1961 in France explained

Events from the year 1961 in France.

Incumbents

• President

• Prime Minister

Michel Debré

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.
• 21 September – Organisation armée secrète (OAS) slips an anti-de Gaulle message into TV programming.
• October – The Renault 4, a small estate car similar in concept to the Citroen 2CV saloon, is launched at the Paris Salon.^[1]
• 10 October – Simca launches the Simca 1000, a small rear-engined four-door family saloon.^[2]
• 17 October – Paris massacre, French police attacked an unarmed and peaceful demonstration of some 30,000 Algerians. Government acknowledged 40 deaths in 1998, although there are estimates of up to 200.
• Fashion brand Yves Saint Laurent is launched 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)
• 21 September – Philippe Anziani, soccer player and coach
• 29 September – Jean-Marie Neff, racewalker
• 9 October – Martial Fesselier, racewalker
• 25 December – Ghislaine Maxwell, British socialite^{[3] [4]}

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)

See also

• 1961 in French television
• List of French films of 1961

Notes and References

1. Web site: Renault 4 Register. 15 October 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100922092322/http://www.renaultclassiccarclub.com/renault4_6.htm. 22 September 2010. dead.
2. Web site: Thompson . Andy . Simca 1000 cars . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120204071525/http://www.rootes-chrysler.co.uk/simca-cars/simca-1000.html . February 4, 2012 . 2022-11-11 . Rootes/Chrysler.
3. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/ghislaine-maxwell-did-go-socialite-shadowy-figure-sex-crime/ Ghislaine Maxwell: How did she go from socialite to the shadowy figure in a sex crime investigation?
4. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/10231630/Betty-Maxwell.html Twitter Icon