France profile - Timeline - BBC News France profile - Timeline Close share panel A chronology of key events: 1789 - French Revolution ends rule of monarchy going back to 9th century; followed by establishment of the First Republic. Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte was renowned for his military victories across Europe Born in 1769 in Corsica Defeated twice by British forces - at Trafalgar and Waterloo 1799 - Napoleon Bonaparte leads coup to overthrow government; consolidates position with new constitution. 1804-1814 - Napoleon crowns himself emperor of First French Empire; series of military successes brings most of continental Europe under his control. 1815 - Napoleon defeated in Battle of Waterloo; monarchy re-established. 1848 - Fall of King Louis-Philippe; Louis-Napoleon, nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte, proclaimed president of Second Republic. 1852-1870 - Louis-Napoleon takes title of Napoleon III in Second Empire. 1870-71 - Franco-Prussian War, ending in French defeat, loss of Alsace-Lorraine and end of the Second Empire; Third Republic lasts until 1940.

1877 - Republicans win general elections, ending hopes of a monarchist revival. 1914-18 World War I - Massive casualties in trenches in north-east France; 1.3 million Frenchmen are killed and many more wounded by the end of the war. Image copyright AFP French capital has inspired artists, thinkers Named after Parisii, Celtic tribe who lived on site Nicknamed "City of Light" City planner Baron Haussmann laid out much of modern Paris in 19th century 1918 - Anglo-French offensive - backed by fresh American troops - forces Germany to an armistice on 11 November. 1919 - Peace Treaty of Versailles. France regains Alsace-Lorraine; Germany agrees to reparations. 1936-38 - Rise of the Popular Front, an alliance of left-wing forces. 1939-45 - World War II - Germany occupies much of France. Vichy regime in unoccupied south collaborates with Nazis. General de Gaulle, undersecretary of war, establishes government-in-exile in London and, later, Algiers. Rise of French Resistance.

Liberation 1944 - Allied forces land at Normandy leading to liberation of France. De Gaulle sets up provisional government. Purge against former collaborators. Charles de Gaulle BBC History: Charles de Gaulle 1946 - De Gaulle resigns as provisional president, replaced by Socialist Felix Gouin. 1946-58 - Fourth Republic is marked by economic reconstruction and the start of the process of independence for many of France's colonies. 1951 - France joins West Germany and other European nations in the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) - leading to the formation in 1957 of the European Economic Community (EEC). 1954 First Indochina War ends - French defeated at Battle of Dien Bien Phu in north-west Vietnam. Algerian War of Independence begins. 1956 - Colonial rule ends in Morocco and Tunisia. Fifth Republic 1958 - De Gaulle returns to power on back of Algerian crisis and founds the Fifth Republic, with a stronger presidency. 1962 - Algeria granted independence from French colonial rule. Francois Mitterrand France attracts international condemnation by conducting a series of nuclear tests in the Pacific.

1997 - Lionel Jospin becomes prime minister. 2000 September - President Chirac embroiled in corruption scandal. He dismisses newspaper allegations. 2001 June - Compulsory military service abolished. 2002 January - Euro replaces franc, first minted in 1360. 2002 May - Jacques Chirac re-elected president, beating National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen in the second round of voting. Jean-Marie strong Le Pen's showing in the first round sent shockwaves across France and Europe and prompted mass demonstrations. Lionel Jospin, the main left-wing presidential contender whom Le Pen knocked out in the first round, resigns the premiership and the Socialist Party leadership. 2002 June - Landslide victory in legislative elections for centre-right UMP. Jean-Pierre Raffarin's new centre-right government ends the "cohabitation" between President Chirac and Socialist Lionel Jospin. 2002 November - Widespread public sector strikes over government privatisation plans bring country to a standstill.

2003 March - Constitution changed to allow devolution to regions and departments of powers over economic development, transport, tourism, culture and further education. 2003 July - Corsica referendum, first to follow March constitutional amendments, narrowly votes against establishment of unified assembly with limited powers to raise and spend taxes. Paris had hoped that a yes vote would end separatist violence. Parliament approves controversial reforms to pension system. 2004 March - President Chirac's UMP routed in regional elections. Image copyright AFP 2004 November - Nicolas Sarkozy takes over as leader of UMP. 2005 January - Trade unions organise wave of public sector strikes against proposed labour, pension and welfare reforms. 2005 May - Referendum goes against proposed EU constitution. The result prompts a political shake-up, including the resignation of Prime Minister Raffarin. 2005 June - International project group says France is to host the world's first experimental nuclear fusion reactor at Cadarache, near Marseille. Urban violence 2005 October-November - Largely immigrant communities in north-east Paris are hit by riots after two youths of North African origin are electrocuted in an electricity substation.

The authorities deny they were being chased by police. Unrest spreads to other cities. Government introduces emergency measures. 2006 March-April - New youth employment laws spark mass demonstrations in Paris and other cities across France. As protests continue, the legislation is scrapped. Sarkozy becomes president 2007 May - Nicolas Sarkozy, the former interior minister and leader of the ruling conservative UMP, wins a decisive victory in the second round of the presidential election. 2007 June - The UMP wins parliamentary elections, but with a reduced majority. The party insists it still has a mandate to carry out its proposed reforms. 2007 November - Civil servants take to the streets, along with workers from the transport and energy sectors, to protest against Mr Sarkozy's planned cuts in pay and jobs, and reform of pension benefits. There is widespread disruption of public services. 2008 February - France formally ratifies Lisbon Treaty on reform of European Union. Financial crisis 2008 October - European governments pledge up to 1.8 trillion euros as part of co-ordinated plans to shore up their financial sectors, hit hard by the global financial crisis.

France says it will inject 10.5bn euros into the country's six largest banks. Headscarf ban Image copyright Getty Images Ban on religious symbols provoked intense debate 2010 March - Ruling UMP suffers heavy defeat in regional elections, losing control of all but one of the 22 regions in mainland France and Corsica. 2010 June - Government announces public spending cuts of 45bn euros in effort to reduce high level of public debt. 2010 July - Prosecutors launch inquiry into allegations that L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt made illegal donations to President Sarkozy's 2007 election campaign. 2010 August - France begins to dismantle illegal Roma (gypsy) camps and to deport their residents back to Romania and Bulgaria, as part of a package of new security measures. Pension protests 2010 September-October - Hundreds of thousands turn out in several waves of trade union-led protests against government plans to raise retirement age to 62. 2010 November - France concludes military and nuclear accord with UK. Under the terms of the new treaty, the two countries will cooperate in testing nuclear warheads.

Image copyright AFP 2011 March - France plays prominent role in imposing and enforcing no-fly zone over Libya. 2011 April - Face veil ban comes into force. 2011 May - French political establishment is shaken by arrest of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who had been tipped as a strong Socialist candidate for the presidency, in New York on sexual assault charges that were later dropped. 2011 August - Government announces package of austerity measures aimed at reducing public deficit by 12bn euros over two years. In November it announces a further 7bn euros of cuts in 2012 and 11.6bn euros in 2013. 2011 September - Credit rating agency Moody's downgrades the two biggest French banks, Credit Agricole and Societe Generale, because of their exposure to Greek debt. 2012 January - France loses its top AAA credit rating from Standard & Poor's. 2012 February - The Constitutional Council strikes down as violating freedom of expression a new law making it a crime to deny genocide was committed by Ottoman Turks against Armenians during World War I.

2012 March - French Islamist Mohamed Merah shoots dead seven people, including three Jewish schoolchildren, in Toulouse, before himself being shot dead in a police siege of his flat. France bans militant Islamist preachers from entering the country, beginning with the Qatari-based Egyptian Yusuf al-Qaradawi. Hollande presidency 2012 May - Socialist candidate Francois Hollande beats Nicolas Sarkozy in the run-off presidential election. He appoints close ally Jean-Marc Ayrault as prime minister. President Hollande announces the withdrawal of combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012, a year earlier than scheduled. French police detain the last military leader of the Basque separatist group Eta, Oroitz Gurruchaga Gogorza, and his deputy Xabier Aramburu in a joint operation with Spain. Image copyright Reuters Image caption France underlined its military's continuing international role by intervening against jihadist militants in Mali 2012 June - Socialists win comfortable majority in parliamentary elections. 2012 August - France posts zero growth in the second quarter of 2012, as in the previous two.

2012 October - Anti-terror police carry out a series of raids nationwide, arresting 11 suspects, after police shoot dead a man in Strasbourg suspected of targeting a Paris Jewish shop. 2012 November - Moody's rating agency downgrades France's credit rating from the top triple-A billing to Aa1, citing weak growth and the eurozone crisis. Intervention in Mali 2013 January - French commando raid to rescue a hostage in Somalia fails. Al-Shabab Islamist rebels later say they executed the man. French forces intervene in Mali and help government recapture northern regions seized by Islamists. They begin to withdraw in April. 2013 March - Budget Minister Jerome Cahuzac - a vocal crusader against overseas tax havens - resigns after belatedly admitting to owning a secret Swiss bank account, in an embarrassing scandal for President Hollande. Image copyright AFP Image caption A stubbornly high rate of unemployment - "chomage" in French - has fuelled debate over economic reform 2013 May - France enters second recession in four years after the economy shrinks by 0.2% in the first quarter.

2013 June - The International Monetary Fund calls on France to lower its labour costs and halt tax hikes to boost both growth and its competitiveness, or else face a widening gap with its European neighbours. 2013 November - Standard and Poor's (S&P) downgrades France's credit rating further from AA+ to AA, citing high unemployment. 2013 December - France deploys 1,600 troops to the Central African Republic to try to restore order. National Front gains 2014 March - Interior minister Manuel Valls replaces Jean-Marc Ayrault as prime minister after the governing Socialists suffer a drubbing in municipal elections. The far-right National Front makes significant gains in the polls. 2014 May - The far-right Front National wins the European elections in France with about a quarter of the vote, pushing President Hollande's Socialists into third place. 2014 July - Ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy is detained and placed under formal investigation over allegations he sought insider information about a probe into illegal campaign funding. He says the move is a plot to stop his return to politics.

2014 August - Manuel Valls forms a new cabinet after three ministers quit their posts in a bitter row over the government's austerity strategy. 2014 September - The National Front wins its first ever seats in the French senate, inflicting a third humiliating electoral defeat on the ruling Socialists and their leftwing allies, who lose their majority in the upper chamber. 2014 October - France publishes a budget for 2015 that includes 21bn euros (£17bn) worth of cuts in public spending, but which still envisages a budget deficit of 4.3% - way above the EU target figure of 3% of GDP. 2014 November - The number of people seeking work climbs to a record high of 3,488,300. President Hollande says he will not seek a second term in office if he fails to deliver on his pledge to bring down joblessness. Islamic State attacks 2015 January - Islamist gunmen shoot dead 17 people in Paris - most of them staff at the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo - before being killed by security forces. The government announces a range of new security measures following the shootings in Paris.

It says more than 2,500 new intelligence personnel will be recruited over the next three years to investigate Islamic extremism. 2015 September - France launches air strikes again Islamic State group targets in Syria. 2015 November - Islamic State group claims responsibility for terror attacks in Paris that kill 130 people - deadliest attacks in France since Second World War, and in European Union since 2004 Madrid railway bombings. France announces state of emergency, launches renewed bombing raids in Syria. 2016 February - Government begins dismantling notorious 'Jungle' migrant camp at Calais on the English Channel. 2016 May - Following weeks of street protests, government pushes through legislation making France's protective labour laws less restrictive, with the aim of encouraging firms to recruit. 2016 July - At least 84 people are killed in lorry attack on crowd celebrating Bastille Day in Nice. Islamic State claims responsibility. 2016 December - President Hollande announces that he will not stand for a second term in 2017. Prime Minister Manuel Valls steps down to campaign for the presidency, and is replaced by Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve.

Nicolas Sarkozy | president of France | Britannica.com president of France Nicolas Sarkozy, (born January 28, 1955, Paris, France), French politician who served as president of France (2007–12). Nicolas Sarkozy, 2006. AP Sarkozy was born to immigrant Greek and Hungarian parents. He qualified as a lawyer (1981) and pursued advanced studies in political science at the Institut d’Études Politiques in Paris (1979–81). An ambitious and highly skilled politician, Sarkozy in 1983 was elected mayor of Neuilly-sur-Seine , where he served until 2002. He first made his mark on the national scene in 1993 when he became budget minister and official spokesman in the government of Prime Minister Édouard Balladur . Balladur had been put forward by rightist politicians, including Jacques Chirac , to serve as prime minister under Socialist Pres. François Mitterrand , with the idea that someone—such as Chirac—would contest the 1995 presidential election.

Sarkozy, however, encouraged Balladur to run for president himself and thereby earned the lasting enmity of Chirac, to whom he had once been very close. Balladur lost to Chirac, and Sarkozy was shut out of the subsequent centre-right government of 1995–97. In 2002, after Chirac’s reelection as president was quickly followed by the election of another centre-right administration, Sarkozy returned to office as interior minister, a post he held for nearly two years until he became finance minister in March 2004. Soon after, however, Chirac asked him to choose between his government post and becoming president of the centre-right Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) party, the neo-Gaullist successor party to the Rally for the Republic that Chirac had founded. Sarkozy chose the UMP job and quit the government in November 2004. In the wake of the May 2005 referendum in which French voters rejected the proposed European Union (EU) constitution, Chirac invited Sarkozy to return as interior minister in a new government to be headed by Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin .

In late 2005 Sarkozy had to contend with three weeks of rioting in the less-affluent suburbs of Paris and other cities. Although critics blamed him for inciting the car-burning protesters by calling them “scum,” his supporters approved of his hard-line stance on law and order as well as his call for tougher immigration laws. In 2007 Sarkozy ran for president of France. He finished first in the initial round of voting on April 22, winning 31 percent of the vote. In the runoff election on May 6, Sarkozy defeated Ségolène Royal of the Socialist Party , capturing 53 percent of the vote. Sarkozy was sworn in as president on May 16, 2007. He promised a “rupture” with France’s past, including radical economic reforms that would reduce taxes and liberalize the country’s labour market, and closer relations with the United States . Nicolas Sarkozy delivering a speech, May 2007. Thomas Coex—AFP/Getty Images Ringling Bros.

Folds Its Tent In the parliamentary elections of June 2007 Sarkozy’s UMP did less well than expected but still well enough to provide a comfortable majority for the new government of François Fillon, whom Sarkozy had appointed as prime minister just after assuming the presidency. In the subsequent cabinet reshuffle, Sarkozy made several surprising appointments, including the country’s first woman finance minister ( Christine Lagarde ), the first full cabinet member of North African origin (Rachida Dati), and a maverick Socialist (Bernard Kouchner) as foreign minister. Sarkozy also chose Socialists for several other key appointments. In the first few months of his presidency Sarkozy carried out some of his promised labour market and tax-cutting reforms. He decided not to scrap the 35-hour maximum on the standard workweek (a landmark Socialist law) but rather to use tax relief on overtime pay to moderate the law’s rigidity. Other new business-friendly laws restricted the right to strike and cut off unemployment payments to people who turned down certain job offers. Sarkozy also won narrow approval from the legislature for a constitutional change to limit the presidency to two five-year terms. Exploring Italy and France: Fact or Fiction?

While maintaining Europe as the prime focus of his foreign policy, Sarkozy was relatively pro-American compared with his predecessors. He showed signs of being more accommodating to the United States (especially with his active interest in a positive outcome in Iraq) and of being somewhat more troublesome to some of his euro zone partners (with his criticism of restrictive European Central Bank monetary policy). He also stressed EU complementarity to NATO , friendship with Israel, and a tough attitude toward Iranian nuclear weapons. In July 2007 Sarkozy drew worldwide attention for the prominent part he and his wife Cécilia played in gaining the release of six Bulgarian medics (charged with infecting children with HIV) who had been held in Libya since 1999. While applauding the release, some in France and the EU criticized Sarkozy’s high-profile involvement as well as his wife’s participation. Meanwhile, to the relief of many EU partners, Sarkozy agreed to put forward a revamped EU treaty for approval by the French parliament and not by referendum (as Chirac had tried and failed to do in 2005). His efforts in support of this agreement, the so-called Lisbon Treaty , were rewarded when the parliament ratified it in February 2008.

Sarkozy continued to play a vocal role in European affairs once France assumed the presidency of the EU, which rotates among member countries, that July. The same month, Sarkozy oversaw the launch of the Mediterranean Union, an international organization made up of Mediterranean rim countries in Europe , North Africa , and the Middle East . Britannica Lists & Quizzes Editor Picks: Exploring 10 Types of Basketball Movies Although the French media had traditionally avoided close examination of the private lives of French leaders, Sarkozy’s personal problems were well known even before his presidency because of the publicity surrounding a temporary separation from Cécilia, his second wife. His divorce from her in October 2007 and his marriage to singer Carla Bruni in February 2008 drew increased media scrutiny. Many in France viewed the interest in Sarkozy’s private life as distasteful and inappropriate, and some accused Sarkozy himself of cultivating a flashy image to distract the public from negative aspects of his administration. David Buchan The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica Having fared poorly in French regional elections in March 2010, the UMP retained control of only 1 of 22 régions.

The results appeared to reflect French voters’ growing dissatisfaction with the president and his conservative party during a time of high unemployment and economic uncertainty. Domestic support for Sarkozy continued to erode throughout 2011, even as his profile rose internationally, because of his leadership role in the response to the European debt crisis . As the 2012 presidential campaign began in earnest, Sarkozy trailed Socialist challenger François Hollande in opinion polls and attempted to bolster his numbers with a return to the theme of immigration reform. On April 22, 2012, Sarkozy finished a close second to Hollande in the first round of presidential balloting, and the two faced each other again in a runoff two weeks later. On May 6, 2012, Hollande defeated Sarkozy, making Sarkozy only the second French president to fail in a reelection bid since the foundation of the Fifth Republic in 1958. Connect with Britannica Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest Although Sarkozy announced that the loss signaled his retirement from political life, it was widely believed that he was simply biding his time for an eventual return.

Sarkozy was considered a possible UMP candidate for the presidency in 2017, but his potential political ambitions were frustrated by a string of legal troubles related to the funding of his 2007 election campaign. In March 2013 he was investigated for improperly extracting donations from Liliane Bettencourt , the elderly, mentally frail heiress to the L’Oréal cosmetics empire. Those proceedings were dropped in October 2013, but information obtained during that investigation, as well as a case involving some €50 million (almost $70 million) in illegal contributions from Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi , led to additional legal woes for Sarkozy and his inner circle. In July 2014 Sarkozy, his lawyer, and a French magistrate were formally charged with corruption. Investigators alleged that Sarkozy had promised the magistrate a plum position in Monaco in exchange for privileged information about charges pending against him. That investigation was suspended in September 2014, just days after Sarkozy announced his intention to seek the UMP presidency at the party congress in November 2014.

He won the leadership contest easily, but legal issues, including a new scandal involving alleged kickbacks from the sale of 45 helicopters to Kazakhstan, threatened to disrupt his political comeback. A strong showing by the UMP in regional elections in March 2015 enhanced Sarkozy’s position, and in May 2015 he led the effort to rebrand the UMP as the Republicans. In the first round of Republican presidential primary voting in November 2016, however, Sarkozy finished a distant third behind former prime ministers François Fillon and Alain Juppé. For the second time in four years, Sarkozy announced that he was withdrawing from politics. What Happened on March 11th This Day in History 18th What happened This day in History on March 11th 1969 U.S.A. Levi Jeans add Bell Bottoms 11th March, 1969 : Levi Jeans add the latest craze of jeans to their line of Jeans which had become fashionable as part of the hippie counterculture movement together with love beads, granny glasses, and tie-dye shirts. 1977 U.S.A.

Roman Polanski 11th March, 1977 : Film director Roman Polanski is charged with four charges including rape, sodomy, child molestation and giving drugs to a minor in the case raping a 13-year-old girl at the home of Hollywood star Jack Nicholson. While awaiting trial Polanski jumped bail and fled to France in February 1978 . 1918 U.S.A. Influenza Epidemic March 11th, 1918: The first cases of one of the worst influenza epidemic ( FLU )in history are reported at Fort Riley, Kansas it would eventually kill more than 1/2 million Americans and more than 20 million people worldwide. 1923 Greece Transport Ship Alexander Sinks 11th March, 1923 : The transport ship Alexander had sunk and the lives of at least 150 men were taken down with it. A report had confirmed that at least 10 of these men were Greek naval officers. The cause of this sinking was the Gale storm that had occurred between Salamis and Piraeus. A public funeral was held for the victims of this disaster.

1931 U.S.A. Boulder Dam 11th March, 1931: The work on the Boulder Dam was started after having been approved in 1928 and when completed it will be the worlds tallest dam at over 700 ft. The dams mission is not only to flood control but also to supply irrigation and domestic water needs and to provide silt control for the Colorado river. The cost will be met long term through the production of Hydro Electric Power. 1938 U.S.A. Revenue Act of 1938 11th March, 1938 : This was the date that the Revenue Act of 1938 was passed. The content of this particular piece of legislation had called for a series of corporate tax cuts, which was a very controversial topic during this period in history. At first President Roosevelt had opposed this bill, and refused to sign it. However, Congress had managed to override the president’s veto. 1941 U.S.A. Lend Lease Act 11th March, 1941 : U.S. President Franklin D.

Roosevelt signs the Lend Lease Act allowing the United States to provide military aid to the Allies during World War II. 1942 U.S.A. Sleepy Lagoon 11th March, 1942 : Vaugh Monroe records the hit "Sleepy Lagoon" with his orchestra. Other artists recorded it in later years, including Dinah Shore, David Rose, Fred Waring and Glenn Miller, among others. 1944 Germany 11th March, 1944 : This was a very significant day in World War II history. Reports had indicated that the Germans were about to pull out Uman, which was an action intended to weaken German defensive forces dramatically. Word was that German forces would soon be withdrawing from the Dneiper Bent as well. 1955 England Sir Alexander Fleming 11th March, 1955 : Sir Alexander Fleming remembered for his discovery of the drug penicillin dies in London of A Heart Attack. 1956 China defenders of the faith March 11th, 1956 : According to a report printed on this day, communists in China had worked to force their way through the Middle East and Africa.

The method they used was to present themselves as “defenders of the faith” to the Muslim community in various Eastern countries. 1967 U.S.A. Gov. George Romney 11th March, 1967 : Concern rose among Americans when Gov. George Romney decided to run for president under the Republican ticket. One of the major concerns about Romney running for office included the fact that the Mormon Church to which he belonged advocated segregation. Moreover, Romney’s church considered African-Americans an inferior race. Nevertheless, George Romney assured the public that he believed that all Americans should be allowed the same opportunities in life. He encouraged people to judge him (Romney) on his actions and not how his church believes. His desire was similar to that expressed by President John F. Kennedy-to act according to national interest, and not according to religion. 1971 Russia Rabbits 11th March, 1971 : Rabbits had just recently migrated into Russia in large numbers. The reason rabbits are invading this area is because they were in search of food, as heavy snow and frost had occurred just recently in the north. 1977 U.S.A.

Hostages Washington DC 11th March, 1977 : 130 hostages held in Washington, D.C., by Hanafi Muslims are freed when ambassadors from three Islamic nations joined negotiations. 1985 Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev 11th March, 1985 : Mikhail Gorbachev was called upon to replace Konstantin Chernenko who had died the day before. During his first six years in office, he was instrumental in advocating foreign and domestic policy changes. 1990 Lithuania Independence 11th March, 1990 : Lithuania began its battle for independence on this day, which had resulted in a Soviet oil embargo and Baltic Republic economic sanction. Lithuania was the first republic to try to break away from the U.S.S.R. 1993 North Korea Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty 11th March, 1993 : North Korea withdraws from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty 1997 U.S.A. Paul McCartney 11th March, 1997 : Paul McCartney from the Beatles is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II .

1999 Brazil Major Power Outage 11th March, 1999 : Large portions of Southern Brazil are left without power affecting up to 90 million people. 2001 England Foot and Mouth epidemic 11th March, 2001 : Twenty-five new cases of foot-and-mouth have been identified from 11 different areas, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 163. The Foot and Mouth epidemic continued to worsen through the summer but was bought under control by the Autumn after nearly 100,000 livestock are destroyed in an attempt to control the disease. 2003 U.S.A. Freedom Fries 11th March, 2003 : Following the strong words used by the French President Jacques Chirac opposing US policy in Iraq American restaurants are renaming "French Fries" to "Freedom Fries", the protests even include the House of Representatives restaurants and bars which have renamed "French Fries" to "Freedom Fries" and "French Toast" to "Freedom Toast" .

2004 Spain Terrorist Train Bombs 11th March, 2004 : Four trains in the Madrid area are attacked by terrorists using 10 bombs exploded via mobile telephone, 191 are killed during the attacks which are believed to be made by members of Al Qaida in retaliation for Spains involvement in the war in Iraq. 2006 Netherlands Slobodan Milosevic March 11th, 2006 : Former Serb leader Slobodan Milosevic is found dead of a heart attack in his prison cell in the Netherlands ending his U.N. war crimes trial. 2007 France Jacques Chirac has said that he will not seek a third term in office March 11th, 2007 : Jacques Chirac has confirmed that he will not be seeking a third term in office in April's election. Chirac has been president since 1995, and has had a political career spanning four decades. 'The moment has come for me to serve you in a different way,' he said on television. Recent polls have shown that the Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy has a narrow lead over his Socialist rival, Segolene Royal.

2008 United States Eliot Spitzer apologizes March 11th, 2008: A New York State Governor, Eliot Spitzer, who had gained national prominence by pursuing Wall Street wrongdoings, has apologized for his involvement in a prostitution ring. The married father-of-three has said he had acted in a way that violated his obligations to his family. He has previously campaigned for ethical leadership in the Democratic Party. Governor Eliot Spitzer is now under pressure to resign. 2008 United States The State Department's report on human rights March 11th, 2008: The State Department has released its annual report on human rights, and details abuses in China, Russia, Syria and Zimbabwe. Unlike previous years, China is not listed as one of the world's most systematic human rights violators, although it is described as an authoritarian regime that denies its people basic human rights and freedoms, tortures prisoners and restricts the media. 2009 France France reintegrates with NATO March 11th, 2009: Nicolas Sarkozy has said that his country is returning to NATO's military command.

Sarkozy was speaking at the École Militaire staff college in Paris. Charles de Gaulle had pulled France out of NATO's military command in 1966 , saying that it undermined France's sovereignty, but its reintegration has come from France having no say in the organisation's military strategies. Despite government assurances, many commentators fear that France will be abandoning its independence from the United States. 2010 Israel Announces thousands more homes in new settlements in East Jerusalem March 11th, 2010: Following the breakdown of talks between Palestian and Israeli negotiators, Israeli authorities announce building thousands more homes in settlements in East Jerusalem, this breaks an agreement that has been in place to end Israeli expansion of settlements in the area. Japan 2011 Japan Massive Earthquake Hits Japan 11th March, 2011 : An earthquake with a magnitude of 8.9 hit the coast of Japan causing massive amounts of damage and dangerous tsunamis, making it the most powerful earthquake in Japan in recorded history. The earthquake and tsunami caused damage to reactors in the Fukushima nuclear plant creating a radiation leak and forcing locals to evacuate, as well as worldwide anxiety over possible meltdown.

Thousands of people were killed as a result of the earthquake and the homes of hundreds of thousands of people were destroyed. The amount of damage that Japan sustained from the earthquake and tsunamis would likely take years to recover from. Afghanistan 2012 Afghanistan US Soldier Kills Afghan Civilians 11th March, 2012 : A US soldier is accused of going on a killing spree in the Kandahar region of Afghanistan, adding to the anti-American sentiments felt in the war-torn country. At least sixteen civilians, including women and children, were killed by the man, and at least another five people were injured. The suspected soldier is said to have given himself over to US military authorities after carrying out the attacks and is rumored to have suffered a mental breakdown prior to the incident. Pakistan 2013 Pakistan Leaders Inaugurate Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline 11th March, 2013 : The presidents of Pakistan (Asif Ali Zardari) and Iran (Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) inaugurated a gas pipeline between the two countries that was hoped to alleviate some of Pakistan's energy shortages.

Work on the pipeline was almost completed in Iran while the Pakistan side of the pipeline had not begun work yet. The US discourage this partnership and stated that the two countries could incur sanctions. United States 2014 United States General Motors to be Investigated 11th March, 2014 : A United States congressional committee has announced that it will investigate the recall of over one million General Motors vehicles. The recall was over a faulty ignition that was linked to thirteen deaths. Controversy surrounded the recall as GM admitted some employees knew about the issues as early as 2004. Born This Day In History 11th March Celebrating Birthday's Today BBC News - France timeline France timeline A chronology of key events: 1789 - French Revolution ends rule of monarchy going back to 9th century; followed by establishment of the First Republic. Napoleon Bonaparte was renowned for his military victories across Europe Born in 1769 in Corsica Defeated twice by British forces - at Trafalgar and Waterloo More about Napoleon 1799 - Napoleon Bonaparte leads coup to overthrow government; consolidates position with new constitution.

1804-1814 - Napoleon crowns himself emperor of First French Empire; series of military successes brings most of continental Europe under his control. 1815 - Napoleon defeated in Battle of Waterloo; monarchy reestablished. 1848 - Fall of King Louis-Philippe; Louis-Napoleon, nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte, proclaimed president of Second Republic. 1852-1870 - Louis-Napoleon takes title of Napoleon III in Second Empire. 1870-71 - Franco-Prussian War, ending in French defeat, loss of Alsace-Lorraine and end of the Second Empire; Third Republic lasts until 1940. 1877 - Republicans win general elections, ending hopes of a monarchist revival. 1914-18 World War I - Massive casualties in trenches in north-east France; 1.3 million Frenchmen are killed and many more wounded by the end of the war.

Notre Dame, Paris: "City of light" has inspired artists, thinkers Named after Parisii, Celtic tribe who lived on site City planner Baron Haussmann laid out much of modern Paris in 19th century 1918 - Anglo-French offensive - backed by fresh American troops - forces Germany to an armistice on 11 November. 1919 - Peace Treaty of Versailles. France regains Alsace-Lorraine; Germany agrees to reparations. 1936-38 - Rise of the Popular Front, an alliance of left-wing forces. 1939-45- World War II - Germany occupies much of France. Vichy regime in unoccupied south collaborates with Nazis. General de Gaulle, undersecretary of war, establishes government-in-exile in London and, later, Algiers. Rise of French Resistance. Liberation 1944 - Allied forces land at Normandy leading to liberation of France. De Gaulle sets up provisional government. Purge against former collaborators. 1946 - De Gaulle resigns as provisional president, replaced by Socialist Felix Gouin.

1946-58 - Fourth Republic is marked by economic reconstruction and the start of the process of independence for many of France's colonies. De Gaulle formed a wartime government-in-exile 1951 - France joins West Germany and other European nations in the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) - leading to the formation in 1957 of the European Economic Community (EEC). 1954 First Indochina War ends - French defeated at Battle of Dien Bien Phu in north-west Vietnam. Algerian War of Independence begins. 1956 - Colonial rule ends in Morocco and Tunisia. Fifth Republic 1958 - De Gaulle returns to power on back of Algerian crisis and founds the Fifth Republic, with a stronger presidency. 1962 - Algeria granted independence from French colonial rule. 1968 May - Student revolt against government policies and lack of social reform escalates into national strike. 1969 - De Gaulle leaves office. Georges Pompidou elected president. 1970 - De Gaulle dies of stroke. 1974 - Pompidou dies, succeeded by Valery Giscard d'Estaing.

Paris-born Claude Monet led the impressionist movement 2006: Monet water lilies see light of day again 1981 - Socialist candidate Francois Mitterrand is elected president. 1986 - Centre-right victory in legislative elections of 1986 leads to "co-habitation" - a left-wing president and a right-wing prime minister, Jacques Chirac. 1988 - Mitterrand re-elected. 1992 - France signs Maastricht Treaty on European union. 1995 - Jacques Chirac elected president, ending 14 years of Socialist presidency. France attracts international condemnation by conducting a series of nuclear tests in the Pacific. 1997 - Lionel Jospin becomes prime minister. 2000 September - Chirac embroiled in corruption scandal. He dismisses newspaper allegations. 2001 June - Compulsory military service abolished. 2002 January - Euro replaces franc, first minted in 1360.

Jospin resigns, Chirac re-elected 2002 May - Jacques Chirac re-elected president, trouncing National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen in the second round of voting. Le Pen's showing in the first round sent shockwaves across France and Europe and galvanised French voters into mass street demonstrations. FRANCOIS MITTERRAND 2005: Film explores Mitterrand enigma Lionel Jospin, the main left-wing presidential contender whom Le Pen knocked out in the first round, resigns the premiership and the Socialist Party leadership. 2002 June - Landslide victory in legislative elections for centre-right UMP. Jean-Pierre Raffarin's centre-right government confirmed in office, marking an end to the "cohabitation" years when Chirac had to work with Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin. 2002 November - Widespread public sector strikes over government privatisation plans bring country to a standstill. 2003 March - Constitution changed to allow devolution to regions and departments of powers over economic development, transport, tourism, culture and further education. Amendments also provide for local referendums, to give people more say in local decisions.

2003 May-June - Proposed pension reforms spark industrial action as workers protest against prospect of having to pay higher contributions over longer periods. HEADSCARF BAN 2003 July - Corsica referendum, first to follow March constitutional amendments, narrowly votes against establishment of unified assembly with limited powers to raise and spend taxes. Paris had hoped that a yes vote would end separatist violence. Parliament approves controversial reforms to pension system. 2004 March - President Chirac's UMP routed in regional elections. 2004 November - Nicolas Sarkozy takes over as leader of UMP. 2005 January - Trade unions organise wave of public sector strikes against proposed labour, pension and welfare reforms. Dozens of immigrants were killed in a series of Paris fires 2005: Protesters stage Paris fire march 2005 May - Referendum goes against proposed EU constitution. The result prompts a political shake-up, including the resignation of Prime Minister Raffarin. 2005 June - International project group says France is to host the world's first experimental nuclear fusion reactor at Cadarache, near Marseille.

2005 October - One-day national strike in protest at welfare reforms, low pay and privatisation plans causes widespread disruption. Urban violence 2005 October-November - Deprived, largely immigrant, communities in north-east Paris are hit by riots after two youths of North African origin are electrocuted in an electricity substation. The authorities deny that they were being chased by police at the time. Curfews were imposed to quell urban riots in 2005 2005: Chirac in new pledge to end riots Unrest escalates and spreads to other cities. Government introduces emergency measures to try to restore order. 2006 March-April - New youth employment laws spark mass demonstrations in Paris and other cities across France. As protests continue, the legislation is scrapped. 2006 June - Upper house of parliament passes a bill setting tough new restrictions on immigration. The rules make it harder for low-skilled migrants to settle. Sarkozy becomes president 2007 May - Nicolas Sarkozy, the former interior minister and leader of the ruling conservative UMP, wins a decisive victory in the second round of the presidential election.

2007 June - The UMP wins parliamentary elections, but with a reduced majority. The party insists it still has a mandate to carry out its proposed reforms. Mr Sarkozy fulfils his pre-election promise to appoint women to half the posts in the new cabinet, and brings in people from across the political divide. 2007 August - France signs controversial arms deal worth nearly 300m euros with Libya. 2007 September - Legislation tightening entry rules for immigrants' relatives is passed. 2007 November - Civil servants take to the streets, along with workers from the transport and energy sectors, to protest against Mr Sarkozy's planned cuts in pay and jobs, and reform of pension benefits. There is widespread disruption of public services. 2008 February - France formally ratifies Lisbon Treaty on reform of European Union. Financial crisis 2008 October - European governments pledge up to 1.8 trillion euros as part of co-ordinated plans to shore up their financial sectors, hit hard by the global financial crisis. France says it will inject 10.5bn euros into the country's six largest banks.

2009 June - Government says it will set up a commission to study the extent of burka-wearing in France after President Sarkozy said such garments undermine the dignity of citizens. 2010 March - Ruling UMP suffers heavy defeat in regional elections, losing control of all but one of the 22 regions in mainland France and Corsica. 2010 June - Government announces public spending cuts of 45bn euros in effort to reduce high level of public debt. 2010 July - Prosecutors launch inquiry into allegations that L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt made illegal donations to President Sarkozy's 2007 election campaign. 2010 August - France begins to dismantle illegal Roma (gypsy) camps and to deport their residents back to Romania and Bulgaria, as part of a package of new security measures. 2010 September - EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding urges the European Commission to take legal action against France over its deportations of the Roma, calling it a "disgrace". The threat of legal action is lifted after France pledges to implement a 2004 EU directive on freedom of movement.

Pension protests 2010 September-October - Hundreds of thousands turn out in several waves of trade union-led protests against government plans to raise retirement age to 62. 2010 November - France concludes military and nuclear accord with UK. Under the terms of the new treaty, the two countries will cooperate in testing nuclear warheads. 2011 March - France plays prominent role in imposing and enforcing no-fly zone over Libya. 2011 April - Face veil ban comes into force. 2011 May - French political establishment is shaken by arrest of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who had been tipped as a strong Socialist candidate for the presidency, in New York on sexual assault charges that were later dropped. 2011 August - Government announces package of austerity measures aimed at reducing public deficit by 12bn euros over two years. In November it announces a further 7bn euros of cuts in 2012 and 11.6bn euros in 2013. 2011 September - Credit rating agency Moody's downgrades the two biggest French banks, Credit Agricole and Societe Generale, because of concerns over their exposure to Greek debt.

Credit Agricole later announces a cut of 2,350 jobs worldwide. 2011 October - Francois Hollande chosen as Socialist presidential candidate after a novel primary campaign that attracted more than two million voters. 2011 November - Prime Minister Francois Fillon leads politicians and religious leaders in condemning a petrol-bomb attack by Islamic extremists that destoryed the offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo after it had named the Muslim Prophet Muhammad as a "guest editor". 2011 December - Former President Jacques Chirac receives a suspended jail sentence for diverting public funds and abusing public trust during his term as mayor of Paris. 2012 January - France loses its top AAA credit rating from Standard & Poor's along with Spain and Italy. The Senate approves a bill making it a crime to deny genocide was committed by Ottoman Turks against Armenians during World War I. President Sarkozy is expected to sign it into law by the end of February. Turkey threatens retaliatory measures. 2012 March - French Islamist Mohamed Merah shoots dead seven people, including three Jewish schoolchildren, in Toulouse. He is shot dead in a police siege of his flat.

France bans militant Islamist preachers from entering the country, beginning with the Qatari-based Egyptian Yusuf al-Qaradawi. 2012 May - Francois Hollande wins presidential election. French police detain the last military leader of the Basque separatist group Eta, Oroitz Gurruchaga Gogorza, and his deputy Xabier Aramburu in a joint operation with Spain.

Bookmark with: What Happened on May 6th This Day in History 1882 , 1910 , 1924 , 1935 , 1936 , 1937 , 1945 , 1954 , 1960 , 1966 , 1967 , 1976 , 1979 , 1987 , 1994 , 1996 , 1997 , 2001 , 2007 , 2008 , 2009 , 2010 , 2011 , 2012 , 2013 , Born This Day , 1937 U.S.A. Airship Hindenburg 6th May 1937 : The German airship Hindenburg the largest dirigible ever built burst into flames and collapsed to the ground while attempting to moor at Lakehurst, New Jersey.

As the airship burst into flames it crashed 200 feet to the ground and the hull of the airship incinerated within seconds as the hydrogen core ignited. 1954 England Four Minute Mile Broken 6th May 1954 : Roger Bannister becomes the first man to run a mile in less than 4 minutes, making the new record in 3mins 59.4 seconds at the Iffley Road track in Oxford, England. 1882 U.S.A. Chinese Exclusion Act 6th May 1882 : Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, which barred Chinese immigrants from the United States for 10 years. 1910 England King Edward VII Dies 6th May 1910 : King Edward VII dies after being Britains King for 9 years following the death of his mother Queen Victoria died . ( You will often see him referred as Bertie ) which was the name the royal family used for him. 1924 China Japanese Warships 6th May 1924 : Japanese warships have entered Chinese waters and Chinese troops are being rushed to coastal areas to fend off possible attacks 1935 U.S.A.

Works Progress Administration (WPA) Opens 6th May 1935 : The Works Progress Administration (WPA), opens allowing thousands of unemployed Americans decent-paying jobs on a wide range of public works projects including parks, playgrounds, major infrastructure projects, schools and post-offices. During it's existence the WPA was responsible for employing 8.5 million Americans during its eight-years Although most politicians here and around the world use the quote that this is the worst recession since the great depression of the thirties by comparison the current thinking is unemployment is below 10% or 1 in 10 but in the worst period of the great depression that number was nearer to 25% or or 1 in 4 1936 Airship Hindenburg 6th May 1936 : The Airship Hindenburg on its first flight from Europe to New York in the United States is near the Azores, the Hindenburg is like an ocean liner with an elegant interior and 15 of the passengers are Americans.

1945 Germany World War II Europe Ends 6th May 1945 : The war in Europe is over when German forces are to sign full surrender on 7th May 1945 President Truman and Prime minister Churchill will make public radio broadcasts and speak to the people tomorrow and and VE day has been announced for the 8th May . The war in Europe has cost over 8 million lives. 1960 England Princess Margaret 6th May 1960 : Princess Margaret marries Anthony Armstrong Jones, a commoner, at Westminster Abbey. 1966 England Moors Murderers 6th May 1966 : The Moors murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley are jailed for life. They were tried and found guilty for the murder of three children ( Edward Evans, 17, Lesley Ann Downey, aged 10, and 12-year-old John Kilbride ). The pair preyed on children by luring the children into their home in Manchester then torturing and killing them, they performed terrible acts on them prior to murdering them and dumped them on Saddleworth Moor in the Pennines.

1967 Vietnam B52 Bombers 6th May 1967 : B52 Bombers dropped tons of explosives on North Vietnamese bunkers and troop positions 1976 Italy Earthquake 6th May 1976 : A powerful earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale strikes in the small town of Maiano in north-east Italy leaving at least 60 people dead and many more buried under rubble. 1979 U.S.A. Anti Nuclear Power Demonstrators 6th May 1979 : Over 65,000 anti-nuclear power demonstrators marched on the capitol in protest against more nuclear power plants , the consumer advocate Ralph Nader describes nuclear power as "our countries technological Vietnam" . The group was formed after the accident at The Three Mile Island nuclear plant 1987 South Africa Elections 6th May 1987 : President PW Botha's national party increased it's majority in parliament , meanwhile 1 million blacks joined a nationwide strike protesting against the white only elections.

1994 England / France Channel Tunnel 6th May 1994 : The Queen and France's President Francois Mitterrand formally open the Channel Tunnel during two ceremonies in France and Britain. 1996 Netherlands War Crimes Trials 6th May 1996 : The first war crimes trials for Bosnian Serbs opens in The Hague , this is the first war crime trials since world war II 1997 England Bank of England Independence 6th May 1997 : The Chancellor, Gordon Brown, gives the Bank of England independence from political control, the Bank of England's current Governor is Eddie George. This will mean that The Bank Of England will decide interest rates when dealing with inflation targets and not the House Of Commons. 1997 U.S.A. Hemophiliacs / Aids Cases Settled 6th May 1997 : Bayer and the other three manufacturers of blood products agree to pay $660 million to settle cases on behalf of more than 6,000 hemophiliacs infected in United States in the early 1980s, paying an estimated $100,000 to each infected hemophiliac.

2001 England Bomb at London Post Office 6th May 2001 : A bomb explodes at a north London postal sorting office believed to be part of a campaign of terror by the Real IRA. France 2007 France Sarkozy Wins Presidential Election 6th May, 2007 : Nicolas Sarkozy wins France's presidential election. The conservative Sarkozy won 53.06 percent of the vote beating the socialist candidate Sengolene Royal. The presidential race was highly competitive and and some smaller riots broke out after the election results were announced. Japan 2008 Japan Chinese President Visits Japan 6th May, 2008 : President Hu Jintao of China began a five day visit to Japan, the first of such a trip in over ten years between the two countries. The main goal of the trip was to improve relations between the two nations which had faced a few conflicts and tension over the past ten years. Amongst other planned events, the Chinese president and Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda were set to play a game of ping-pong.

United States 2009 United States Maine Allows Gay Marriage 6th May, 2009 : The United States state of Maine became the fifth state to allow gay marriage. The bill allowing gay marriage was passed in the state's legislature and then signed by the governor, John Baldacci. Japan 2010 Japan Japan Reactivates Nuclear Reactor 6th May, 2010 : The Monju nuclear reactor in Tsuruga, Japan was reactivated after over fourteen years of inactivity. The reactor was originally shut down in 1995 after a fire broke out, and the plant was expected to reach full output in 2013. The move to reactivate the reactor drew harsh criticism from nuclear power opponents and locals due to the previous scandals and incidents that had surrounded the reactor in the past. United States 2011 United States US Unemployment Rises 6th May, 2011 : The United States unemployment rate rose to 9 percent despite and increase in the employment figures.

The US Labor Department state that in April of 2011 more than 244,000 jobs were created but at the same time the unemployment rate rose from 8.8 percent to 9 percent. France 2012 France Francois Hollande wins French Presidency 6th May, 2012 : Socialist candidate Francois Hollande won France's presidential election with about fifty-two percent of the votes. Defeated incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy wished Hollande good luck. Hollande has become the country's first socialist leader since Francois Mitterand ran the country in the 1980's . Hollande stated that when he won he would raise taxes on big corporations and wealthy citizens as well as raise the minimum wage, hire thousands more teachers and lower the retirement age. United States 2013 United States Three Abducted Women Found Alive 6th May, 2013 : Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight, who all went missing in the early 2000's , were discovered by a neighbor as one of the women tried to escape with a baby. Their captor was identified as Ariel Castro, and is accused of keeping the women captive in his Cleveland, Ohio.

Knight, now thirty-two, went missing in 2002 at the age of twenty, Berry was sixteen when she went missing in 2003 and DeJesus was fourteen when taken in 2004. Born This Day In History May 6th Celebrating Birthday's Today

Question: Who was twice French Minister of the Interior? First between May 2002 and March 2004, and then between May 2005 and March 2007?
Answer: NICOLAS SARKOZY