1978 in France

Events from the year 1978 in France.

Incumbents

Events

February – Launch of the Horizon front-wheel drive hatchback by Chrysler Europe, which will be built in France as a Simca and sold in Britain as a Talbot.
1 February – Hollywood film director Roman Polanski skips bail and flees to France, after pleading guilty to charges of engaging in sex with a 13-year-old girl.
12 March – Legislative Election held.
19 March – Legislative Election held.
April – Launch of the Renault 18 saloon and estates, replacement for the Renault 12.
4 May – Communist activist Henri Curiel is murdered in Paris.
10 May – Two years after buying Citroën, carmaker Peugeot makes another takeover by purchasing the European operations of American car giant Chrysler, owners of the French Simca and British Chrysler brands.
16 May – Amoco Cadiz runs aground off the coast of Brittany, split in two and spilled of oil.
18–19 May – Belgian and French paratroopers fly to Zaire to aid the fight against the rebels.
27 May – Brittany Ferries inaugurate a regular service between Roscoff and Cork in the Republic of Ireland.
26 June – Bombing by Breton nationalists causes destruction in Palace of Versailles.
December – The Simca Horizon is voted European Car of the Year.
31 December – Disappearance of Danielle Judic.
unknown date – The Trâ Armânami Association of French Aromanians is founded.

Births

January to March

5 January – Franck Montagny, motor racing driver.
6 January – Renaud Dion, cyclist.
11 January – Stéphane Morisot, soccer player.
14 January – Éric Sitruk, soccer player.
17 January
* Stéphane Pasquier, jockey.
* Aboubacar Sankhare, soccer player.
21 January – David Coulibaly, soccer player.
30 January – Sébastien Sansoni, soccer player.
7 February – Nicolas Ardouin, soccer player.
8 February – Loïc Jean-Albert, parachuter.
11 February – Aurélien Cologni, rugby league player.
16 February – Nicolas Florentin, soccer player.
26 February – Stéphane Bonnes, soccer player.
28 February – Jeanne Cherhal, singer-songwriter
5 March – Stéphane Martine, soccer player.
13 March – Faustine Merret, windsurfer and Olympic gold medallist.
22 March – Arnaud Le Lan, soccer player.
26 March – Cédric Mouret, soccer player.
27 March – Amélie Cocheteux, tennis player.
28 March – Fabien Audard, soccer player.
30 March – Édouard Cissé, soccer player.
31 March – Jérôme Rothen, international soccer player.

April to June

5 April – Boussad Houche, soccer player.
5 April – Arnaud Tournant, cyclist.
8 April – Mathieu Assou-Ekotto, soccer player.
11 April – David Ducourtioux, soccer player.
2 May – Didier Domi, soccer player.
5 May – Bruno Cheyrou, soccer player.
6 May – Tony Estanguet, canoeist
11 May – Laetitia Casta, supermodel and actress.
15 May – Sébastien Chabbert, soccer player.
15 May – Yohan Demont, soccer player.
27 May – Jacques Abardonado, soccer player.
29 May – Sébastien Grosjean, tennis player.
2 June – Nicolas Bal, Nordic combined skier and Olympic medallist.
6 June – Faudel, singer.
11 June – Julien Rodriguez, soccer player.
15 June – Jérôme Moïso, basketball player.
17 June – Isabelle Delobel, ice dancer.
17 June – Véronique Delobel, ice dancer.
23 June – Frédéric Leclercq, bassist.
28 June – Clarisse Albrecht, singer-songwriter, actress and former model

July to September

17 July – Émilie Simon, singer and composer.
18 July – Mélissa Theuriau, journalist and news anchor.
20 July – Cédric Heymans, rugby union player.
26 July – Matthieu Bataille, judoka.
28 July – Yannick Jauzion, rugby union player.
29 July – Julien Laharrague, rugby union player.
4 August – Emmanuelle Boidron, actress.
7 August – Alexandre Aja, film director.
8 August – Louis Saha, association football player
9 August – Audrey Tautou, actress.
14 August – Pascal Delhommeau, soccer player.
19 August – François Modesto, soccer player.
19 August – Sebastien Tortelli, twice World Champion motocross racer.
27 August – Franck Queudrue, soccer player.
29 August – Yves Deroff, soccer player.
31 August – Philippe Christanval, soccer player.
1 September – Coralie Clément, singer.
9 September – Alioune Touré, soccer player.
11 September – Laurent Courtois, soccer player.
13 September – Sonia Huguet, cyclist.
20 September – Julien Bonnaire, rugby union player.
23 September – Frédéric Daquin, soccer player.
23 September – Ingrid Jacquemod, alpine skier.
27 September – Jean-Joël Perrier-Doumbé, soccer player.

October to December

5 October – Fabien Boudarène, soccer player.
29 October – Jérôme Guisset, rugby league player.
22 November – Mélanie Doutey, actress.
28 November – Denis Flahaut, cyclist.
7 December – Jean Bouilhou, rugby union player.
10 December – Grégory Proment, soccer player.
11 December – Eric Borel, spree killer.
16 December – Sylvain Distin, soccer player.

Full date unknown

Valérie Crunchant, actress.
Damien Luce, pianist.

Deaths

January to April

8 January – André François-Poncet, politician and diplomat.
16 January – Jean Gounot, gymnast and Olympic medallist.
22 January – Léon Damas, poet and politician.
24 January – Georges Perros, writer.
31 January – Marie-Louise Damien, singer and actress.
24 February – Georges Bénézé, philosopher.
2 March – Alix Combelle, swing jazz tenor saxophonist, clarinetist and bandleader.
11 March – Hélène Bouvier, operatic mezzo-soprano.
11 March – Claude François, singer and songwriter.
15 March – Jacques Forestier, rheumatologist.
18 March – François Duprat, negationist writer.
19 March – Gaston Julia, mathematician.
20 March – Jacques Brugnon, tennis player.
23 April – Jacques Rueff, economist and adviser to the French Government.
29 April – Robert Debré, physician.

May to December

4 May – Henri Curiel, political activist, assassinated.
14 May – Henri Chapron, automobile coachbuilder.
24 June – Robert Charroux, writer.
14 July – Gaston Ragueneau, athlete and Olympic medallist.
22 July – André Chapelon, mechanical engineer and designer of steam locomotives.
23 July – Danielle Collobert, author, poet and journalist.
25 August – Olivier Hussenot, actor.
26 August – Charles Boyer, actor.
6 September – Max Décugis, tennis player.
8 September – Jean Nicolas, international soccer player.
19 September – Étienne Gilson, Thomistic philosopher and historian of philosophy.
16 November – Claude Dauphin, actor.
5 December – Bernard Faÿ, historian.
21 December – Roger Caillois, writer and intellectual.

Full date unknown

Camille Le Mercier d'Erm, poet, historian and Breton nationalist.