Events from the year 1981 in France.
Incumbents President: Valéry Giscard d'Estaing (until 21 May), François Mitterrand (starting 21 May) Prime Minister: Raymond Barre (until 21 May), Pierre Mauroy (starting 21 May)
Events 24 April – French presidential election: A first-round runoff results between Valéry Giscard d'Estaing and François Mitterrand. 10 May – Presidential Election won by François Mitterrand. 21 May – François Mitterrand becomes the first socialist President of the French Fifth Republic. 14 June – Legislative Election held. 21 June – Legislative Election held. September – Launch of the Renault 9, a small-four door family saloon with front-wheel drive which falls into the Renault range between the R14 and R18 model ranges. It will share a floorpan with a new hatchback model to replace the R14 from early 1983. 18 September – France abolishes capital punishment, four years after its final execution. 27 September – TGV high speed rail service between Paris and Lyon begins. December – The Renault 9 is voted European Car of the Year. 1 December – Inex-Adria Aviopromet Flight 1308 McDonnell Douglas MD-81 crashes into mountains in Corsica, killing 173 passengers and 7 crew.
Births
January to March 4 January – Jean-Baptiste Paternotte, soccer player. 5 January – Sébastien Duthier, soccer player. 8 January – Mathieu Jost, ice dancer. 14 January – Myriam Baverel, taekwondo practitioner and Olympic medallist. 17 January – Thierry Ascione, tennis player. 17 January – Christophe Riblon, cyclist. 19 January – Maxime Laisney, politician. 19 January – Mathieu Maton, soccer player. 21 January – Florent Lacasse, athlete. 26 January – Edwin Ouon, soccer player. 1 February – David Martot, soccer player. 8 February – Bertrand Grospellier, pro gamer and poker player. 15 February – Nicolas Rostoucher, swimmer. 20 February – Nicolas Penneteau, soccer player. 22 February – Élodie Yung, actress 26 February – Jean-Pascal Mignot, soccer player. 28 February Nicolas Puydebois, soccer player. Florent Serra, tennis player 8 March – Laurent Pichon, soccer player. 16 March – Julien Mazet, cyclist. 18 March – Maxime Grésèque, rugby league player. 20 March – Sylvain Monsoreau, soccer player. 21 March – Sébastien Chavanel, cyclist.
April to June 6 April – Sébastien Grégori, soccer player. 13 April – Hassan Ahamada, soccer player. 16 April – Olivier Sorin, soccer player. 23 April – Vincent Bernardet, soccer player. 26 April – Matthieu Delpierre, soccer player. 2 May – Sébastien Maillard, athlete. 3 May – Benoît Cheyrou, soccer player. 7 May – Vincent Clerc, international rugby union player. 9 May – Ludwig Briand, actor. 9 May – Florine De Leymarie, Alpine skier. 13 May – Jonathan Joseph-Augustin, soccer player. 15 May – Patrice Evra, international soccer player. 22 May Yorane Julians, basketball player. Laurent Mangel, cyclist. 25 May – Thibault Giresse, soccer player. 2 June – Nicolas Plestan, soccer player. 7 June – David Attoub, rugby union player. 13 June – Guy Demel, soccer player. 16 June – Sébastien Roudet, soccer player. 30 June – Geoffroy Lequatre, cyclist.
July to September 15 July – Alou Diarra, soccer player. 19 July – Grégory Vignal, soccer player. 20 July – Jérôme Blanchard, pair skater. 28 July – Mathieu Béda, soccer player. 28 July – Vincent Restencourt, figure skater. 30 July – Sébastien Vaugeois, soccer player. 31 July – Sophie Duarte, athlete. 4 August – Frédérick Bousquet, swimmer. 6 August – Lucie Décosse, judoka. 12 August – Djibril Cissé, soccer player. 14 August – Adamo Coulibaly, soccer player. 20 August – Bernard Mendy, soccer player. 24 August – Hervé Bugnet, soccer player. 30 August – Grégory Béranger, soccer player. 3 September – Gautier Capuçon, cellist. 4 September – Gilles Rondy, swimmer. 16 September – Aurélien Boche, soccer player. 28 September – Loïc Loval, soccer player. 29 September – Julien Cardy, soccer player.
October to December 2 October – Jean-Félix Dorothée, soccer player. 4 October – Lionel Mathis, soccer player. 9 October – Gaël Givet, soccer player. 12 October – Guillaume Boussès, rugby union player. 30 October – Yohan Hautcoeur, soccer player. 30 October – Nicolas Laharrague, rugby union player. 1 November – Laurent Fressinet, chess Grandmaster. 1 November – Léo Margarit, musician. 17 November – Julien Brugnaut, rugby union player. 4 December – Thomas Pinault, soccer player. 19 December – Moussa Dabo, soccer player. 20 December – Julien Benneteau, tennis player. 25 December – La Fouine, rapper. 30 December – Cédric Carrasso, soccer player.
Deaths
January to June 12 January – Marcel Gobillot, cyclist and Olympic medallist (born 1900). 13 February – René Taupin, translator, critic and academic (born 1905). 20 February – Nicolas de Gunzburg, magazine editor (born 1904). 27 February – Pierre Deley, pioneering pilot (born 1893). 15 March – René Clair, filmmaker (born 1898). 21 March – Roger Blaizot, General (born 1891). 16 April – Count Renaud de la Frégeolière, author and first president of the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing (born 1886). 25 April – Paul Bontemps, athlete and Olympic medallist (born 1902). 30 April – François Bordes, scientist, geologist, and archaeologist (born 1919). 31 May – Michel Rougerie, motorcycle racer (born 1950). 13 June – Joseph de Goislard de Monsabert, General (born 1887).
July to December 11 July – Jean-Jérôme Adam, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Libreville (born 1904). 9 September – Jacques Lacan, psychoanalyst, psychiatrist, and doctor (born 1901). 13 October – Philippe Étancelin, motor racing driver (born 1896). 16 October – Édouard Depreux, journalist, essayist and politician (born 1898). 29 October – Georges Brassens, singer and songwriter (born 1921). 3 November – Jean Eustache, filmmaker (born 1938). 10 November – Abel Gance, film director, producer, writer, actor and editor (born 1889). 25 November – Romain Bellenger, cyclist (born 1894). 5 December – Maurice d'Hartoy, soldier, politician and writer (born 1892). 30 December – Job de Roincé, journalist and writer (born 1896).
Full date unknown Colette de Jouvenel, daughter of writer Colette (born 1913).
References