Time line of France

Important dates and events in French hsitory, with the reigns of the kings, queens and political figures.

Yo can also test you general knowledge with the French Trivia quiz


Historical dates

  • 10 000 BC Paleolithic age
  • 5000 - 2500 BC Neolithic age
  • 51 BC - 486 AD Gaule
  • 486 - 751 AD Merovingiens
  • 481 - 511 AD Clovis
  • 751 - 987 AD Carolingiens
  • 751 - 768 Pepin le Bref
  • 768 - 814 Charlemange
  • 987 - 1328 Capetiens
  • 987 - 996 Hugues
  • 996 - 1031 Robert II le Pieux
  • 1031 - 1060 Henri I
  • 1060 - 1108 Philippe I
  • 1096 - Contruction of Vézlay
  • 1108 - 1137 Louis VI
  • 1130 Construction of the Abbey of Fontenay
  • 1137 - 1180 Louis VII
  • 1180 - 1223 Philippe II
  • 1223 - 1226 Louis VIII
  • 1226 - 1270 Louis IX
  • 1270 -1285 Philippe le hardi
  • 1285 - 1314 Philippe le Bel IV
  • 1039 - The Pope moves to Avignon
  • 1350 - 1364 Jean II le bon
  • 1364 - 1380 Charles V
  • 1380 - 1422 Charles VI
  • 1442 - Joan of Arc executed at Reims
  • 1442 - 1461 Charles VII
  • 1461 - 1483 Louis XI
  • End of the Middle Ages 1486
  • 1483 - 1595 Renaissance
  • 1559 - 1560 Francois II
  • 1589 - 1610 Henry IV (murdered by Ravaillac)
  • 1643 Louis XIII
  • 1643 - 1715 Louis XIV Roi Soleil
  • 1661 Louis XIV begins the construction of Versailles
  • 1715 - 1774 Louis XV
  • 1774 - 1792 Louis XVI
  • 1778 The American Colonies and France signed this military treaty on February 6.
  • 1789 The French Revolution
    • Prise de la Bastille the 14th July
    • The declaration of "Droits de l'homme" 26th August
    • The wealth of church is given to the nation 2nd November
  • 1792 1st Republic
  • 1793 Louis XVI is guillotined 21st January
  • 1796 Napoleon named as general of the army of Ital
  • 1804 - 1814 Napoleon 1
  • 1814 Restoration
  • 1821 Death of Napoleon
  • 1848 2nd Republic
  • 1852 - 1870 2nd Empire Napoleon 3
  • 1862 Victor Hugo writes "Les Miserables"
  • 1871 3rd Republic
  • 1887 - 1894 Sadi Carnot
  • 1894 The affair Drefus, accused of treason
  • 1889 World Expo at Paris with the Eiffel Tower
  • 1898 J'accuse by Emile Zola
  • 1905 The law seperates the state from the church
  • 1906-1913 Clemenceau
  • 1914 - 1918 World War I : ANZAC
  • 1926 Death Claude Monet
  • 1936-1945 Second World War
  • 1944 - 1946 Charles De Gaulle
  • 1944 April 21st, France finally gives women the right to vote.
  • 1946 - 1947 Leon Blumme
  • 1947 4th Republic
  • 1947-1954 Vincent Henrauriol
  • 1954-1959 René Coty
  • 1959 Fith Republic
  • 1959-1969 Charles de Gaulle
  • 1969 - 1974 President Pompidou
  • 1970 Death of Charles De Gaulle
  • 1974 Valéry Giscard d'Estaing elected President
  • 1981 François Mitterrand elected President
  • 1988 François Mitterrand re-elected President
  • 1991 Edith Cresson, the first French Prime Minister
  • 1995 Jacques Chirac elected President as the 5 President of the 5th French Repulic
  • 1996 Miterrand Francois dies
  • 2001 Constitution is changed, the President is elected for 5 years (7 years before)
  • 2002 Jacques Chirac re-elected President
  • 2007 Nicolas Sarkozy elected as the 6 President of the 5th French Repulic

Many thanks to Christianne Maniere for assisting with the dates

Family tree of the French kings



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