Jacques Chirac Biography

Appointed Correze Dept

Appointed Minister of the Interior

Appointed Prime Minister of France, 1st term

Nominated Prime Minister of France by Giscard dEstaing

Founds the conservative Rally for the Republic movement

Cites Giscards unwillingness to give him authority

Founds the RPR party

Appointed Mayor of Paris

Comes 3rd in the 1st round of the Presidential elections

Splits the centre-right vote, Chirac & Giscard were defeated by Socialist Mitterrand

Leads a Conservative coalition Government

Appointed Prime Minister of France, 2nd term

Iran and France breaks diplomatic relations

Runs against Mitterrand for a 2nd time, defeated in runoff elections. Polls 46% on the vote during the 2nd round

Chirac and Helmut Kohl reaffirmed Franco-German commitment to the planned single European currency.

Elected President of France, "to reduce the social rift"

Kohl & Chirac meet to confirm their committment to a single currency in the EU

Kohl & Chirac meet to confirm their committment to a single currency in the EU

Kohl & Chirac meet to confirm their committment to a single currency in the EU

Kohl & Chirac meet to confirm their committment to a single currency in the EU

Chirac hosted European leaders at Cannes as they addressed enlargement, Mediterranean policy and preparations for monetary union.

Resumes nuclear tests at Mururoa Atoll in French Polynesia. France conducts nuclear tests beneath atolls southeast of Tahiti in French Polynesia, breaking a 1992 test moratorium despite worldwide protests from environmentalists

The full and formal agreement is signed by French President Jacques Chirac, US President Bill Clinton, UK Prime Minister John Major, German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin

Chirac joined European leaders in adopting the name euro for the future single currency.

France conducts its final nuclear test before ending nuclear explosive testing.

France carries out a nuclear test equivalent to approximately 120,000 tonnes of conventional explosives, six times the force of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima

Chirac announces an end to nuclear tests, accedes to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

Paris agrees to a 10-year compensation package for French Polynesia to rectify some of the damage caused by the programme of nuclear testing. Chirac announces an end to nuclear tests, accedes to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

Chirac participated in launching negotiations that produced the Amsterdam Treaty.

Chirac joined European leaders in reaching political agreement on the Amsterdam Treaty.

Chirac supported opening the enlargement process with Central and Eastern European applicant states.

France adopted the euro for accounting and electronic transactions when the single currency was launched.

Chirac backed the European strategy for employment, economic reform and a more competitive knowledge-based economy.

Chirac hosted European leaders as they endorsed the draft Charter of Fundamental Rights.

Chirac chaired the Nice European Council, which reached agreement on institutional reforms for future enlargement.

Chirac joined European leaders in signing the Treaty of Nice, designed to prepare the institutions for enlargement.

Euro banknotes and coins entered circulation in France and eleven other participating countries.

"We must reject extremism in the name of the honor of France in the name of the unity". Parties outside the National Front call for opposing Le Pen in favour of Chirac

Chirac survives an assassination by Maxime Brunerie on Bastille Day

Chirac backs France's participation in the treaty opening the final route to the 2004 enlargement.

Chirac welcomed ten new member states as the European Union completed its largest enlargement.

Chirac joined European leaders in signing the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe.

Disaffected youths, primarily of French Muslim descent, began 20 nights of civil unrest in the suburbs of Paris

The riots are triggered when two teenagers were electrocuted in a poor area of a suburb east of Paris after allegedly climbing a fence to hide in an electric substation from a routine police-identification check.

The riots which began in Clichy-sous-Bois quickly spread to more than 274 communes or towns one person is killed and 126 police and fire personnel are injured in the unrest

in which nearly 9,000 cars and at least two buildings are set ablaze.

Disaffected youths, primarily of French Muslim descent, began 20 nights of civil unrest in the suburbs of Paris

Chirac calls for the arrest, trial and punishment of the rioters

Chirac declares a state of emergency on the 12th day of the civil unrest

Chirac declares a state of emergency on the 12th day of the civil unrest