1966 in France

See also: 1965 in France, 1967 in France.

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Events from the year 1966 in France.

Events

• 4 January - A gas leak fire at the Feyzin oil refinery near Lyon, kills 18 and injures 84.
• 10 January - L'Express publishes a story of Georges Figon, who took part in the kidnapping of Mehdi Ben Barka.
• 18 January - Police announce that Georges Figon committed suicide, prior to his arrest for the kidnapping of Mehdi Ben Barka.
• 7 March - Charles De Gaulle asks U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson for negotiations about the state of NATO equipment in France.
• 11 March - President Charles De Gaulle states that French troops will be taken out of NATO and that all French NATO bases and HQ's must be closed within a year.
• 17 June - An Air France personnel strike begins.
• 20 June - President Charles De Gaulle starts visit to the Soviet Union.
• 30 June - France formally leaves NATO.
• 26 August - Riots occur in French Somaliland.
• 30 August - France offers independence to French Somaliland.
• 11 October - France and the Soviet Union sign a treaty for cooperation in nuclear research.
• 26 October - NATO moves its HQ from Paris to Brussels.

Sport

• 21 June - Tour de France begins.
• 14 July - Tour de France ends, won by Lucien Aimar.

Births

January to March

• 17 January - Jean-Pierre Delaunay, soccer player and coach.
• 24 January - Julie Dreyfus, actress.
• 1 February - Laurent Garnier, techno music producer and DJ.
• 3 February - Jean-Jacques Eydelie, soccer player.
• 4 February - Guillaume Dasquié, journalist and writer.
• 28 February - Eric Dubus, athlete.
• 29 March - Stéphane Bré, soccer referee.

April to June

• 3 April - Rémi Garde, soccer player and coach.
• 19 April - Véronique Gens, soprano.
• 24 April - Pascale Paradis, tennis player.
• 26 April - Jean-Christophe Jeauffre, explorer, filmmaker and producer.
• 28 April - Jean-Luc Crétier, alpine skier and Olympic gold medallist.
• 11 May - Estelle Lefébure, supermodel.
• 14 May - Marianne Denicourt, actress.
• 17 May - Gilles Quénéhervé, athlete and Olympic medallist.
• 24 May - Eric Cantona, soccer player.
• 30 May - Frédéric Hantz, soccer manager.
• 14 June - Thierry Bonalair, soccer player.
• 14 June - Béatrice Mouthon, triathlete.
• 14 June - Isabelle Mouthon-Michellys, triathlete.
• 16 June - Patrice Killoffer, comics illustrator and writer.
• 16 June - Stéphane Traineau, judoka and Olympic medallist.
• 18 June - Catherine Fleury-Vachon, judoka and Olympic gold medallist.
• 22 June - Emmanuelle Seigner, actress.

July to September

• 1 July - Stéphan Caron, swimmer and Olympic medallist.
• 5 July - Laurence Ferrari, journalist.
• 8 July - Jean-Philippe Jodard, beach volleyball player.
• 15 July - Irène Jacob, actress.
• 4 August - Luc Leblanc, cyclist.
• 5 August - Gilles Delion, cyclist.
• 13 August - Pascal Lino, cyclist.
• 28 August - Christophe Galtier, soccer player.
• 31 August - Thierry Champion, tennis player.
• 2 September - Olivier Panis, motor racing driver.
• 3 September - Angelo Hugues, soccer player.
• 4 September - Biréli Lagrène, guitarist and bassist.
• 24 September - Christophe Bouchut, motor racing driver.
• 29 September - Laurent Chambertin, volleyball player.

October to December

• 10 October - Laurent Duhamel, soccer referee.
• 18 October - Thierry Lamberton, ice speed skater.
• 25 October - Lionel Charbonnier, soccer player.
• 6 November - Laurent Lafforgue, mathematician.
• 17 November - Sophie Marceau, actress.
• 19 November - Dominique Arnould, cyclist.
• 23 November - Vincent Cassel, actor.
• 30 November - Philippe Bozon, ice hockey player.
• 10 December - Benjamin Clément, soccer player.
• 20 December - Hélène Rollès, actress and singer.
• 29 December - Laurent Boudouani, boxer and Olympic medallist.
• 29 December - Patrice Rognon, judoka and Olympic medallist.

Full date unknown

• Jean-Pascal Beintus, composer.
• Catherine Dufour, writer.

Deaths

January to March

• 1 January - Vincent Auriol, politician, President of France (born 1884).
• 4 January - Marcel Tabuteau, oboist (born 1887).
• 6 January - Jean Lurçat, painter and tapestry designer (born 1892).
• 22 January - Jean Galtier-Boissière, writer, polemist and journalist (born 1891).
• 11 March - Jean Laigret, biologist (born 1893).
• 16 March - Jean Neuberth, abstract painter (born 1915).
• 31 March - Andre Richaume, archetier/bowmaker (born 1905).

April to June

• 13 April - Georges Duhamel, author (born 1884).
• 4 May - Amédée Ozenfant, cubist painter (born 1886).
• 24 May - Henri Barbé, communist (born 1902).
• 7 June - Jean Arp, sculptor, painter, poet and abstract artist (born 1886).
• 13 June - Pierre Chaumié, politician (born 1880).
• 19 June - Pierre Montet, Egyptologist (born 1885).
• 26 June - Francois Dupre, hotelier, art collector and horse breeder (born 1888).

July to September

• 14 July - Julie Manet, painter and art collector (born 1878).
• 29 July - André Spire, poet, writer, and Zionist activist (born 1868).
• 17 August - François Piétri, politician, Minister and diplomat (born 1882).
• 18 August - Louis Renou, indologist (born 1896).
• 14 September - Alexandre Bioussa, rugby union player (born 1901).
• 21 September - Paul Reynaud, politician and lawyer (born 1878).
• 28 September - André Breton, writer, poet, and surrealist theorist (born 1896).

October to December

• 6 October - Pierre Couderc, screenwriter, actor, acrobat and film producer (born 1896).
• 8 October - Célestin Freinet, pedagogue, and educational reformer (born 1896).
• 10 October - Robert Desoille, psychotherapist (born 1890).
• 17 October - Cléo de Mérode, dancer (born 1875).
• 28 October - Robert Charpentier, cyclist and Olympic gold medallist (born 1916).

Full date unknown

• Charles Catteau, industrial designer (born 1880).
• Frédéric Justin Collet, pathologist and otolaryngologist (born 1870).
• Louis Couffignal, mathematician and cybernetics pioneer (born 1902).
• Edmond Locard, pioneer in forensic science (born 1877).