1955 in France
Events from the year 1955 in France.
Incumbents
- President: Rene Coty
- President of the Council of Ministers:
- * until 17 February: Pierre Mendès France
- * 17 February-23 February: Christian Pineau
- * starting 23 February: Edgar Faure
Events
- 28 March – SNCF sets a new world rail speed record of 331 km/h using electric traction.
- 5 May – Bonn–Paris conventions come into force, putting an end to the Allied occupation of West Germany.
- 11 June – 1955 Le Mans disaster. Driver Pierre Levegh and 82 spectators killed in a crash during the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans race.
- 28 July – The first Interlingua congress in Tours, France, leads to the founding of the Union Mundial pro Interlingua.
- 28 August – Murder of Janet Marshall.
- 6 October – The Citroen DS, a large saloon car, is launched at the Paris Motor Show.
Arts and literature
- 25 June – Notre Dame du Haut in Ronchamp, designed by Le Corbusier, is dedicated.
- 15 September – Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita is published in Paris by Olympia Press.
Sport
- 7 July – Tour de France begins.
- 30 July – Tour de France ends, won by Louison Bobet.
Births
- 28 January
- *Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France
- *Chantal Sébire, teacher and euthanasia campaigner
- 24 February – Alain Prost, motor racing driver
- 4 March – Dominique Pinon, actor
- 9 March – Jean-Luc Arribart, soccer player
- 17 March – Élie Baup, soccer player and manager
- 21 June – Michel Platini, soccer player
- 27 June – Isabelle Adjani, actress
- 2 August – Anne Lacaton, architect
- 7 August – Chantal Réga, athlete
- 8 September – Olivia Dutron, actress
- 17 September – Olivier Chandon de Brailles, motor racing driver
- 7 October – Yo-Yo Ma, cellist
- 14 December – Hervé Guibert, writer
Deaths
- 15 January – Yves Tanguy, surrealist painter
- 23 February – Paul Claudel, poet, dramatist and diplomat
- 22 March – Maurice Schutz, actor
- 19 June – Adrienne Monnier, poet and publisher
- 5 November – Maurice Utrillo, painter
- 27 November – Arthur Honegger, composer