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Farina Sergio (b. 1926-09-08 / d. 2012-07-03) alias Sergio Pininfarina
He was an Italian automobile designer and Senator for life. In 1965 it was Sergio Pininfarina who personally persuaded Enzo Ferrari to adopt a "mid-engined" engine configuration for a new line of road cars, with the engine positioned behind the driver, but ahead of the rear wheels. The resulting Ferrari Dino Berlinette Speciale was presented at the Paris Motor Show in October, although it would be another two years before the cars were offered for sale. After his father's death in 1966, Pininfarina became chairman of the company. In 2006 Sergio and his son Andrea, who died in 2008 were named Honorary Chairmen of Pininfarina,
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88
Born 1936-10-09. Domain:Music. Cause of death:Age
Nicole Croisille was a French singer and actress. She appeared in 24 films between 1961 and 2005, and recorded several albums since 1961. She lived with Ménière's disease.
88
Born 1936-08-27. Domain:Journalism. Cause of death:Age
Philippe Labro was a French author, journalist, and film director. He worked for RTL, Paris Match, TF1, and Antenne 2. He received the Prix Interallié for his autobiography L'Étudiant étranger in 1986. Labro died in Paris at the age of 88, from cancer.
86
Born 1939-03-14. Domain:Directing. Cause of death:Age
Yves Félix Claude Boisset was a French film director and screenwriter. His films have been known for their controversial releases, and for his left-wing political views. He sued Arnold Schwarzenegger and 20th Century Fox over The Running Man, which he believed had plagiarized his film Le prix du danger and he won the lawsuit. Yves Boisset died at the age of 86. He had been in hospital care in Levallois-Perret for a few days.
43
Born 1981-08-29. Domain:Performing. Cause of death:Cancer
Émilie Dequenne (French: [emili dəkɛn]) was a Belgian actress. She first gained recognition for her role in the Dardenne brothers' film Rosetta (1999), which earned her the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress. The film also won the Palme d'Or at the festival. She died at the Gustave-Roussy Hospital in Villejuif, France after being diagnosed with adrenocortical carcinoma. She was 43.
68
Born 1956-07-30. Domain:Society. Cause of death:Unknown
Alfredo Stranieri, known as the "Classified Ads Killer", was an Italian-born French criminal and serial killer, who met his victims through classified ads in which he presented himself as a potential buyer of properties or used cars. Alfredo Stranieri and Germain Gaiffe both appeared before the 6th Criminal Chamber in Versailles on 11 March 2011 for "disrespect". For months, Stranieri claimed to be the father of the daughter of the former Minister of Justice, Rachida Dati. This case dates back to September 2010. Stranieri, sentenced to life imprisonment for killing and burying four people in gardens, and Germain Gaiffe, sentenced to 30 years imprisonment for killing and dismembering a man, both posted an identical letter from the Poissy prison, addressed to the hall of the 16th arrondissement of Paris. Both claimed to be the father of Rachida Dati's daughter and enclosed a declaration of paternity. Warned by the prison services, the public prosecutor's office decided to seize the case and prosecute them for "insulting the person in charge of public authority". Dati soon became a civil party. At a hearing, Gaiffe wore a provocative sweater on which "I am the father of Zohra" was written. When questioned, the two men explained that they had shared a moment of intimacy in a room with the minister who came to visit their prison in December 2007, more than a year before she gave birth. On 17 July 2013, Stranieri married Gaiffe. The wedding, delivered by Frédérik Bernard, mayor of Poissy, took place in the presence of their respective witnesses, the terrorist Carlos the Jackal and the comedian Dieudonné M'bala M'bala at the prison of Poissy in Yvelines. Dieudonné had met the two criminals in the prison workshop while writing sketches. Libération commented that it is "unlikely that is a marriage of love", and saw it rather as a "new provocation of the comedian, organized with some comrades". Stranieri died at hospital in Poissy, after 3 weeks of hospitalisation.
80
Born 1945-02-25. Domain:Music. Cause of death:Cancer (lung)
Herbert Léonard (French pronunciation: [ɛʁbɛʁ leɔnaʁ]), born Hubert Lœnhard, was a French entertainer and historian, who was principally known as a singer. He was also a specialist of Russian airplanes from World War II. His first success "Quelque chose tient mon cœur" (Somethings Got A Hold of My Heart) opened the doors of the hit-parade to him in 1968. His 1982 album Ça donne envie d'aimer and the song "Amoureux fous" was done in a duo with Julie Pietri, perpetuating his image as a crooner. Léonard died from lung cancer in Fontainebleau, aged 80.
88
Born 1937-01-30. Domain:Society. Cause of death:Age
Boris Vasilievich Spassky was a Russian chess grandmaster who was the tenth World Chess Champion, holding the title from 1969 to 1972. Spassky played three world championship matches: he lost to Tigran Petrosian in 1966; defeated Petrosian in 1969 to become world champion; then lost to Bobby Fischer in a famous match in 1972. Spassky emigrated to France in 1976 and became a French citizen in 1978. He continued to compete in tournaments, but was no longer a major contender for the world title. Spassky lost an unofficial rematch against Fischer in 1992. In 2012, he left France and returned to Russia. On October 1, 2006, Spassky suffered a minor stroke during a chess lecture in San Francisco. In his first major post-stroke play, he drew a six-game rapid match with Hungarian Grandmaster Lajos Portisch in April 2007. On March 27, 2010, at 73 years old, he became the oldest surviving former World Chess Champion following the death of Vasily Smyslov. On September 23, 2010, ChessBase reported that Spassky had suffered a more serious stroke that had left him paralysed on his left side. After that he returned to France for a long rehabilitation programme. On August 16, 2012, Spassky left France to return to Russia under disputed circumstances and took up residence in an apartment in Moscow. On September 25, 2016, he made a public speech at the opening of the Tal Memorial tournament. He said he had "the very brightest memories" of Mikhail Tal and told an anecdote from the 15th Chess Olympiad about Soviet analysis of an adjourned game between Fischer and Botvinnik. He was described by Chess24 as being 'sprightly'. Spassky died in Moscow at the age of 88.
78
Born 1946-07-22. Domain:Business. Cause of death:Age
Paul Loup Karl Sulitzer was a French financier and author. Before he turned seventeen, he was already a self-made millionaire. Sulitzer used his financial experience and knowledge in his books, which often related to the business world. Many of his books were ghost-written by Loup Durand.
85
Born 1939-03-14. Domain:Directing. Cause of death:Age
Bertrand Blier (French: [bɛʁtʁɑ̃ blije]) was a French film director and writer. His 1978 film Get Out Your Handkerchiefs won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 51st Academy Awards.
74
Born 1950-12-05. Domain:TV/Radio. Cause of death:Age
Jean-Luc Petitrenaud was a French food critic and television personality. In June 2017, he announced that he took a short break from hosting his television show Les escapades de Petitrenaud due to fatigue.
87
Born 1937-03-31. Domain:Politics. Cause of death:Age
Claude Allègre was a French politician and scientist. His work in the field of isotope geochemistry was recognised with the award of many senior medals, including the Crafoord Prize for geosciences in 1986 and the William Bowie Medal of the American Geophysical Union in 1995. His political service included a three-year term as Minister of Education in France, from 1997 to 2000.
82
Born 1942-05-10. Domain:Writing. Cause of death:Age
Pascal Lainé was a French academic, novelist and writer. He was born in Anet, Eure-et-Loir. He was awarded both the Prix Médicis (1971 for l'Irrévolution) and the Goncourt (1974 for La Dentellière), Pascal Lainé has published over 20 novels and has written for television, theatre, and film.
60
Born 1964-07-13. Domain:Sport. Cause of death:Unknown
Pascal Hervé was a French road racing cyclist. He competed in the individual road race at the 1992 Summer Olympics and raced as a professional from 1994 to 2001. At the time of his death Pascal resided in Montreal, where he was the co-owner of a training center that helps develop local athletes and amateurs of all ages. In between seasons, he held cycling trips in various locations such as the Pyrénées, the Vosges, the Alps, and, most recently, the region of Charlevoix. Hervé died at the age of 60. The cause of his death is unknown, although he reportedly underwent surgery last September for a stomach tumour. Hervé was expelled from the 1998 Tour de France in the Festina affair. Hervé tested positive for EPO after the prologue in 2001 Giro d'Italia.
92
Born 1932-12-05. Domain:Science (Math style). Cause of death:Age
Jacques Roubaud was a French poet, writer, and mathematician. Jacques Roubaud taught mathematics at University of Paris X Nanterre and poetry at EHESS. A member of the Oulipo group, he has published poetry, plays, novels, and translated English poetry and books into French, such as Lewis Carroll's The Hunting of the Snark. French poet and novelist Raymond Queneau had Roubaud's first book, a collection of mathematically structured sonnets, published by Éditions Gallimard, and then invited Roubaud to join the Oulipo as the organization's first new member outside the founders. He died exactly the day of his birthday.
75
Born 1949-02-08. Domain:Performing. Cause of death:Age
Niels Arestrup was a French-Danish actor, film director and screenwriter. Arestrup died following a long illness in Ville-d'Avray, France.
83
Born 1941-03-28. Domain:Art. Cause of death:Age
Bernadette Després was a French illustrator and comic book artist. She studied at the Ecole de l'Union Centrale des Arts Décoratifs there. Després began working as an illustrator at Bayard Presse, where she worked on the magazines Pomme d'Api and Okapi. In 1977, she introduced Tom-Tom and Nana, probably the most popular French comics series for young people, in the magazine J'aime lire; the series has also been adapted for television.
95
Born 1929-03-26. Domain:Music. Cause of death:Age
Charles Gaston Dumont was a French singer and composer. Dumont is best remembered for writing or co-writing more than 30 of the most well-known songs recorded by singer Édith Piaf, including "Non, je ne regrette rien".
68
Born 1956-04-08. Domain:Performing. Cause of death:Age
Christine Boisson was a French actress. Boisson died from lung disease at a care home in Paris.
76
Born 1948-03-30. Domain:Journalism. Cause of death:Age
Jean-Bernard Vincent , better known by the pen name of Éric Yung, was a French journalist who had previously worked as a police investigator. A member of the Search and Intervention Brigade, he turned to journalism in 1980 and worked for France Inter as well as several radio stations.
103
Born 1921-04-19. Domain:TV/Radio. Cause of death:Age
Michel Klein was a Romanian-born French veterinarian. He was known for his veterinary work on zoo animals, as well as for his television awareness programs in favor of animal rights around the world. He appeared on programs such as Club Dorothée, 30 millions d'amis, Télématin, and Terre attention danger
40
Born 1983-11-03. Domain:Society. Cause of death:Suicide
Simon Fieschi was a French webmaster and writer. He was wounded in the 2015 shooting at the Charlie Hebdo headquarters in Paris and left with severe injuries. On 7 January 2015, he was the first staff member injured in the shooting. A bullet from a Kalashnikov rifle perforated his lung and damaged his spinal cord. He was evacuated to hospital and spent a week in an induced coma. Having lost the use of his legs and hands, he remained in hospital for eight months, learning eventually to walk with the aid of crutches but never regaining full use of his fingers. Fieschi died in his hotel room in Paris, at the age of 40. An investigation was opened to determine the cause of death. He notably received tributes from President of France Emmanuel Macron, former president François Hollande, the cartoonist Coco, and the writer Yannick Haenel
61
Born 1962-10-26. Domain:Journalism. Cause of death:Heart attack
Aurélien Ferenczi was a French journalist and film critic. He served as deputy editor-in-chief of the magazine Télérama and had a blog titled Cinécure. He also worked on the Canal+ show Le Cercle. In 2019, he was fired from Télérama for "sexist behavior, sexual harassment and moral harassment". He disputed the allegations and announced his intentions to fight his termination in court.
93
Born 1931-05-25. Domain:Performing. Cause of death:Age
Pierre Louis Rayer, known by his stage name Pierre Vernier, was a French actor. He repeatedly worked with Claude Chabrol, Henri Verneuil and Claude Lelouch, Georges Lautner and Jacques Deray.
72
Born 1952-04-16. Domain:Performing. Cause of death:Operation
Michel Blanc was a French actor, writer and director. He is noted for his roles of losers and hypochondriacs. He is frequently associated with Le Splendid, which he co-founded, along with Thierry Lhermitte, Josiane Balasko, Christian Clavier, Marie-Anne Chazel and Gérard Jugnot. He also appeared in more serious roles, such as the title role in the Patrice Leconte film Monsieur Hire.
90
Born 1934-06-08. Domain:Society. Cause of death:Age
Henri Leclerc (French pronunciation: [ɑ̃ʁi ləklɛʁ] was a French criminal defense lawyer. A member of the Human Rights League, he was its president from 1995 to 2000 and honorary president from 2000 to 2024.
82
Born 1941-09-22. Domain:Music. Cause of death:Age
Catherine Ribeiro was a French singer. Ribeiro was an experimental folk and avant-garde performer whose work has attained a cult following. With her band Catherine Ribeiro + Alpes, she released several albums in the late 1960s and early 1970s, including Catherine Ribeiro & 2Bis in 1969, No.2 in 1970, and Paix in 1972. From the late 1970s, Ribeiro also released music as a solo artist. Public figures who have expressed appreciation for her work include the musicians Kim Gordon and Julian Cope, as well as the French mathematician Cédric Villani. Ribeiro died at the age of 82.
88
Born 1935-11-08. Domain:Performing. Cause of death:Age
Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon was a French actor, film producer, screenwriter, and singer. Acknowledged as a cultural and cinematic leading man of the 20th century, Delon emerged as one of the foremost European actors of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, and became an international sex symbol. He is regarded as one of the most well-known figures of the French cultural landscape. His style, looks, and roles, which made him an international icon, earned him enduring popularity.
84
Born 1939-08-21. Domain:TV/Radio. Cause of death:Age
Patrice Laffont was a French television presenter and actor. Patrice Laffont is the son of publisher Robert Laffont. He is the father of three children: comedian Axelle Laffont, a son (Fabrice) and a daughter (Mathilde).
80
Born 1944-01-17. Domain:Music. Cause of death:Cancer
Françoise Madeleine Hardy was a French singer-songwriter who was known for singing melancholic, sentimental ballads. Hardy rose to prominence in the early 1960s as a leading figure in French yé-yé music and became a cultural icon in France and internationally. In addition to her native French, she also sang in English, Italian, and German. Her musical career spanned more than 50 years, with over 30 studio albums released. She almost never performed on scene.
89
Born 1935-05-05. Domain:TV/Radio. Cause of death:Age
Bernard Pivot (French: [bɛʁnaʁ pivo]) was a French journalist, interviewer and host of cultural television programmes. He was chairman of the Académie Goncourt from 2014 to 2020.