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Jacques Chirac Fast Facts

Posted at 7:10 PM, Nov 19, 2018
and last updated 2018-11-19 21:10:10-05

Here’s a look at the life of former President of France Jacques Chirac.

Personal:
Birth date: November 29, 1932

Birth place: Paris, France

Birth name: Jacques Rene Chirac

Father: Francois Chirac

Mother: Marie Louise Chirac

Marriage: Bernadette Chodron de Courcel (March 16, 1956-present)

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:
1962Joins the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers.

1967-1968Secretary of State of Employment.

1968-1971 Economy and Finance Minister.

1972-1974Agriculture 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.

1977-1995Mayor 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.

May 7, 1995 Is elected president of France.

1986-1988 Premier/Prime Minister of France.

May 5, 2002 – Is re-elected 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, 2006Condemns 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.