1961 in France

Decades:	1940s ; 1950s ; 1960s ; 1970s ; 1980s ;
See also:	Other events of 1961 ; History of France • Timeline • Years

Last updated June 28, 2025

Incumbents

Events

8 January – French referendum on Algerian self-determination is approved by three-quarters of voters.
18 March – A ceasefire takes effect in the Algerian War of Independence.
21 April-26 April – Algiers putsch, failed coup d'état attempt organized by four retired French army generals.
31 May
- Rebel generals Maurice Challe and Andre Zelelr are sentenced to 15 years in prison.
- President John F. Kennedy and Charles De Gaulle meet in Paris.
17 June – A Paris-to-Strasbourg train derails near Vitry-le-François; 24 are killed, 109 injured.
29 August – A military aircraft clips a cable of the aerial tramway connecting Pointe Helbronner and the Aiguille du Midi in the French Alps. Three cars of the tramway fall, killing five people, but the remaining 63 cable car passengers are rescued and the pilot lands his plane safely.^[1]
21 September
- Organisation armée secrète (OAS) slips an anti-de Gaulle message into TV programming.
- Fashion brand Yves Saint Laurent is launched by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé in Paris.
October – The Renault 4, a small estate car similar in concept to the Citroen 2CV saloon, is launched at the Paris Salon.^[2]
10 October – Simca launches the Simca 1000, a small rear-engined four-door family saloon.^[3]
17 October – Paris massacre, French police attack an unarmed and peaceful demonstration of some 30,000 Algerians. Government acknowledges 40 deaths in 1998, although there are estimates of up to 200.
14 November – The Yves Saint Laurent luxury fashion brand is founded in Rue La Boetie, Paris, by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé.

Arts and literature

4 May – Phenomenological philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty dies, age 53, of a stroke, apparently while preparing for a class on Descartes.

Sport

18 June – French Grand Prix won by Giancarlo Baghetti of Italy.
25 June – Tour de France begins.
19 July – Tour de France ends, won by Jacques Anquetil.

Births

2 April – François Gernigon, politician
15 April – José Anigo, soccer player and sporting director
16 May – Solveig Dommartin, actress (died 2007)
2 July – Samy Naceri, French actor
21 September – Philippe Anziani, soccer player and coach
29 September – Jean-Marie Neff, racewalker
9 October – Martial Fesselier, racewalker
6 November – Florent Pagny, French singer and actor
25 December – Ghislaine Maxwell, British socialite^[4]^[5]

Deaths

3 May – Maurice Merleau-Ponty, phenomenological philosopher (born 1908)
29 June – Georges Guillain, neurologist (born 1876)
1 July – Louis-Ferdinand Céline, writer (born 1894)

References

↑ "21 Dead in French Cable Car Crash". The Guardian . London. 1 July 1999.
↑ "Renault 4 Register". Archived from the original on 22 September 2010. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
↑ Thompson, Andy. "Simca 1000 cars". Rootes/Chrysler. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
↑ Ghislaine Maxwell: How did she go from socialite to the shadowy figure in a sex crime investigation?
↑ Twitter Icon

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[1] "21 Dead in French Cable Car Crash". The Guardian . London. 1 July 1999.

[2] "Renault 4 Register". Archived from the original on 22 September 2010. Retrieved 15 October 2010.

[3] Thompson, Andy. "Simca 1000 cars". Rootes/Chrysler. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2022.

[4] Ghislaine Maxwell: How did she go from socialite to the shadowy figure in a sex crime investigation?

[5] Twitter Icon

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