1996 in France

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See also:	Other events in 1996; History of France · Timeline · ; Years

Events from the year 1996 in France.

Incumbents

8 January – Former president of France and founder of the Socialist Party of France, François Mitterrand, dies.
29 January – President Jacques Chirac announces a "definitive end" to French nuclear testing.
5 May – A fire in Paris destroys much of Crédit Lyonnais bank's headquarters.
23 May – Members of the Armed Islamic Group in Algeria kill seven French Trappist monks, after talks with French government concerning the imprisonment of several GIA sympathisers break down.
27 – 29 June – 22nd G7 summit takes place in Lyon.
8 October – Launch of Renault Mégane Scénic, a five-seater mini MPV based on the floorpan of the standard Mégane hatchback.^[1]
18 November – Channel Tunnel fire on a truck being carried on an HGV shuttle.
Full date unknown:
- Tennis Elbow video game is released in November 1996.^[2]

8 January – François Mitterrand, President of France from 1981 to 1995 (born 1916).
15 January – Max Varnel, film and television director (born 1925).

6 February – Jacques Wertheimer, businessman (born 1911).
11 February – Pierre Edouard Leopold Verger, photographer and ethnographer (born 1902).
14 February – Louis Finot, international soccer player (born 1909).
17 February – Hervé Bazin, writer (born 1911).

17 July – Paul Touvier, convicted of crime against humanity for his Collaborationist role during Vichy France (born 1915).
29 July – Marcel-Paul Schützenberger, mathematician (born 1920).
2 August – Michel Debré, politician and first Prime Minister of the Fifth Republic (born 1912).
4 August – André Trochut, cyclist (born 1931).
30 August – Christine Pascal, actress, writer and director (born 1953).

11 October – Pierre Grimal, historian and classicist (born 1912).
12 October – René Lacoste, tennis player (born 1904).
12 October – Roger Lapébie, cyclist, won the 1937 Tour de France (born 1911).
15 October – Pierre Franey, chef and food writer (born 1921).
17 October – Jean-Pierre Munch, cyclist (born 1926).
26 October – Henri Lepage, fencer (born 1908).
31 October – Marcel Carné, film director (born 1906).
3 December – Georges Duby, historian (born 1919).
3 December – Jean Tabaud, artist (born 1914).
9 December – Alain Poher, politician (born 1909).
11 December – Marie-Claude Vaillant-Couturier, member of the French Resistance (born 1912).
21 December – Alfred Tonello, cyclist (born 1929).
25 December – Roger Duchesne, actor (born 1906).
25 December – Gabriel Loire, stained glass artist (born 1904).
29 December – Mireille Hartuch, singer, composer and actress (born 1906).