to avoid giving them up to the Germans. Only four submarines managed to flee and reached North Africa.
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| 2012 november 27th |
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Max Frérot, Action Directe, is arrested
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Twenty-five years ago, Max Frérot, a bomb-making expert and the last of the Action Directe leaders still at large, was arrested.
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| 2012 november 27th |
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Libération à Beyrouth de deux otages français
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Two French hostages ? Jean-Louis Normandin and Roger Auque ? were released 25 years ago today in Beirut.
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| 2012 november 28th |
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Albania proclaims its independence
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One century agao, Albania proclaimed its independence during the Balkans war. The League of Prizren had been fighting to maintain Albania's frontiers and against Turkish domination since 1878. The state was only officially recognised as such in 1913 and quickly suffered from the chaos and occuation of the First World War.
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| 2012 november 28th |
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The death of Daniel Gélin
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Tenth anniversary of the death of French actor Daniel Gélin, and young leading man in the post-war years. He appeared in Hitchkock's "The man who knew too much" and in several big international productions in the 1960s. He was Micheline Presles's partner in the television series 'Les Saintes Chéries', and, the eternal charmed, became a mainstay of French cinema.
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| 2012 november 30th |
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Alexandre Dumas transferred to the Panthéon
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Ten years ago, Alexandre Dumas's ashes were transferred to the Panthéon in Paris, where they lie alongside those of Voltaire, Rousseau, Hugo and Zola, all writers who symbolically played a part in building the nation. The coffin was surrounded by Musketeers and a Marianne of mixed race during the ceremony.
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| 2012 december 2nd |
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First artificial heart transplant
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Thirty years ago, a 61-year-old dentist, Barney Clark, became the first human being to undergo an artifical heart transplant. The operation was carried out in Salt Lake City by surgeon William de Vries.
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| 2012 december 6th |
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The Swiss vote not to join the European Union
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Twenty years ago, 50.3% of the Swiss voted not to join the European Economic Area, against 49.7% who were in favour.
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| 2012 december 7th |
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The discovery of the bust of Nefertiti
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One hundred years ago, a German archaeologist Ludwig Borchardt discovered a polychrome sandstone bust of the Egyptian queen Nefertiti at Tell el-Amarna in Egypt. It is housed in the Dahlem museum in Berlin. Nefertiti was the wife of the Pharoah Amenophis IV Akhenaton and reigned in the 14th century BC. Her name means "the beautiful one has come" in Egyptian.
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| 2012 december 9th |
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Intifada breaks out in Gaza and the Left Bank
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Twenty-years ago, the Intifada broke out in the occupied Palestinian territories of Gaza and the Left Bank.
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| 2012 december 11th |
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The last US mission to the moon
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The astronauts of the Apollo 17 mission landed on the moon 40 years ago. Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt took off on 7 December and stayed on the moon for 74 hours, 59 minutes and 30 seconds, or more than three days, the longest period ever spent on the moon. Apollo 17 was the last manned US mission to the moon.
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| 2012 december 12th |
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The launch of the Regional Express Railway (RER)
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The first line of the Regional Express Railway, running through Paris, was opened 35 years ago. The idea of setting up an RER in the Paris area dates from the Delouvrirer plan in 1965. A few years later, lines B, C and D were added.
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| 2012 december 13th |
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The Lisbon Treaty
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Fifth anniversary of the signing of the Lisbon Treaty by the 27 European Union countries. Following the French and Dutch referenda, the European constitution was revised so that the treaty would be less ambitious. This meant that the treaties of Rome and Maastricht could be modernised to enable the Union to function more smoothly.
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| 2012 december 16th |
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Exemplary verdict at the mafia trial in Palermo
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Twenty-five years ago, the verdict at the mafia trial in Palermo was exemplary, with 19 of the accused sentenced to life imprisonment.
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| 2012 december 17th |
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Georges Marchais appointed Secretary General of the French Communist Party
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The 20th Congress of the French Communist Party appointed Georges Marchais first Secretary General 40 years ago. Marchais had been Deputy Secretary General since 1970, and succeeded Waldeck Rochet. He remained in the position until 1994, when he handed over to Robert Hue.
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| 2012 december 17th |
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The death of Marguerite Yourcenar
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Twenty-fifth anniversary of the death of Marguerite Yourcenar. She published her first written work, 'Le jardin des chimères', at the age of 16 and reached the peak of her career with "Memoirs of Hadrian". In 1968 she won the Fémina Prize for "L'oeuvre au noir", and was elected to the Royal Academy of the Belgian language in 1970. But it was above all when she joined the Académie française in 1980 - three years after winning the Grand Prix de l'Académie - that she found herself in the spotlight, as she was the first women to join the ranks of the so-called "Immortels".
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| 2012 december 21st |
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The birth of Jane Fonda
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Seventy-fifth birthday of the American actress Jane Fonda
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| 2012 december 21st |
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The death of Patrick Bourrat
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Ten years ago, French journalist Patrick Bourrat died in Kuwait at the age of 50. The TF1 reporter was working when he was hit full on by an 70-tonne US Abrams tank tonnes.
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| 2012 december 23rd |
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First crew change in orbit (MIR / "Soyuz TM-4")
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Twenty-five years ago, an entire crew in orbit was replaced for the first time, when the space ship Soyuz TM-4 landed on the MIR station with three cosmonauts on board.
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| 2012 december 24th |
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The death of Louis Aragon
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Louis Aragon died 30 years ago today. The writer and poet, Dadaist, then Surrealist and a member of the Communist Party, devoted most of his works to his two loves: liberated France and his partner, Elsa Triolet.
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| 2012 december 30th |
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The birth of Robert Hossein
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Eighty-fifth anniversary of the French stage director and actor Robert Hossein.
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| 2012 december 31st |
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The birth of Anthony Hopkins
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Seventy-fifth anniversary of the British actor Anthony Hopkins, who has appeared in around 100 films. In 1987, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), and in 1993 he was knighted. He is hence known as Sir Anthony Hopkins.
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| 2012 december 31st |
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The launch of the third TV channel
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Forty years ago, France's national television programmes company launched the "third channel". Initially, it could onlly be watched by around one-quarter of the population. On 1 January 1975, when ORTF was dissolved, the channel was renamed FR3, and has been known as France 3 since 1992.
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| 2012 december 31st |
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The end of Czechoslovakia
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Twenty years ago, Czechoslovakia was split into two separate states. Just as during the Velvet Revolution in 1989, the country succeeded in achieving a peaceful divorce between the Czech and Slovak Republics.
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