Jacques Chirac Fast Facts
CNN Editorial Research
(CNN) — Here’s a look at the life of Jacques Chirac, former president of France.
Personal
Birth date: November 29, 1932
Death date: September 26, 2019
Birth place: Paris, France
Birth name: Jacques Rene Chirac
Father: Francois Chirac
Mother: Marie Louise Chirac
Marriage: Bernadette Chodron de Courcel (March 16, 1956-September 26, 2019, his death)
Children: Claude, Laurence and Anh Dao
Education: Lycée Louis-le-Grand; L’Institut d’Etudes Politiques (IEP/Institute for Political Studies); Attended Harvard University; L’Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA/National School of Administration)
Religion: Roman Catholic
Timeline
1962 – Joins the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers.
1967-1968 – Secretary of State of Employment.
1968-1971 – Economy and Finance Minister.
1972-1974 – Agriculture Minister.
1974-1976 – Premier/Prime Minister of France.
1976 – Is elected president of L’Union de Démocrates pour la République or (RPR). Changes the party’s name to Rassemblement pour la République.
1977-1995 – Mayor of Paris.
1979-1980 – Member of the European Parliament.
1979 – Meets newly arrived Vietnamese refugee Anh Dao Traxel at Charles de Gaulle airport and takes her home to become a member of his family.
1986-1988 – Premier/Prime Minister of France.
May 7, 1995 – Is elected president of France.
May 5, 2002 – Is reelected as president.
July 14, 2002 – Survives an assassination attempt during a Bastille Day parade when a neo-nazi gunman fires a rifle at his open-top car.
September 2, 2005 – Is taken to Val-de-Grace Hospital for a “vascular incident” which impaired vision in one of his eyes. He is discharged September 9th.
February 8, 2006 – Condemns the decision of several French newspapers to reprint certain controversial cartoons about Muslims that were originally printed in Danish newspapers.
May 16, 2007 – Leaves office.
November 21, 2007 – Is placed under formal investigation by a judge for possible misuse of public funds while mayor of Paris. He is the first former French president since World War II to be investigated for corruption.
April 12, 2008 – Is released from a hospital, after a two-day stay where he has a pace-maker installed.
June 10, 2008 – Announces the creation of a nonprofit organization, the Chirac Foundation, to promote sustainable development and dialogue among cultures.
October 30, 2009 – A French judge indicts Chirac on charges of embezzlement while he was mayor of Paris and orders the former president to stand trial.
November 5, 2009 – The first volume of Chirac’s memoirs, “Memoires: Chaque Pas Doit Etre un But” (Each Step Should be a Goal), is published.
September 21, 2010 – It is announced that Chirac will stand trial for embezzlement in March 2011. The trial relates to allegations of embezzlement between 1992 and 1995 during his tenure as mayor of Paris.
November 8, 2010 – It is announced that Chirac will stand trial for a second corruption case. The trial relates to allegations dating back to between 1990 and 1994.
September 5, 2011 – Chirac’s corruption trial begins. Chirac is excused from attending the trial, after medical records are submitted showing that he suffers from severe memory loss.
December 15, 2011 – Is found guilty on corruption charges and receives a two-year suspended sentence. The conviction is for breach of trust, misappropriation of public funds and illegal use of influence from 1990 through 1995.
November 13, 2012 – Chirac’s autobiography, “My Life in Politics,” is released.
December 10, 2015 – It is reported that Chirac has been admitted to a Paris hospital. It is likely he will remain under observation for several days.
September 18, 2016 – Chirac is admitted to a Paris hospital for a lung infection.
September 26, 2019 – Chirac passes away at the age of 86.
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