Born: 26 October 1916 · Died: 8 January 1996 · Age at death: 79
How old was François Mitterrand when he died?
François Mitterrand died aged 79. He was born on 26 October 1916 and died on 8 January 1996.
Socialist politician who served as President of France for 14 years, the longest in the Fifth Republic, from 1981 to 1995
Did you know?He worked alongside his political rival, Jacques Chirac, during the first period of cohabitation in French history.
Quick facts
Date of birth26 October 1916
Date of death8 January 1996
Age at death79
Cause of deathProstate cancer
NationalityFrench
BirthplaceMaison natale de François Mitterrand, France
Occupationpolitician, lawyer, journalist
Editor's Take:
François Mitterrand was France's longest-serving president. During the war he was a prisoner who escaped and joined the Resistance. He rebuilt the French left and won the presidency in 1981. His government abolished the death penalty and nationalised banks. He then shifted to more moderate policies. With Germany's Helmut Kohl he pushed for the Maastricht Treaty and the euro. His grand projects, such as the Louvre pyramid, reshaped Paris.
Key Milestones
1971: Socialist Party – leader
1981: President – elected
1984: Verdun – hand in hand with Kohl
1992: Maastricht – EU treaty
François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand (26 October 1916 – 8 January 1996) was President of France from 1981 to 1995. He was the first left-wing politician to assume the presidency under the Fifth Republic, successfully remaining in office longer than any other republican head of state in French history.
François Mitterrand's birthday is October 26. He was born on October 26, 1916 in Maison natale de François Mitterrand, France.
How old was François Mitterrand when he died?
François Mitterrand died on January 8, 1996, aged 79.
Who shares a birthday with François Mitterrand?
Famous people who share François Mitterrand's October 26 birthday include Hillary Clinton, Evo Morales, Mohammad Reza I of Iran, Georges Danton and Bob Hoskins.
