Learn about important dates in French and francophone history: famous birthdays, holidays and celebrations, and other milestones. If the above does not match today's date or you wish to choose a specific date, please click here

To learn more about important dates in French and francophone history, bookmark Today in Francophone History and visit every day!

Birthdays

1133 - Henri II Plantagenêt (French-born king of England)

1658 - Antoine Laumet de la Mothe, sieur de Cadillac (French explorer)

1750 - Jean-Baptiste Gaspard d'Ansse de Villoison (French classical scholar)

1794 - Jacques Babinet (French physicist)

1830 - Étienne-Jules Marey (French inventor)

1867 - Louis-Alexandre Taschereau (Premier of Québec)

1915 - Laurent Schwartz (French mathematician)

1939 - Pierre Wynants (Belgian chef)

1944 - Élisabeth Badinter (French author and philosopher)

1969 - MC Solaar (French hip hop and rap singer)

Deaths

1827 - Pierre-Simon Laplace (French mathematician)

1893 - Hippolyte Taine (French historian)

1926 - Clément Ader (French aviation pioneer)

1944 - Max Jacob (French poet and writer)

1967 - Georges Vanier (Governor General of Canada)

2000 - Lolo Ferrari (French actress)

Milestones/Events

1793 - French troops defeated by Austrian forces, Liège recaptured

1848 - Louis Antoine Garnier-Pages named French minister of Finance

Errors and Omissions

If you believe anything on this page is wrong or missing, please let me know