1999 in France
Events from the year 1999 in France.
Incumbents
Events
- 1 January - the euro currency is introduced for digital transactions in the European Union Eurozone member countries.
- 3 March – ratification of the Amsterdam Treaty by the French National Assembly.
- 17 March – ratification of the Amsterdam Treaty by the Senate.
- 24 March – Mont Blanc Tunnel fire: A fire in the Mont Blanc Tunnel kills 39 people, closing the tunnel for nearly three years.
- 13 June – European Parliament election in France.
- 11 August – a total solar eclipse occurs in the north of France.
- September – The Peugeot 607 is launched to replace the unsuccessful decade-old 605.
- 13 October – Pacte civil de solidarité adopted by French Parliament.
- 12 December – a ship, Erika, breaks up near Penmarc'h spilling 37 000 tons of fuel, causing an oil slick on the Breton, Vendean and Charentaise coasts. Loire-Atlantique is particularly affected.
- 26 and 28 December – Storms Lothar and Martin cause heavy damage with winds reaching 180 km/h. The total damage includes more than 90 dead, 6 billion euros paid by the insurers and 10,000 km2 of forest devastated.
- 29 December – English woman Evelyn Wilkinson-Lund is reported missing from her home in Rayssac.
- Full date unknown – Certificat d'aptitude à l'enseignement aéronautique, a national degree for aeronautics and space knowledge, is introduced.
Arts and literature
- 2 September – Publication of Jean-Marie Guéhenno's "L'avenir de la liberté – La démocratie dans la mondialisation", which examines the problems arising from confrontation between the democracy and globalisation
Sport
- 27 June – French Grand Prix won by Heinz-Harald Frentzen of Germany.
- 3 July – Tour de France begins.
- 25 July – Tour de France ends, won by Lance Armstrong of the United States.
Births
- 21 March – Mélusine Mayance, actress
- 26 March - Bleuenn Battistoni, Ballerina
- 14 April – Matteo Guendouzi, soccer player
- 13 July – Julian Chartier, trampoline gymnast
Deaths
January
- 6 January – Michel Petrucciani, Jazz pianist.
- 19 January – Jacques Lecoq, actor, mime and acting instructor.
- 24 January – Roger Rondeaux, cyclo-cross racer.
- 25 January – Henri Rochereau, politician and European Commissioner.
- 26 January – Jeanne-Marie Darré, pianist.
February
- 3 February – Luc Borrelli, soccer player
- 4 February – Maurice Najman, journalist
- 12 February – André Devigny, soldier and French Resistance member
- 18 February – Andreas Feininger, photographer
March
- 12 March – André Nocquet, aikido teacher.
- 17 March – Jean Pierre-Bloch, French Resistance member.
- 20 March – Elsa Barraine, composer
- 21 March – Jean Guitton, Catholic philosopher and theologian.
May
- 25 May – René Gallice, soccer player.
June
- 9 June – Maurice Journeau, composer.
- 19 June – Henri, comte de Paris, Orléanist claimant to the French throne.
- 28 June – Louis Ducatel, politician and businessman.
- 30 June – Edouard Boubat, photographer.
July to October
- 16 July – André Martinet, linguist.
- 30 July – Hermann Panzo, athlete.
- 22 August – Yann Goulet, sculptor, Breton nationalist and war-time Nazi collaborationist.
- 30 August – Raymond Poïvet, cartoonist.
- 14 September – Jehan Buhan, fencer.
- 15 September – Michel Pinseau, architect.
- 4 October – Bernard Buffet, painter.
- 27 October – Charlotte Perriand, architect and designer.
November
- 3 November – Alan Heusaff, Breton nationalist and linguist.
- 9 November – Claude Ballot-Léna, motor racing driver.
- 11 November – Alphonse Antoine, cyclist.
- 13 November – Germaine Dieterlen, anthropologist.
- 21 November – Serge Lang, journalist, alpine skier, and founder of the alpine skiing World Cup.
- 25 November – Pierre Bézier, engineer.
- 27 November – Alain Peyrefitte, scholar and politician.
December
- 6 December – Paul Bacon, politician.
- 18 December – Robert Bresson, film director.
- 23 December – Marcel Landowski, composer, biographer and arts administrator.
- 24 December – Maurice Couve de Murville, politician and Prime Minister.
- 28 December – Pierre Clémenti, actor.
- 28 December – Louis Féraud, fashion designer and artist.
Full date unknown
- René Le Hir, Breton nationalist.
- Laure Leprieur, radio personality.