A chronology of key events:
1789 - French Revolution ends rule of monarchy going back to 9th century; followed by establishment of the First Republic.
Napoleon Bonaparte was renowned for his military victories across Europe
1799 - Napoleon Bonaparte leads coup to overthrow government; consolidates position with new constitution.
1804-1814 - Napoleon crowns himself emperor of First French Empire; series of military successes brings most of continental Europe under his control.
1815 - Napoleon defeated in Battle of Waterloo; monarchy reestablished.
1848 - Fall of Louis-Philippe; Louis-Napoleon, nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte, proclaimed president of Second Republic.
1852-1870 - Louis-Napoleon takes title of Napoleon III in Second Empire.
1870-71 - France-Prussian War, ending in French defeat and end of Second Empire; Third Republic lasts until 1940.
1877 - Republicans win general elections, ending hopes of a monarchist revival.
1914-18 World War I - Massive casualties in trenches in north-east France; 1.3 million Frenchmen are killed and many more wounded by the end of the war.
Notre Dame, Paris: "City of light" has inspired artists, thinkers
1918 - Anglo-French offensive - backed by fresh American troops - forces Germany to an armistice on 11 November.
1919 - Peace Treaty of Versailles. France regains Alsace-Lorraine; Germany agrees to reparations.
1936-38 - Rise of the Popular Front, an alliance of left-wing forces.
1939-45- World War II - Germany occupies much of France. Vichy regime in unoccupied south collaborates with Nazis. General de Gaulle, undersecretary of war, establishes government-in-exile in London and, later, Algiers. Rise of French Resistance.
Liberation
1944 - Allied forces land at Normandy leading to liberation of France. De Gaulle sets up provisional government. Purge against former collaborators.
1946 - De Gaulle resigns as provisional president, replaced by Socialist Félix Gouin.
1946-58 - Fourth Republic is marked by economic reconstruction and the start of the process of independence for many of France's colonies.
De Gaulle formed a wartime government-in-exile BBC History: Charles de Gaulle
1951 - France joins West Germany and other European nations in the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) - leading to the formation in 1957 of the European Economic Community (EEC).
1954 First Indochina War ends - French defeated at Battle of Dien Bien Phu in north-west Vietnam.
Algerian War of Independence begins.
1956 - Colonial rule ends in Morocco and Tunisia.
Fifth Republic
1958 - De Gaulle returns to power and founds the Fifth Republic.
1962 - Algeria gains independence from French colonial rule.
1968 May - Student revolt against government policies and lack of social reform escalates into national strike.
1969 - De Gaulle leaves office. Georges Pompidou elected president.
1970 - De Gaulle dies of stroke.
1974 - Pompidou dies, succeeded by Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.
Paris-born Claude Monet led the impressionist movement 2006: Monet water lilies see light of day again
1981 - Socialist candidate François Mitterrand is elected president.
1986 - Centre-right victory in legislative elections of 1986 leads to "co-habitation" - a left-wing president and a right-wing prime minister, Jacques Chirac.
1988 - Mitterrand re-elected.
1992 - France signs Maastricht Treaty on European union.
1995 - Jacques Chirac elected president, ending 14 years of Socialist presidency.
France attracts international condemnation by conducting a series of nuclear tests in the Pacific.
1997 - Lionel Jospin becomes prime minister.
2000 September - Chirac embroiled in corruption scandal. He dismisses newspaper allegations.
2001 June - Compulsory military service abolished.
2002 January - Euro replaces Franc, first minted in 1360.
Jospin resigns, Chirac re-elected
2002 May - Jacques Chirac re-elected president, trouncing National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen in the second round of voting. Le Pen's showing in the first round sent shockwaves across France and Europe and galvanised French voters into mass street demonstrations.
FRANCOIS MITTERRAND
Lionel Jospin, the main left-wing presidential contender whom Le Pen knocked out in the first round, resigns the premiership and the Socialist Party leadership.
Chirac nominates Jean-Pierre Raffarin, a 53-year-old moderate right-winger, as interim prime minister.
2002 June - Landslide victory in legislative elections for centre-right UMP. Raffarin's centre-right government confirmed in office, marking an end to the "cohabitation" years when Chirac had to work with Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin.
2002 November - Widespread public sector strikes over government privatisation plans bring country to a standstill.
2003 March - Constitution changed to allow devolution to regions and departments of powers over economic development, transport, tourism, culture and further education. Amendments also provide for local referendums, to give people more say in local decisions.
2003 May-June - Proposed pension reforms spark industrial action as workers protest against prospect of having to pay higher contributions over longer periods.
HEADSCARF BAN
2003 July - Corsica referendum, first to follow March constitutional amendments, narrowly votes against establishment of unified assembly with limited powers to raise and spend taxes. Paris had hoped that a yes vote would end separatist violence.
Parliament approves controversial reforms to pension system.
2003 August - Health ministry estimates that more than 11,000 people died in a severe heatwave in the first part of the month. Temperatures in Paris soared above 40C. Most of the victims were elderly.
2004 March - President Chirac's UMP routed in regional elections. Prime Minister Raffarin resigns but is reappointed almost immediately.
2004 November - Nicolas Sarkozy takes over as leader of UMP.
2005 January - Trade unions organise wave of public sector strikes against proposed labour, pension and welfare reforms.
Dozens of immigrants were killed in a series of Paris fires 2005: Paris fires highlight housing shortage
2005 April - More than 20 people of African origin die in blaze at dilapidated Paris hostel.
2005 May - Referendum goes against proposed EU constitution. The result prompts a political shake-up, including the resignation of Prime Minister Raffarin.
2005 June - International project group says France is to host the world's first experimental nuclear fusion reactor at Cadarache, near Marseille.
2005 August - Two dozen immigrants die in fires in run-down Paris apartment blocks.
2005 October - One-day national strike in protest at welfare reforms, low pay and privatisation plans causes widespread disruption.
Urban violence
2005 October-November - Deprived, largely immigrant, communities in north-east Paris are hit by riots after two youths of North African origin are electrocuted in an electricity substation. The authorities deny that they were being chased by police at the time.
Curfews were imposed to quell urban riots in 2005 Timeline: French riots
Unrest escalates and spreads to other cities. Government introduces emergency measures to try to restore order.
2006 March-April - New youth employment laws spark mass demonstrations in Paris and other cities across France. As protests continue, the legislation is scrapped.
2006 June - Upper house of parliament passes a bill setting tough new restrictions on immigration. The rules make it harder for low-skilled migrants to settle.
Sarkozy becomes president
2007 May - Nicolas Sarkozy, the former interior minister and leader of the ruling conservative UMP, wins a decisive victory in the second round of the presidential election.
2007 June - The UMP wins parliamentary elections, but with a reduced majority. The party insists it still has a mandate to carry out its proposed reforms.
Mr Sarkozy fulfils his pre-election promise to appoint women to half the posts in the new cabinet, and brings in people from across the political divide.
2007 August - France signs controversial arms deal worth nearly 300m euros with Libya.
2007 September - Controversial legislation tightening entry rules for immigrants' relatives is passed.
2007 November - Civil servants take to the streets, along with workers from the transport and energy sectors, to protest against Mr Sarkozy's planned cuts in pay and jobs, and reform of pension benefits. There is widespread disruption of public services.
Rioting breaks out in Paris suburbs after the death of two youths in a motorbike crash involving a police car.
2008 February - France formally ratifies the Lisbon Treaty on reform of the European Union.
2008 July - France takes over EU presidency.
2008 October - European governments pledge up to 1.8 trillion euros as part of co-ordinated plans to shore up their financial sectors, hit hard by the global financial crisis. France says it will inject 10.5bn euros into the country's six largest banks.
2009 February - Govermment unveils $33.1bn set of stimulus packages to revitalise economy.
2009 June - Government says it will set up a commission to study the extent of burka-wearing in France after President Sarkozy said such garments undermine the dignity of citizens.
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