World History Timeline

Countries / Europe

History of France

103 notable historical events in France, in chronological order.

War · 40Politics · 32Dynasty · 3Treaty · 14Revolution · 13Science · 7Technology · 5Exploration · 2Religion · 10Culture · 5Art · 6Economy · 4Disaster · 1Disease · 2Birth · 1Death · 6

150th century BCE

  1. c. 15th millennium BCE★★★★★

    Lascaux cave paintings

    Upper Palaeolithic people paint hundreds of animal figures on the walls of the Lascaux cave in south-western France, among the best-known works of prehistoric art.

    ArtCulture· France

1st century BCE

  1. 52 BCE★★★★★

    Battle of Alesia

    Julius Caesar defeats the Gallic leader Vercingetorix, effectively completing the Roman conquest of Gaul.

    War· France

5th century

  2. c. 496★★★★★

    Baptism of Clovis I

    Clovis I, unifier of the Franks, converts to Catholic Christianity; traditionally dated to around 496 at Reims.

    ReligionPolitics· France

8th century

  1. 732★★★★★

    Battle of Tours

    Frankish forces under Charles Martel defeat an Umayyad army between Tours and Poitiers, checking the Muslim advance into Gaul.

    War· France
  2. December 25, 800★★★★★

    Coronation of Charlemagne

    Pope Leo III crowns Charlemagne Emperor of the Romans in Rome on Christmas Day.

    PoliticsReligion· Italy, France, Germany

9th century

  1. August 843★★★★★

    Treaty of Verdun divides the Carolingian Empire

    Charlemagne's three grandsons divide the empire into three kingdoms, laying the groundwork for the later France and Germany.

    TreatyPolitics· France, Germany, Italy

10th century

  1. 910★★★★★

    Cluny Abbey founded

    Cluny Abbey is founded in Burgundy and becomes the centre of a monastic reform movement influential across Europe.

    Religion· France
  2. 987★★★★★

    Hugh Capet becomes King of the Franks

    Hugh Capet is elected King of the Franks, founding the Capetian dynasty whose branches ruled France for centuries.

    DynastyPolitics· France

11th century

12th century

  1. 1147 – 1149★★★★★

    Second Crusade

    Launched after the fall of Edessa and led by Louis VII of France and Conrad III of Germany, the crusade ends in failure before Damascus.

    WarReligion· Syria, Turkey, France, Germany

14th century

  1. 1315 – 1317★★★★★

    Great Famine in Europe

    Successive crop failures caused by bad weather bring mass famine to northern Europe, killing a significant share of the population.

    DisasterEconomy· United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Poland
  2. 1337 – 1453★★★★★

    Hundred Years' War

    A series of conflicts between England and France over the French throne ends with England losing nearly all its continental lands.

    War· France, United Kingdom
  3. August 26, 1346★★★★★

    Battle of Crécy

    Edward III's English army, relying on longbowmen, defeats a much larger French army in northern France.

    War· France
  4. 1378 – 1417★★★★★

    Western Schism

    Rival claimants to the papacy in Rome and Avignon divide the Catholic Church until the Council of Constance ends the schism.

    Religion· Italy, France

15th century

  1. October 25, 1415★★★★★

    Battle of Agincourt

    Henry V's English army, largely archers, defeats a larger French army during the Hundred Years' War.

    War· France
  2. May 8, 1429★★★★★

    Joan of Arc relieves the Siege of Orléans

    French forces joined by Joan of Arc force the English to abandon the siege of Orléans, a turning point of the Hundred Years' War.

    War· France
  3. May 30, 1431★★★★★

    Joan of Arc burned at Rouen

    Captured and tried by a pro-English church court, Joan of Arc is burned at the stake; she was rehabilitated in 1456 and canonized in 1920.

    DeathReligion· France

16th century

  1. August 24, 1572★★★★★

    St. Bartholomew's Day massacre

    Thousands of Huguenot Protestants are killed in Paris and other French cities during the French Wars of Religion.

    ReligionWar· France
  2. April 13, 1598★★★★★

    Edict of Nantes

    King Henry IV issues an edict granting substantial religious rights to the Huguenots, ending the French Wars of Religion.

    ReligionPolitics· France

17th century

  1. July 3, 1608★★★★★

    Champlain founds Quebec City

    Samuel de Champlain founds Quebec on the St. Lawrence River, which becomes the centre of the colony of New France.

    ExplorationPolitics· Canada, France
  2. 1618 – 1648★★★★★

    Thirty Years' War

    Beginning with a revolt in Bohemia, the conflict spreads across Central Europe, drawing in the major European powers and causing enormous loss of life.

    WarReligion· Germany, Czechia, Austria, Sweden, France, Spain, Denmark, Netherlands
  3. October 24, 1648★★★★★

    Peace of Westphalia

    The treaties of Westphalia end the Thirty Years' War and lay foundations for the modern concept of state sovereignty.

    Treaty· Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, France

18th century

  1. 1701 – 1714★★★★★

    War of the Spanish Succession

    European powers fight over the succession to the Spanish throne after the death of Charles II; the war ends with the treaties of Utrecht and Rastatt.

    WarDynasty· Spain, France, United Kingdom, Austria, Netherlands
  2. 1751★★★★★

    First volume of the Encyclopédie

    Diderot and d'Alembert publish the first volume of the Encyclopédie, a defining work of the Enlightenment.

    CultureScience· France
  3. 1754 – 1763★★★★★

    French and Indian War

    Britain and France, with their Indigenous allies, fight for control of North America; France is defeated and loses most of its territory on the continent.

    War· United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France
  4. 1756 – 1763★★★★★

    Seven Years' War

    A global conflict among the European powers fought in Europe, North America and India; Britain gains colonial supremacy and Prussia confirms its great-power status.

    War· United Kingdom, France, Germany, Austria, Russia, Spain, United States, Canada, India
  5. August 15, 1769★★★★★

    Birth of Napoleon Bonaparte

    Napoleon Bonaparte is born in Ajaccio, Corsica; he will later become Emperor of the French.

    Birth· France
  6. October 19, 1781★★★★★

    British surrender at Yorktown

    General Cornwallis surrenders to American and French forces at Yorktown, Virginia, effectively ending major fighting in the American Revolutionary War.

    War· United States, United Kingdom, France
  7. July 14, 1789★★★★★

    Storming of the Bastille

    Parisians storm the Bastille fortress-prison, an iconic moment of the French Revolution.

    Revolution· France
  8. August 26, 1789★★★★★

    Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

    France's National Constituent Assembly adopts a declaration of liberty, equality and national sovereignty, a founding document of the French Revolution.

    RevolutionPolitics· France
  9. August 22, 1791 – January 1, 1804★★★★★

    Haitian Revolution begins

    Enslaved people in the French colony of Saint-Domingue rise up, beginning the only successful slave revolution in history.

    RevolutionWar· Haiti, France
  10. 1793 – 1794★★★★★

    Reign of Terror

    The revolutionary government dominated by the Committee of Public Safety carries out mass repression, with tens of thousands executed; it ends with the fall of Robespierre.

    RevolutionPolitics· France
  11. January 21, 1793★★★★★

    Execution of Louis XVI

    Condemned by the National Convention, the former king Louis XVI is guillotined at the Place de la Révolution in Paris.

    RevolutionDeathPolitics· France
  12. November 9, 1799★★★★★

    Coup of 18 Brumaire

    Napoleon Bonaparte overthrows the Directory and establishes the Consulate, holding supreme power as First Consul.

    PoliticsRevolution· France

19th century

  1. April 7, 1803★★★★★

    Death of Toussaint Louverture

    Toussaint Louverture, leader of the Haitian Revolution, dies while imprisoned at Fort de Joux in France.

    Death· Haiti, France
  2. April 30, 1803★★★★★

    Louisiana Purchase

    The United States buys the vast Louisiana territory from France, roughly doubling the size of the country.

    TreatyPolitics· United States, France
  3. January 1, 1804★★★★★

    Haiti declares independence

    Jean-Jacques Dessalines proclaims Haiti's independence, making it the second independent nation in the Americas and the first republic founded by formerly enslaved people.

    RevolutionPolitics· Haiti, France
  5. October 21, 1805★★★★★

    Battle of Trafalgar

    The British fleet under Admiral Nelson defeats the combined French and Spanish fleets, securing British naval supremacy; Nelson is killed in the battle.

    War· United Kingdom, France, Spain
  6. December 2, 1805★★★★★

    Battle of Austerlitz

    Napoleon defeats a combined Russian and Austrian army in the "Battle of the Three Emperors", one of his most celebrated victories.

    War· Czechia, France, Austria, Russia
  7. June 24, 1812 – December 1812★★★★★

    French invasion of Russia

    Napoleon's Grande Armée crosses the Neman into Russia and takes Moscow, but is forced into a winter retreat with catastrophic losses.

    War· Russia, France, Lithuania, Belarus
  8. September 7, 1812★★★★★

    Battle of Borodino

    The bloodiest battle of Napoleon's invasion of Russia is fought near Moscow; the Russians withdraw, allowing the French to enter Moscow a week later.

    War· Russia, France
  9. 1814 – June 9, 1815★★★★★

    Congress of Vienna

    The European powers meet in Vienna to reorder the continent after the Napoleonic Wars, redrawing the map of Europe and establishing a balance of power.

    TreatyPolitics· Austria, United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, France
  10. June 18, 1815★★★★★

    Battle of Waterloo

    British and Prussian forces defeat Napoleon Bonaparte, ending the Hundred Days and the Napoleonic Wars.

    War· Belgium, France, United Kingdom, Germany
  13. July 27, 1830 – July 29, 1830★★★★★

    July Revolution in France

    Three days of uprising in Paris overthrow King Charles X; Louis-Philippe takes the throne, beginning the July Monarchy.

    Revolution· France
  14. 1839★★★★★

    The daguerreotype is announced

    Louis Daguerre's photographic process is made public in France, the first commercially successful form of photography.

    TechnologyArt· France
  15. 1848 – 1849★★★★★

    Revolutions of 1848

    A wave of revolutions sweeps Europe, from France to the German states, Austria, Italy and Hungary, demanding democratic reform and national self-determination.

    Revolution· France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Hungary, Czechia
  16. 1853 – 1856★★★★★

    Crimean War

    An alliance of the Ottoman Empire, Britain, France and Sardinia defeats Russia, with fighting centred on the siege of Sevastopol in Crimea.

    War· Russia, Turkey, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Ukraine
  17. 1856 – 1860★★★★★

    Second Opium War

    Britain and France fight Qing China, occupy Beijing and burn the Old Summer Palace in 1860, forcing further unequal treaties.

    War· China, United Kingdom, France
  18. September 1, 1858★★★★★

    Franco-Spanish attack on Đà Nẵng

    A Franco-Spanish force attacks Đà Nẵng, beginning the French conquest of Vietnam.

    War· Vietnam, France, Spain
  19. May 5, 1862★★★★★

    Battle of Puebla

    Mexican forces defeat a French expeditionary army at Puebla, a victory later commemorated as Cinco de Mayo.

    War· Mexico, France
  20. June 5, 1862★★★★★

    Treaty of Saigon

    The Nguyễn court cedes three eastern provinces of Cochinchina to France.

    Treaty· Vietnam, France
  21. 1867★★★★★

    France annexes western Cochinchina

    France seizes Vĩnh Long, An Giang and Hà Tiên, completing the colony of French Cochinchina.

    WarPolitics· Vietnam, France
  22. July 19, 1870 – May 10, 1871★★★★★

    Franco-Prussian War

    Prussia and its German allies defeat France, bringing down the Second French Empire and paving the way for German unification.

    War· France, Germany
  23. January 18, 1871★★★★★

    Proclamation of the German Empire

    King Wilhelm I of Prussia is proclaimed German Emperor in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, completing the unification of Germany led by Bismarck.

    Politics· Germany, France
  24. March 18, 1871 – May 28, 1871★★★★★

    Paris Commune

    A revolutionary government holds power in Paris for over two months before being bloodily suppressed by government troops during the "Bloody Week".

    Revolution· France
  25. June 6, 1884★★★★★

    Treaty of Huế (1884)

    The treaty places Tonkin and Annam under French protectorate.

    Treaty· Vietnam, France
  26. November 15, 1884 – February 26, 1885★★★★★

    Berlin Conference on Africa

    European powers met in Berlin to set rules for colonial claims in Africa, accelerating the "Scramble for Africa" without any African representation.

    PoliticsTreaty· Germany, United Kingdom, France, Portugal, Belgium
  27. July 1885 – 1896★★★★★

    Cần Vương movement

    After a failed attack on the French at Huế, Emperor Hàm Nghi flees the capital and issues an edict calling for resistance to French rule.

    WarRevolution· Vietnam, France
  29. October 1887★★★★★

    Formation of French Indochina

    France creates the Indochinese Union of Cochinchina, Annam, Tonkin and Cambodia; Laos is added in 1893.

    Politics· Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, France
  30. July 29, 1890★★★★★

    Death of Vincent van Gogh

    The Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh dies at Auvers-sur-Oise, France, little recognised in his lifetime.

    DeathArt· France, Netherlands
  31. December 28, 1895★★★★★

    Lumière brothers' first public film screening

    The Lumière brothers hold a paid public film screening at the Grand Café in Paris, often regarded as the birth of cinema.

    CultureTechnologyArt· France

20th century

  1. June 5, 1911★★★★★

    Nguyễn Tất Thành leaves Vietnam

    Nguyễn Tất Thành (later Hồ Chí Minh) leaves Saigon as a kitchen hand aboard the Amiral Latouche-Tréville, bound for France.

    Politics· Vietnam, France
  2. May 29, 1913★★★★★

    Premiere of The Rite of Spring

    Igor Stravinsky's ballet The Rite of Spring premieres in Paris amid uproar in the audience, becoming a landmark of modernist music.

    Art· France
  3. July 28, 1914 – November 11, 1918★★★★★

    World War I

    Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia, drawing Europe's powers into a global war that lasts until the armistice of 11 November 1918.

    War· Austria, Serbia, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Russia
  4. June 28, 1919★★★★★

    Treaty of Versailles

    The peace treaty ending the war between Germany and the Allies is signed in the Hall of Mirrors, imposing war guilt, territorial losses and heavy reparations on Germany.

    Treaty· France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States, Italy
  5. May 20, 1927 – May 21, 1927★★★★★

    Lindbergh's solo transatlantic flight

    Charles Lindbergh flies solo and nonstop from New York to Paris in the Spirit of St. Louis.

    TechnologyExploration· United States, France
  6. February 10, 1930★★★★★

    Yên Bái mutiny

    Vietnamese colonial soldiers organised by the VNQDĐ mutiny at Yên Bái; the revolt fails and Nguyễn Thái Học is executed.

    WarRevolution· Vietnam, France
  7. 1937★★★★★

    Picasso paints Guernica

    Pablo Picasso completes Guernica in response to the bombing of the Basque town during the Spanish Civil War; it becomes an enduring anti-war icon.

    Art· France, Spain
  8. September 30, 1938★★★★★

    Munich Agreement

    Britain, France, Italy and Germany agree to Germany's annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland, the high point of the appeasement of Hitler.

    TreatyPolitics· Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Czechia
  9. September 1, 1939 – September 2, 1945★★★★★

    World War II

    Germany invades Poland, starting the deadliest conflict in human history, which ends with Japan's formal surrender on 2 September 1945.

    War· Germany, Poland, United Kingdom, France, Russia, United States, Japan, China
  10. September 22, 1940 – September 26, 1940★★★★★

    Japanese invasion of French Indochina

    Japanese forces attack Lạng Sơn and land near Haiphong, compelling the French administration to accept Japanese bases in Tonkin.

    War· Vietnam, Japan, France
  11. 1941 – 1945★★★★★

    The Holocaust

    Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murder some six million European Jews, along with millions of other victims.

    WarDeath· Germany, Poland, Austria, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Hungary, Czechia, Netherlands, France
  12. June 6, 1944★★★★★

    D-Day: the Normandy landings

    Allied forces carry out the largest seaborne invasion in history on the Normandy coast, opening a Western Front to liberate Western Europe.

    War· France, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany
  13. March 9, 1945★★★★★

    Japanese coup in French Indochina

    Japan overthrows the French administration in Indochina; Bảo Đại then proclaims the Empire of Vietnam with Trần Trọng Kim as prime minister.

    WarPolitics· Vietnam, Japan, France
  14. May 8, 1945★★★★★

    Victory in Europe Day

    The Allies formally accept Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender, ending the Second World War in Europe.

    War· Germany, United Kingdom, United States, France, Russia
  15. November 20, 1945 – October 1, 1946★★★★★

    Nuremberg trials

    An international military tribunal tries leading Nazi figures for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

    Politics· Germany, United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia
  16. December 19, 1946 – 1954★★★★★

    First Indochina War

    War between the Việt Minh and France breaks out in Hanoi and lasts until the Geneva Accords of 1954.

    War· Vietnam, France, Laos, Cambodia
  17. April 3, 1948★★★★★

    Marshall Plan

    The United States enacts a large-scale economic aid programme to rebuild Western European economies after the Second World War.

    EconomyPolitics· United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands
  18. June 24, 1948 – May 12, 1949★★★★★

    Berlin Blockade and Airlift

    The Soviet Union blocks road and rail access to West Berlin; the Western Allies respond by supplying the city through an airlift for almost a year.

    Politics· Germany, Russia, United States, United Kingdom, France
  19. 1949★★★★★

    State of Vietnam established

    France establishes the State of Vietnam within the French Union, with former emperor Bảo Đại as head of state.

    Politics· Vietnam, France
  20. April 4, 1949★★★★★

    NATO founded

    Twelve North American and Western European countries sign the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington, creating the NATO collective defence alliance.

    TreatyPolitics· United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy, Portugal, Norway, Denmark, Iceland
  21. 1954 – 1955★★★★★

    Operation Passage to Freedom

    During the 300-day free-movement period after the Geneva Accords, roughly 800,000 to one million people, many of them Catholics, move from North to South Vietnam.

    Politics· Vietnam, United States, France
  22. March 13, 1954 – May 7, 1954★★★★★

    Battle of Điện Biên Phủ

    The Việt Minh assault the French garrison at Điện Biên Phủ; their victory on 7 May leads to the Geneva Accords.

    War· Vietnam, France
  23. July 21, 1954★★★★★

    Geneva Accords on Indochina

    The Geneva Conference ends the First Indochina War, temporarily partitioning Vietnam at the 17th parallel pending elections planned for 1956.

    Treaty· Vietnam, France, Laos, Cambodia, Switzerland
  24. October 10, 1954★★★★★

    Việt Minh takes over Hanoi

    The Vietnam People's Army takes control of Hanoi as French forces withdraw under the Geneva Accords.

    Politics· Vietnam, France
  25. November 1, 1954 – March 19, 1962★★★★★

    Algerian War of Independence

    The National Liberation Front (FLN) fights French rule; the war ends with the Évian Accords and Algerian independence in 1962.

    WarRevolution· Algeria, France
  26. October 29, 1956 – November 7, 1956★★★★★

    Suez Crisis

    After Nasser nationalises the Suez Canal, Israel, Britain and France attack Egypt but withdraw under US and Soviet pressure.

    WarPolitics· Egypt, Israel, United Kingdom, France
  27. March 25, 1957★★★★★

    Treaty of Rome establishes the European Economic Community

    Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands sign the treaty creating the European Economic Community, forerunner of the European Union.

    TreatyEconomy· Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands
  28. May 1968 – June 1968★★★★★

    May 1968 events in France

    Student protests and a nationwide general strike shake France, leaving a lasting mark on its culture and society.

    PoliticsCulture· France
  29. January 27, 1973★★★★★

    Paris Peace Accords

    The United States, North and South Vietnam and the Provisional Revolutionary Government sign an agreement ending direct US involvement in the war.

    Treaty· Vietnam, United States, France
  30. c. 1975 – c. 1995★★★★★

    Vietnamese boat people

    Hundreds of thousands of people flee Vietnam by sea after 1975; many die at sea and others are resettled, mostly in Western countries.

    Politics· Vietnam, United States, Australia, Canada, France, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand
  31. January 21, 1976★★★★★

    Concorde enters commercial service

    The Anglo-French supersonic airliner Concorde begins commercial passenger flights.

    Technology· United Kingdom, France
  32. 1983★★★★★

    Discovery of HIV

    A team at the Pasteur Institute including Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier reports the virus later named HIV, the cause of AIDS.

    ScienceDisease· France
  33. November 1, 1993★★★★★

    European Union established by the Maastricht Treaty

    The Maastricht Treaty enters into force, formally establishing the European Union and laying the groundwork for a single currency.

    TreatyPolitics· Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Greece, Spain, Portugal
History of France · World History Timeline