Events from the year 1902 in France.

Incumbents

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Émile Loubet Émile François Loubet (; 30 December 183820 December 1929) was the 45th Prime Minister of France from February to December 1892 and later President of France from 1899 to 1906. Trained in law, he became Mayor (France), mayor of Montélimar, w ...

President of the Council of Ministers The president of the Council of Ministers (sometimes titled chairman of the Council of Ministers) is the most senior member of the cabinet in the executive branch of government in some countries. Some presidents of the Council of Ministers are ...

Pierre Waldeck-Rousseau Pierre Marie René Ernest Waldeck-Rousseau (; 2 December 184610 August 1904) was a French Republicanism, Republican politician who served for three years as the Prime Minister of France. Early life Pierre Waldeck-Rousseau was born in Nantes, ...

(until 3 June),

Emile Combes Emile or Émile may refer to: * Émile (novel) (1827), autobiographical novel based on Émile de Girardin's early life * Emile, Canadian film made in 2003 by Carl Bessai * '' Emile: or, On Education'' (1762) by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a treatise o ...

(starting 7 June)

Events

*13 April – A new land speed record of is set in

Nice Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one millionLeon Serpollet driving a steam car. *27 April –

Legislative Election A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. General elections ...

held. *8 May –

1902 eruption of Mount Pelée The 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée was a volcanic eruption on the island of Martinique in the Lesser Antilles Volcanic Arc of the eastern Caribbean, which was one of the deadliest eruptions in recorded history. Eruptive activity began on 23 Apri ...

Martinique Martinique ( ; or ; Kalinago language, Kalinago: or ) is an island in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It was previously known as Iguanacaera which translates to iguana island in Carib language, Kariʼn ...

. *11 May –

held. *24 August – A statue of

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc ( ; ; – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the Coronation of the French monarch, coronation of Charles VII o ...

is unveiled in

Saint-Pierre-le-Moûtier Saint-Pierre-le-Moûtier () is a commune in the Nièvre department in central France. It was besieged during the Hundred Years' War. Located between the Loire and Allier, the town has a rich and powerful history, but is a little forgotten to ...

, the town which she stormed in

1429 Year 1429 ( MCDXXIX) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. Events January–March * January 6 – The Congress of Lutsk opened in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania at the castle of Liubartas in Lutsk. In ad ...

. *5 October – Thousands attend the funeral of the novelist

Émile Zola Émile Édouard Charles Antoine Zola (, ; ; 2 April 184029 September 1902) was a French novelist, journalist, playwright, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of Naturalism (literature), naturalism, and an important contributor to ...

at the

Cimetière de Montmartre The Cemetery of Montmartre () is a cemetery in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, France, that dates to the early 19th century. Officially known as the Cimetière du Nord, it is the third largest necropolis in Paris, after the Père Lachaise Cemet ...

, Paris. They include

Alfred Dreyfus Alfred Dreyfus (9 October 1859 – 12 July 1935) was a French Army officer best known for his central role in the Dreyfus affair. In 1894, Dreyfus fell victim to a judicial conspiracy that eventually sparked a major political crisis in the Fre ...

, given special permission by Mme Zola to attend. *The capital of

French Indochina French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China), officially known as the Indochinese Union and after 1941 as the Indochinese Federation, was a group of French dependent territories in Southeast Asia from 1887 to 1954. It was initial ...

is moved from

Saigon Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025. The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...

(in Cochinchina) to

Hanoi Hanoi ( ; ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Vietnam, second-most populous city of Vietnam. The name "Hanoi" translates to "inside the river" (Hanoi is bordered by the Red River (Asia), Red and Black River (Asia), Black Riv ...

(Tonkin).

Arts and literature

*January -

Alfred Loisy Alfred Firmin Loisy () (28 February 18571 June 1940) was a French Catholic priest, theologian, and academic, generally regarded as one of the leading figures of the modernist movement within the Roman Catholic Church. He was a critic of tradition ...

writes ''L'évangile et l'Eglise'', which inaugurates the crisis of

modernism in the Catholic Church Modernism in the Catholic Church describes attempts to reconcile Catholicism with modern culture, specifically an understanding of the Bible and Sacred Tradition in light of the historical-critical method and new philosophical and political dev ...

. *5 April –

Maurice Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism in music, Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composer ...

's ''

Jeux d'eau ''Jeux'' (''Games'') is a ballet written by Claude Debussy. Described as a "poème dansé" (literally a "danced poem"), it was written for Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes with choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky. Debussy initially objected to the ...

'' is premièred by pianist

Ricardo Vines Ricardo is the Spanish and Portuguese cognate of the name Richard. It derived from Proto-Germanic ''*rīks'' 'king, ruler' + ''*harduz'' 'hard, brave'. It may be a given name, or a surname. People Given name *Ricardo de Araújo Pereira (born 19 ...

at the Societe Nationale de Musique in Paris. *1 September – The first

science fiction film Science fiction (or sci-fi) is a film genre that uses Speculative fiction, speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as Extraterrestrial life in fiction, extraterrestria ...

, the

trick film In the early history of cinema, trick films were short silent films designed to feature innovative special effects. History The trick film genre was developed by Georges Méliès in some of his first cinematic experiments, and his works remain ...

A Trip to the Moon ''A Trip to the Moon'' ( , ) is a 1902 French science-fiction adventure trick film written, directed, and produced by Georges Méliès. Inspired by the Jules Verne novel ''From the Earth to the Moon'' (1865) and its sequel '' Around the Moon ...

'' (''Le Voyage dans La Lune''), is premièred at the

Théâtre Robert-Houdin The Théâtre Robert-Houdin, initially advertised as the Théâtre des Soirées Fantastiques de Robert-Houdin, was a Paris theatre dedicated primarily to the performance of stage illusions. Founded by the famous magician Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin ...

in Paris by actor/producer

Georges Méliès Marie-Georges-Jean Méliès ( , ; 8 December 1861 – 21 January 1938) was a French magic (illusion), magician, toymaker, actor, and filmmaker. He led many technical and narrative developments in the early days of film, cinema, primarily in th ...

, and proves an immediate success. *

Claude Monet Oscar-Claude Monet (, ; ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of Impressionism painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. During his ...

begins his ''Water Lilies'' series of paintings in his garden at

Giverny Giverny () is a Communes of France, commune in the northern French Departments of France, department of Eure.Maurice Duruflé Maurice Gustave Duruflé (; 11 January 1902 – 16 June 1986) was a French composer, organist, musicologist, and teacher. Life and career Duruflé was born in Louviers, Eure in 1902. He attended Rouen Cathedral Choir School from 1912 to 1918, ...

, composer and organist (died 1986) *13 January –

Raymond Ruyer Raymond Ruyer (; 13 January 1902 – 1987) was a French philosopher in the late 20th century. His work covered topics including the philosophy of biology, the philosophy of informatics, the philosophy of value and others. His most popular book i ...

, philosopher (died 1987) *18 January –

Émile Aillaud Émile Aillaud (; 18 January 1902 – 29 December 1988)
all-art.org was a French

Agnès Souret Jeanne Germaine Berthe Agnès Souret (21 January 1902 – 30 September 1928) was a French Basque actress, dancer and beauty pageant titleholder who was the winner of the inaugural Miss France competition in 1920. Biography Jeanne Germaine Bert ...

, model, "la plus belle femme de France" (died 1928) *25 January –

André Beaufre André Beaufre (; 25 January 190213 February 1975) was a French Army officer and military strategist who attained the rank of Général d'Armée (Army General) before his retirement in 1961. He was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine and entered the milit ...

, colonel (died 1975) *29 January –

Arlette Marchal Arlette Marchal (29 January 1902 – 11 February 1984) was a French film actress. She appeared in more than 40 films between 1922 and 1951. She was born and died in Paris. Partial filmography * ''Mon p'tit'' (1922) * '' The Gardens of Murc ...

, actress (died 1984) *8 February –

André Gillois Maurice Diamant-Berger (8 February 1902 – 18 June 2004), known as André Gillois, was a French writer, radio pioneer and - during the Second World War - general Charles de Gaulle's spokesman in London. Life Before the war he worked for the c ...

, writer and radio pioneer (died 2004) *26 February –

Jean Bruller Jean Marcel Adolphe Bruller (26 February 1902 – 10 June 1991) was a French writer and illustrator who co-founded the publishing company with Pierre de Lescure. Born to a Hungarian-Jewish father, he joined the Resistance during the World War ...

, writer and

illustrator An illustrator is an artist who specializes in enhancing writing or elucidating concepts by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. The illustration may be intended to clarify complicate ...

(died 1991) *9 March – Elisabeth de Rothschild, World War II heroine (died 1945) *13 March –

Louis Ducatel Louis Ducatel Louis Ducatel (13 March 1902 – 28 June 1999) was a French politician and businessman from the Pas-de-Calais. He is best known for his candidacy in the 1969 French presidential election Presidential elections were held in Franc ...

, politician and businessman (died 1999) *14 March –

Henri Barbé Henri Barbé (14 March 1902 in Paris – 24 May 1966 in Paris) was a French Communist, and later, fascist politician. Life A metallurgical worker, at 15 he joined the Young Socialists. Attending the Third International, he naturally opted for t ...

, communist (died 1966) *16 March –

Louis Couffignal Louis Pierre Couffignal (16 March 1902 – 4 July 1966) was a French mathematician and cybernetics pioneer, born in Monflanquin. He taught in schools in the southwest of Brittany, then at the naval academy and, eventually, at the Buffon School. ...

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, mathematical structure, structure, space, Mathematica ...

and

cybernetics Cybernetics is the transdisciplinary study of circular causal processes such as feedback and recursion, where the effects of a system's actions (its outputs) return as inputs to that system, influencing subsequent action. It is concerned with ...

pioneer (died 1966) *22 March –

Madeleine Milhaud Madeleine Milhaud Milhaud (22 March 1902 – 17 January 2008) was a French actress and librettist. She was both cousin to and wife of composer Darius Milhaud. Biography Madeleine Milhaud was born in Paris to Michel and Maria Milhaud. Her fath ...

, actress (died 2008) *29 March –

Marcel Aymé Marcel Aymé (; 29 March 1902 – 14 October 1967) was a French novelist and playwright, who also wrote screenplays and works for children. Biography Marcel André Aymé was born in Joigny, in the Burgundy region of France, the youngest ...

, novelist and children's writer (died 1967) *4 April –

Louise Leveque de Vilmorin Louise most commonly refers to: * Louise (given name) Louise or Luise may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Songs * "Louise" (Maurice Chevalier song), 1929 * "Louise", by The Yardbirds from the album ''Five Live Yardbirds'', 1964 * "Louise ...

, novelist, poet and journalist (died 1969) *9 April –

Théodore Monod Théodore André Monod (9 April 1902 – 22 November 2000) was a French naturalist, humanist, scholar and explorer. Exploration Monod was educated at École alsacienne and obtained a doctorate in science from Sorbonne University in 1922.

, naturalist, explorer and humanist scholar (died 2000) *3 May –

Alfred Kastler Alfred Kastler (; 3 May 1902 – 7 January 1984) was a German-born French physicist and Nobel laureate in Physics. He is known for the development of optical pumping. Biography Kastler was born in Guebwiller (Alsace, at the time part of the Germ ...

physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...

Nobel Prize laureate The Nobel Prizes (, ) are awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Swedish Academy, the Karolinska Institutet, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee to individuals and organizations who make outstanding contributions in the ...

(died 1984) *7 May –

Jean-Philippe Lauer Jean-Philippe Lauer (7 May 1902 – 15 May 2001) was a French architect and Egyptologist. He was considered to be the foremost expert on pyramid construction techniques and methods. Biography Arrival in Egypt He was born in the 8th arrondi ...

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

and

Egyptologist Egyptology (from ''Egypt'' and Greek , ''-logia''; ) is the scientific study of ancient Egypt. The topics studied include ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, architecture and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end ...

(died 2001) *8 May –

André Michel Lwoff André Michel Lwoff (8 May 1902 – 30 September 1994) was a French microbiologist and Nobel laureate. Education, early life and career Lwoff was born in Ainay-le-Château, Allier, in Auvergne, France, into a Jewish family of Russian-Polish or ...

, microbiologist, awarded

Nobel Prize in Medicine The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine () is awarded yearly by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute, Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute for outstanding discoveries in physiology or medicine. The Nobel Prize is not a single ...

in 1965 (died 1994) *27 May –

Émile Benveniste Émile Benveniste (; 27 May 1902 – 3 October 1976) was a French Structuralism, structural linguistics, linguist and semiotics, semiotician. He is best known for his work on Indo-European languages and his critical reformulation of the linguist ...

structural A structure is an arrangement and organization of interrelated elements in a material object or system, or the object or system so organized. Material structures include man-made objects such as buildings and machines and natural objects such as ...

linguist Linguistics is the scientific study of language. The areas of linguistic analysis are syntax (rules governing the structure of sentences), semantics (meaning), Morphology (linguistics), morphology (structure of words), phonetics (speech sounds ...

(died 1976) *2 June – Georges Coudray, politician (died 1998) *15 June – Pierre Béarn, writer (died 2004) *28 June – Pierre Brunet,

figure skater Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, with its introduction occurring at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic d ...

(died 1991)

July–December

*6 July –

Louis Vola Louis Vola ( La Seyne-sur-Mer, France, 6 July 1902 – 15 August 1990, Paris) was a French double-bassist known for his work with the Quintette du Hot Club de France. He is the godfather of guitarist Francois Vola. As well as the Hot Club de ...

, double bass player (died 1990) *16 July –

Vincent Badie Vincent Badie (16 July 1902 – 8 September 1989) was a French lawyer and politician. biography Vincent Henri Badie was born in Béziers and practised as a lawyer at Montpellier. He was elected as Radical Party (PRS: ''Parti Radical Socialiste ...

, lawyer and politician (died 1989) *21 July –

Georges Wambst Georges Eugène Wambst (21 July 1902 – 1 August 1988) was a French cyclist. He won the Gold Medal in Team road race along with Armand Blanchonnet and René Hamel in the 1924 Summer Olympics The 1924 Summer Olympics (), officially th ...

, Olympic cyclist (died 1988) *9 August –

Zino Francescatti René-Charles "Zino" Francescatti (9 August 1902 – 17 September 1991) was a French virtuoso violinist, renowned for his lyrical playing style. Career René-Charles "Zino" Francescatti was born in Marseille, to a musical family. Both parents wer ...

, violinist (died 1991) *11 August –

Christian de Castries Christian Marie Ferdinand de la Croix de Castries (11 August 1902 – 29 July 1991) was the French commander at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954. Biography Christian de Castries was born into a distinguished military family, the House ...

, military officer (died 1991) *16 August – Gilbert Gérintès, rugby union player (died 1968) *24 August –

Fernand Braudel Fernand Paul Achille Braudel (; 24 August 1902 – 27 November 1985) was a French historian. His scholarship focused on three main projects: ''The Mediterranean'' (1923–49, then 1949–66), ''Civilization and Capitalism'' (1955–79), and the un ...

, historian (died 1985) *28 August –

Jean Favard Jean Favard (28 August 190221 January 1965) was a French mathematician who worked on analysis. Favard was born in Peyrat-la-Nonière. During World War II he was a prisoner of war in Germany. He also was a President of the French Mathematical S ...

, mathematician (died 1965) *15 October –

André Prudhommeaux André Prudhommeaux (15 October 1902 – 13 November 1968) was a French anarchist bookstore owner whose shop in Paris specialized in social history and was a place for many debates and discussions. He was an agronomist, libertarian, editor o ...

, anarchist bookstore owner (died 1968) *20 October –

René Floriot René Edmond Floriot (20 October 1902, Paris – 22 December 1975, Neuilly-sur-Seine) was a French lawyer. Life :"Son of a Paris municipal clerk, Floriot studied law at the University of Paris, Sorbonne, started practicing before his 21st birthda ...

lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...

(died 1975). *31 October –

Marie-Laure de Noailles Marie-Laure de Noailles in 1949, photographed by Carl van Vechten Marie-Laure Henriette Anne de Noailles, Vicomtesse de Noailles (; née Bischoffsheim; 31 October 1902 – 29 January 1970) was a French artist, regarded one of the 20th century' ...

, patron of the arts (died 1970) *4 November –

Pierre Edouard Leopold Verger Pierre Edouard Leopold Verger, alias Fatumbi or Fátúmbí (4 November 1902, in Paris – 11 February 1996, in Salvador, Brazil) was a photographer, self-taught ethnographer, and ''babalawo'' ( Yoruba priest of Ifà) who devoted most of his ...

photographer A photographer (the Greek φῶς (''phos''), meaning "light", and γραφή (''graphê''), meaning "drawing, writing", together meaning "drawing with light") is a person who uses a camera to make photographs. Duties and types of photograp ...

and

ethnographer Ethnography is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. It explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject of the study. Ethnography is also a type of social research that involves examining ...

(died 1996) *16 November –

Paul Bontemps Paul Pierre Bontemps (16 November 1902 – 25 April 1981) was a French runner. He competed at the 1924 Paris Olympics in the 3,000 m steeplechase SteepleChase Records is a jazz record company and label based in Copenhagen, Denmark. SteepleCh ...

, athlete and Olympic medallist (died 1981) *20 November –

Jean Painlevé Jean Painlevé (20 November 1902 – 2 July 1989) was a French photographer and filmmaker who specialized in underwater fauna. He was the son of mathematician and twice prime minister of France Paul Painlevé. Upbringing A few days after P ...

, film director (died 1989) *25 December –

Maurice Gallay Marius Gallay, better known as Maurice Gallay (25 December 1902 – 15 August 1982), was a French footballer who played as a defender for Olympique de Marseille and the French national team in the 1920s. Club career Born on 25 December 1902 in ...

, footballer (died 1982) *31 December –

Marcel Bidot Marcel Bidot (21 December 1902 – 26 January 1995) was a French professional road bicycle racer who won two stages of the Tour de France and became manager of the French national team. He led the team in 12 Tours and won six of them. Racing Ma ...

, cyclist (died 1995)

Full date unknown

* Jules Semler-Collery,

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Biology and medicine * Bone conduction, the conduction of sound to the inner ear * Conduction aphasia, a language disorder Mathematics * Conductor (ring theory) * Conductor of an abelian variety * Cond ...

and teacher (died 1988)

Deaths

*26 January-

Noël Ballay Noël Eugène Ballay (14 July 1847 – 26 January 1902) was a French auxiliary doctor of the French navy, and a poet. He was an explorer and colonial administrator, the second Governor-General of French West Africa. Early years Noël Ballay was b ...

, explorer, colonial administrator and poet (born 1847]) *6 February –

Clémence Royer Clémence Royer (21 April 1830 – 6 February 1902) was a self-taught French scholar who lectured and wrote on economics, philosophy, science and feminism. She is best known for her controversial 1862 French translation of Charles Darwin's ' ...

, scholar (born 1830) *17 February – Marie-Louise Gagneur, feminist (born 1832) *12 April –

Marie Alfred Cornu Marie Alfred Cornu (; 6 March 1841 – 12 April 1902) was a French physicist and professor of École polytechnique. The French generally refer to him as Alfred Cornu. The Cornu spiral, a graphical device for the computation of light intensities ...

, physicist (born 1841) *15 April –

Jules Dalou Aimé-Jules Dalou (; 31 December 183815 April 1902) was a 19th-century French sculptor, admired for his perceptiveness, execution, and unpretentious realism. Early life Born in Paris to a working-class family of Huguenot background, he was rais ...

, sculptor (born 1838) *4 July –

Hervé Faye Hervé Auguste Étienne Albans Faye ( – ) was a French astronomer, born at Saint-Benoît-du-Sault (Indre) and educated at the École Polytechnique, which he left in 1834, before completing his course, to accept a position in the Paris Observ ...

astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. Astronomers observe astronomical objects, such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, galax ...

(born 1814) *8 August –

James Tissot Jacques Joseph Tissot (; 15 October 1836 – 8 August 1902), better known as James Tissot ( , ), was a French painter, illustrator, and caricaturist. He was born to a drapery merchant and a milliner and decided to pursue a career in art at a y ...

, painter (born 1836) *29 September –

, writer (born 1840) *7 December –

Pierre Paul Dehérain Pierre Paul Dehérain (19 April 1830 in Paris – 7 December 1902) was a French plant physiologist and agricultural chemist. He was notably the doctoral advisor of the Nobel Prize winner Henri Moissan. He served as an assistant at the Conse ...

, chemist and botanist (born 1830) *Full date unknown –

Alexandre Bertrand Alexandre Louis Joseph Bertrand (11 June 1820 – 1902) was a French archaeologist born in Rennes. Life He was the son of physician Alexandre Jacques François Bertrand (1795-1831) and elder brother to mathematician Joseph Louis François ...

, archaeologist (born 1820)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1902 In France 1900s in France