Events from the year 1884 in France.
Incumbents President: Jules Grévy President of the Council of Ministers: Jules Ferry
Events 7 March – Eugène Poubelle introduces the dustbin to Paris. June – At Bắc Lệ, Chinese forces attack a French column sent to occupy Tonkin in accordance with earlier treaties, starting the Sino-French War. 6 June – Treaty of Hué is signed between representatives of Vietnam and the French Empire. 29 July – Société des Artistes Indépendants is founded in Paris. 23 August – Battle of Fuzhou: Admiral Amédée Courbet's Far East Squadron virtually destroys China's Fujian Fleet. 1 October – French begin occupation of Keelung (Jilong). 23 November – Siege of Tuyên Quang begins in Indochina: The French Foreign Legion is besieged by forces of the Empire of China.
Literature Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly - Ce qui ne meurt pas Alphonse Daudet - Sappho Joris-Karl Huysmans - À rebours Xavier de Montépin - La porteuse de pain Rachilde - Monsieur Vénus Jules Verne L'Archipel en feu L'Étoile du sud Émile Zola - La joie de vivre
Births
January to June 5 January – Arnaud Denjoy, mathematician (died 1974) 7 February – Achille Liénart, Cardinal (died 1973) 24 March – Eugène-Gabriel-Gervais-Laurent Tisserant, Cardinal (died 1972) 26 March – Paul Legentilhomme, military officer (died 1975) 31 March – Henri Queuille, Radical-Socialist politician and Prime Minister of France (died 1970) 5 May – Jean Decoux, Governor-General of French Indochina (died 1963) 13 June – Étienne Gilson, Thomistic philosopher and historian of philosophy (died 1978) 18 June – Édouard Daladier, Radical-Socialist politician and Prime Minister of France (died 1970) 19 June – Georges Ribemont-Dessaignes, writer and artist (died 1974) 27 June – Gaston Bachelard, philosopher (died 1962) 30 June – Georges Duhamel, author (died 1966)
July to December 4 July – Pauline Carton, actress (died 1974) 7 July – André Dunoyer de Segonzac, painter and graphic artist (died 1974) 10 July – Pierre Larquey, actor (died 1962) 12 July – Edgar Stehli, French-born American actor (died 1973) 3 August – Georges Boillot, motor racing driver and World War I fighter pilot (died 1916) 25 August – Léon Poirier, film director, screenwriter and film producer (died 1968) 27 August – Vincent Auriol, politician, President of France (died 1966) 4 September – Henri Meslot, athlete (died 1973) 24 September – Gustave Garrigou, cyclist, 1911 Tour de France winner (died 1963) 25 September – Rita Jolivet, American-born actress (died 1971) 4 October – Félix Gouin, politician (died 1977) 27 October – André Le Troquer, politician and lawyer (died 1963) 2 December – Jean Paulhan, writer, literary critic and publisher (died 1968)
Full date unknown Jacques Maroger, painter (died 1962)
Deaths 3 February – Eugène Rouher, statesman (born 1814) 4 April – Adolphe Dugléré, chef (born 1805) 10 April – Jean-Baptiste Dumas, chemist (born 1800) 6 May Judah P. Benjamin, American-born Jewish United States Senator from Louisiana from 1853 to 1861 (born 1811) Marie-Alphonse Ratisbonne, Jew who became a Jesuit Catholic priest and missionary (born 1814) 10 September – Jean-Augustin Barral, agronomist (born 1819) 13 December – Eugène Pelletan, writer, journalist and politician (born 1813)
References