Events from the year 1996 in France.
Incumbents President – Jacques Chirac Prime Minister – Alain Juppé
Events 8 January – Former president of France and founder of the Socialist Party of France, François Mitterrand, dies. 29 January – President Jacques Chirac announces a "definitive end" to French nuclear testing. 5 May – A fire in Paris destroys much of Crédit Lyonnais bank's headquarters. 23 May – Members of the Armed Islamic Group in Algeria kill seven French Trappist monks, after talks with French government concerning the imprisonment of several GIA sympathisers break down. 27 – 29 June – 22nd G7 summit takes place in Lyon. 8 October – Launch of Renault Mégane Scénic, a five-seater mini MPV based on the floorpan of the standard Mégane hatchback. 18 November – Channel Tunnel fire on a truck being carried on an HGV shuttle. Full date unknown: Tennis Elbow video game is released in November 1996.
Arts and literature 26 January - 24 March 1996 The Traffic (art exhibition) was on show CAPC Musée d'art Contemporain de Bordeaux
La Dernière Fête produced by Pierre Granier-Deferre was released
Sport 29 June – Tour de France begins. 30 June – French Grand Prix won by Damon Hill of the United Kingdom. 21 July – Tour de France ends, won by Bjarne Riis of Denmark.
Births 7 February – Pierre Gasly, racing driver 8 February – Lys Mousset, footballer 26 February – Bertille Noël-Bruneau, actress. 21 March – Adam Ellis, grasstrack and speedway rider. 26 April – Laurine Lecavelier, figure skater. 9 May – Caroline Costa, singer and TV presenter. 13 June – Kingsley Coman, footballer. 21 June – Léa Lemare, ski jumper. 29 June – Estelle Elizabeth, ice dancer. 14 August – Neal Maupay, footballer. 15 August – Bahia Bakari, survivor of Yemenia Flight 626. 27 August – Estel-Anaïs Hubaud, competitor. 17 September – Esteban Ocon, racing driver 20 September – Anaïs Ventard, figure skater. 22 September – Anthoine Hubert, racing driver (died 2019) 27 September – Maxwel Cornet, footballer 12 December – Mathéo Tuscher, Swiss-born racing driver. 17 December – Anne Kuhm, gymnast.
Deaths
January 8 January – François Mitterrand, President of France from 1981 to 1995 (born 1916). 15 January – Max Varnel, film and television director (born 1925).
February 6 February – Jacques Wertheimer, businessman (born 1911). 11 February – Pierre Edouard Leopold Verger, photographer and ethnographer (born 1902). 14 February – Louis Finot, international soccer player (born 1909). 17 February – Hervé Bazin, writer (born 1911).
March 2 March – Célestin Delmer, international soccer player (born 1907). 3 March – Marguerite Duras, writer and film director (born 1914). 3 March – Léo Malet, novelist (born 1909). 17 March – René Clément, screenwriter and film director (born 1913). 20 March – Claude Bourdet, writer, journalist and politician (born 1909). 22 March – Claude Mauriac, author and journalist (born 1914). 24 March – Jean-Claude Piumi, soccer player (born 1940). 29 March – Christophe Caze, terrorist (born 1969).
April to June 21 April – Robert Hersant, newspaper magnate (born 1920). 29 April – François Picard, motor racing driver (born 1921). 25 May – Barney Wilen, saxophonist and jazz composer (born 1937). 30 May – Léon-Etienne Duval, cardinal (born 1903). 15 June – Raymond Salles, rower (born 1920). 15 June – Yvonne Vallée, actress (born 1899).
July to September 17 July – Paul Touvier, convicted of crime against humanity for his Collaborationist role during Vichy France (born 1915). 29 July – Marcel-Paul Schützenberger, mathematician (born 1920). 2 August – Michel Debré, politician and first Prime Minister of the Fifth Republic (born 1912). 4 August – André Trochut, cyclist (born 1931). 30 August – Christine Pascal, actress, writer and director (born 1953).
October to December 11 October – Pierre Grimal, historian and classicist (born 1912). 12 October – René Lacoste, tennis player (born 1904). 12 October – Roger Lapébie, cyclist, won the 1937 Tour de France (born 1911). 15 October – Pierre Franey, chef and food writer (born 1921). 17 October – Jean-Pierre Munch, cyclist (born 1926). 26 October – Henri Lepage, fencer (born 1908). 31 October – Marcel Carné, film director (born 1906). 3 December – Georges Duby, historian (born 1919). 3 December – Jean Tabaud, artist (born 1914). 9 December – Alain Poher, politician (born 1909). 11 December – Marie-Claude Vaillant-Couturier, member of the French Resistance (born 1912). 21 December – Alfred Tonello, cyclist (born 1929). 25 December – Roger Duchesne, actor (born 1906). 25 December – Gabriel Loire, stained glass artist (born 1904). 29 December – Mireille Hartuch, singer, composer and actress (born 1906).
Full date unknown André-Georges Haudricourt, anthropologist and linguist (born 1911).
See also List of French films of 1996
References