Events from the year 1923 in France.
Incumbents President: Alexandre Millerand President of the Council of Ministers: Raymond Poincaré
Events 11 January – Occupation of the Ruhr begins by French and Belgian troops to force Germany to pay its reparation payments. September – Resultant strikes called off by German government and followed by a state of emergency. October – Rhenish Republic is proclaimed at Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle).
Arts and literature March – Antigone by Jean Cocteau appears on a Paris stage. Settings by Pablo Picasso, music by Arthur Honegger, and costumes by Gabrielle Chanel. Antonin Artaud played the part of Tiresias.
Sport 26 May – The inaugural 24 hours of Le Mans race is won by André Lagache and René Léonard. 24 June – Tour de France begins. 22 July – Tour de France ends, won by Henri Pélissier.
Births
January to June 7 January – Jean Lucienbonnet, motor racing driver (died 1962) 9 February – André Gorz, journalist and social philosopher (died 2007) 13 February – Philippe de Chérisey, writer, radio humorist and actor (died 1985) 24 February – Lucien Braun, historian and philosopher (died 2020) 22 March – Marcel Marceau, mime artist (died 2007) 1 April – Jean Catoire, composer (died 2005) 5 April – Léon Fleuriot, linguist and historian (died 1987) 9 April – Albert Decourtray, Roman Catholic cardinal (died 1994) 9 May – Claude Piéplu, actor (died 2006) 10 May – Jean-Claude Pecker, astronomer (died 2020) 27 May – Nicole Stéphane, actress, producer and director (died 2007) 7 June – Jean Baratte, soccer player and manager (died 1986) 10 June – Madeleine Lebeau, film actress (died 2016) 16 June – Silvia Monfort, actress and theatre director (died 1991) 18 June – Jean Delumeau, historian (died 2020) 24 June Geneviève Asse, painter (died 2021) Marc Riboud, photographer (died 2016) 27 June – Jacques Berthier, composer (died 1994)
July to December 3 July – Charles Hernu, politician (died 1990) 6 July – Madame Claude (Fernande Grudet), brothel keeper (died 2015) 23 July – Claude Luter, jazz clarinetist (died 2006) 1 August – Jean Prat, international rugby player (died 2005) 2 August – Jean Rosenthal, translator (died 2020) 23 August – Georges Perros, writer (died 1978) 2 September – René Thom, mathematician (died 2002) 13 September – Edouard Boubat, photographer (died 1999) 12 October – Bernard Pingaud, writer (died 2020) 30 October – Anne Beaumanoir, neurophysiologist (died 2022) 7 November – Gilles Lapouge, writer and journalist (died 2020) 16 November – Marc Camoletti, playwright (died 2003) 18 November – Jean Cluzel, politician (died 2020) 24 November – Paul Haeberlin, chef and restaurateur (died 2008) 29 November – Christian Beullac, politician and Minister (died 1986) 10 December – Simone Chrisostome, resistance member and holocaust survivor (died 2021) 13 December – Jacques Renaud, racing cyclist (died 2020) 25 December – Noël Vandernotte, coxswain (died 2020) 31 December – Michel de Salzmann, psychiatrist (died 2001)
Full date unknown François Ozenda, painter (died 1976).
Deaths 19 February – Jean-Jules-Antoine Lecomte du Nouy, painter and sculptor (born 1842) 22 February – Théophile Delcassé, Statesman (born 1852) 26 March – Sarah Bernhardt, actress (born 1844) 28 March – Michel-Joseph Maunoury, military leader (born 1847) 10 June – Pierre Loti, sailor and writer (born 1850) 14 June – Isabelle Bogelot, philanthropist and campaigner (born 1838) 19 July – Auguste Bouché-Leclercq, historian (born 1842) 23 July – Charles Dupuy, politician, three times prime minister (born 1851) 6 August – Joséphine Berthault, artist (born 1853) 13 August – Bernard Gravier, Olympic fencer 13 October – Émile Bergerat, poet, playwright and essayist (born 1845) 5 November – Jacques d'Adelswärd-Fersen, aristocrat, novelist and poet (born 1880) 12 December – Raymond Radiguet, author (born 1903) 27 December – Gustave Eiffel, structural engineer and architect, designer of the Eiffel Tower (born 1832) 31 December – Édouard Stephan, astronomer (born 1837)
Full date unknown Charles Jean Baptiste Collin-Mezin, maker of violins, violas, cellos, basses and bows (born 1841).
See also List of French films of 1923
References