1962 in France

Incumbents

• President: Charles de Gaulle
• Prime Minister: Michel Debré, Georges Pompidou

  Events

• 3 February – Liner SS France begins her maiden voyage with the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique to New York.
• 5 February – President Charles de Gaulle calls for Algeria to be granted independence.
• 8 February – Charonne Massacre.
• 18 March – Evian agreements are signed by France and the F.L.N. ending the Algerian War.
• 19 March – Formal cease-fire comes into operation following Evian Accords, however, the OAS continues its terrorist attacks against Algerians.
• 24 March – OAS leader Edmond Jouahud is arrested in Oran.
• 26 March – France shortens the term for military service from 26 months to 18.
• 8 April – Évian Accords referendum held and adopted with a majority of 90%.
• 13 April – OAS leader Edmond Jouhaud is sentenced to death.
• 20 April – OAS leader Raoul Salan is arrested in Algiers.
• 2 May – An OAS bomb explodes in Algeria – this and other attacks kill 110 and injure 147.
• 23 May – Raoul Salan, founder of the Organisation armée secrète, is sentenced to life imprisonment.
• 29 May – Negotiations between the OAS and the FLA lead to a real armistice in Algeria.
• 3 June – Air France charter flight Chateau de Sully, a Boeing 707, over-runs the runway at Orly Airport in Paris; 130 of 132 passengers are killed, two flight attendants survive.
• 17 June – The OAS signs a truce with the FLN in Algeria, but a day later announces that it will continue the fight on behalf of French Algerians.
• 22 June – An Air France Boeing 707 jet crashes into terrain during bad weather in Guadeloupe, West Indies, killing all 113 on board.
• 30 June – The last soldiers of the French Foreign Legion leave Algeria.
• 1 July – Supporters of Algerian independence win 99% majority in a referendum.
• 2 July – Charles de Gaulle accepts Algerian independence; France recognizes it the next day.
• 5 July – Algeria becomes independent from France.
• 5 July – Oran massacre takes place in Algeria.
• 20 July – France and Tunisia reestablish diplomatic relations.
• 31 July – Algeria proclaims independence.
• 22 August – A failed assassination attempt is made against President Charles de Gaulle.
• 5 October – The French National Assembly censures the proposed referendum to sanction presidential elections by popular mandate; Prime Minister Georges Pompidou resigns, but President de Gaulle asks him to stay in office.
• 28 October – Presidential Election Referendum held, favours the election of the president by universal suffrage.
• 18 November – Legislative Election held.
• 25 November – Legislative Election held.
• 27 November – President Charles De Gaulle orders Georges Pompidou to form a government.
• 29 November – An agreement is signed between Britain and France to develop the Concorde supersonic airliner.

  Arts and literature

• 18 March – "Un premier amour" by Isabelle Aubret wins the Eurovision Song Contest 1962 for France.

  Sport

• 24 June-15 July – Tour de France, won by Jacques Anquetil.

  Births

January to March

• 8 January – Nelly Viennot, soccer referee
• 21 January -
• *Isabelle Nanty, actress
• *Marie Trintignant, actress
• 25 January – Bruno Martini, soccer player
• 28 January – Philippe Vercruysse, international soccer player
• 1 February – Manuel Amoros, international soccer player
• 2 February – Philippe Claudel, writer
• 14 February
• *Philippe Sella, international rugby union player
• *Thierry Toutain, race walker
• 17 February – Walter Ciofani, hammer thrower
• 20 February – Pierre Quinon, pole vaulter and Olympic gold medallist
• 22 February – Olivier Latry, organist, improviser and Professor of Organ
• 18 March – Vincent Barteau, cyclist
• 25 March – Pierre Morice, soccer player

  April to June

• 2 April – Pierre Carles, documentarist
• 2 May -
• *Jean-François Bernard, cyclist
• *Alexandra Boulat, photographer
• 28 May – François-Henri Pinault, businessman
• 31 May – Philippe Gache, motor racing driver
• 7 June – Thierry Hazard, singer
• 12 June – Philippe Tibeuf, soccer player
• June – Pascal Riché, journalist

  July to September

• 22 July -
• *Jacques Glassmann, soccer player
• *Jean-Claude Leclercq, cyclist
• 23 July – Alain Lefèvre, pianist and composer
• 6 August – Marc Lavoine, singer and actor
• 7 August – Alain Robert, rock and urban climber
• 15 August – Paul Henderson, Australian politician and Chief Minister of the Northern Territory
• 19 August – Valérie Kaprisky, actress
• 27 August – Fabrice Poullain, soccer player
• 30 August – François Delecour, rally driver
• 11 September - Pierre Huyghe, artist
• 20 September – Jean-Louis Garcia, soccer player
• 25 September – Juliette Noureddine, singer, songwriter and composer
• 27 September – Christelle Guignard, alpine skier

  October to December

• 4 October – Jean-Luc Sassus, soccer player
• 13 October – Valérie Létard, politician
• 15 October – Guy Georges, serial killer
• 17 October – Yvon Pouliquen, soccer manager, former player
• 22 October – Laurent Paganelli, journalist, former soccer player
• 24 October – Yves Bertucci, soccer manager
• 30 October – Arnaud Montebourg, politician
• 2 November – Mireille Delunsch, opera soprano
• 11 November – Thierry Goudet, soccer manager, former player
• 13 November - Lydia Gouardo, rape victim
• 23 November – Philippe Renaud, canoer and Olympic medallist
• 6 December – Claude Chirac, younger daughter of French president Jacques Chirac
• 7 December – Alain Blondel, decathlete
• 17 December – Christophe Hondelatte, television and radio host
• 26 December – Jean-Marc Ferreri, international soccer player
• 28 December — Michel Petrucciani, jazz pianist

  Full date unknown

• Luc Delahaye, photographer
• Philippe Goitschel, skier and Olympic medallist
• Dominique Moulon, historian of art and technology
• Pascale Sourisse, businesswoman

  Deaths

January to March

• 8 January - Roger Ducret, fencer and Olympic gold medallist
• 21 January – Georges Gimel, painter
• 24 January – André Lhote, sculptor and painter
• 4 February -
• *Charles Basle, motor racing driver
• *Daniel Halévy, historian
• 5 February – Jacques Ibert, composer
• 19 February - Émile Armand, individualist anarchist
• 3 March – Pierre Benoit, novelist
• 6 March - René Laforgue, psychiatrist and psychoanalyst

  April to June

• 1 April - Jules Boucherit, violinist and teacher
• 10 April - Lucienne Delyle, singer
• 17 April – Pierre Larquey, actor
• 4 May – Cécile Vogt-Mugnier, neurologist
• 23 May – Louis Coatalen, automobile engineer
• 1 June – Joseph Darnand, Bishop
• 5 June – Jacques Gréber, architect
• 6 June – Yves Klein, artist
• 8 June – Eugène Freyssinet, structural and civil engineer

  July to September

• 1 July – Edgard de Larminat, General
• 8 July – Georges Bataille, writer
• 18 July – Eugene Houdry, mechanical engineer
• 25 July – Paul Aymé, tennis player
• 18 August – Lucien Berland, entomologist and arachnologist
• 19 August – Jean Lucienbonnet, motor racing driver
• 22 August – Charles Rigoulot, weightlifter, professional wrestler, race car driver and actor
• August – Léon Binoche, rugby union player
• 21 September – Princess Marie Bonaparte, psychoanalyst
• 24 September – Félix Goethals, cyclist
• 28 September - Roger Nimier, novelist

  October to December

• 7 October – Henri Oreiller, alpine skier and Olympic gold medallist
• 14 October – Jacques Majorelle, painter
• 16 October – Gaston Bachelard, philosopher
• 30 October – Yvette Andréyor, actress
• 31 October -
• *Gabrielle Renaudot Flammarion, astronomer
• *Louis Massignon, scholar of Islam and its history
• 20 November -
• *Henri Déricourt, pilot and accused double agent
• *Philippe Kieffer, Naval officer
• 22 November – René Coty, politician, President of France
• 26 November – Albert Sarraut, politician, twice Prime Minister of France
• 19 December – Jean-Marie Charles Abrial, Admiral and Minister

  Full date unknown

• Louis Gernet, philologist and sociologist
• Élisée Maclet, painter
• Jacques Maroger, painter