2003 in France

Events from the year 2003 in France.

Incumbents

• President – Jacques Chirac
• Prime Minister – Jean-Pierre Raffarin

Events

• 3 March – Speech of Dominique de Villepin, UN against war in Iraq.
• 10 March – President Jacques Chirac promises to veto any UN resolution authorising war in Iraq.
• 11 April – Flactif family murders.
• May – Citroën launches the C3 Pluriel, a small convertible.
• 30 May – Last flight of Air France's Concorde between Paris and New York.
• 1 June – 29th G8 summit in Évian-les-Bains starts, with tight security and tens of thousands of protesters.
• 7 July – Corsica voters reject a referendum for increased autonomy from France by a very narrow margin.
• 11 August – A heat wave in Paris causes temperatures up to 44 Ã‚°C (112 Ã‚°F).
• September – Citroën cease production of the decade-old Saxo to be replaced by the 3-door C2. The Peugeot 106 also ceases production by this time.
• 24 October – The Concorde makes its last commercial flight.
• 24 December – At the request of the United States Embassy in Paris, the French Government orders Air France to cancel several flights between France and the U.S. in response to terrorist concerns.

Births

• 19 May – Malo Gusto, footballer
• 24 August – Alexandre Coste, illegitimate son of Albert II, Prince of Monaco.
• 17 November – Luce Douady, climber (d. 2020)

Deaths

January to March

• 11 January – Maurice Pialat, film director, screenwriter and actor (born 1925).
• 19 January – Françoise Giroud, journalist, screenwriter, writer and politician (born 1916).
• 30 January – Paul-André Meyer, mathematician (born 1934).
• 10 February – Alfred Aston, international soccer player (born 1912).
• 20 February – Maurice Blanchot, writer, philosopher, and literary theorist (born 1907).
• 22 February – Daniel Toscan du Plantier, film critic.
• 24 February – Bernard Loiseau, chef (born 1951).
• 28 February – Albert Batteux, international soccer player and manager (born 1919).
• 4 March – Sébastien Japrisot, author, screenwriter and film director (born 1931).
• 14 March – Jean-Luc Lagardère, engineer and businessman (born 1928).

April to June

• 7 April – Cecile de Brunhoff, storyteller (born 1903).
• 17 April – Jean-Pierre Dogliani, soccer player (born 1942).
• 18 April – Jean Drucker, journalist.
• 23 April – Fernand Fonssagrives, photographer (born 1910).
• 12 May – Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (born 1933).
• 23 May – Jean Yanne, humorist, actor and film director (born 1933).
• 24 May – François Boyer, screenwriter (born 1920).
• 25 May – Laurette Séjourné, archeologist and ethnologist (born 1911).
• 27 May – Jacques Henri-Labourdette, architect (born 1915).
• 29 May – Pierre Restany, art critic and cultural philosopher (born 1930).
• 31 May – Nicolas Barone, cyclist (born 1931).
• 7 June – Georges Pichard, comics artist (born 1920).
• 13 June – Guy Lux, game show host and producer (born 1919).

July to September

• 4 July – André Claveau, singer (born 1915).
• 18 July – Marc Camoletti, playwright (born 1923).
• August – Christian Boussus, tennis player (born 1908).
• 1 August – Marie Trintignant, actress (born 1962).
• 9 August – Jacques Deray, film director (born 1929).
• 27 August – Pierre Poujade, politician (born 1920).
• 31 August – Pierre Cahuzac, soccer player (born 1927).
• 27 September – Jean Lucas, motor racing driver (born 1917).

October to December

• 15 October – Pierre Chanal, soldier and suspected serial killer (born 1946).
• 16 November – Bettina Goislard, United Nations worker (born 1974).
• 21 October – Jean Hélène, journalist (born 1953).
• 22 October – Philippe Ragueneau, journalist and writer (born 1917).
• 26 November – Stefan Wul, writer (born 1922).
• 6 December – Paul-Louis Halley, billionaire businessman (born 1934).
• 25 December – Francine Lancelot, dancer, choreographer and dance historian (born 1929).
• 26 December – Georges Boudarel, academic and Communist militant (born 1926).
• December – Guy Héraud, politician and lawyer (born 1920).

References