Tauatomo Mairau, a descendant of the Tahitian royal family, claims the title of King of Tahiti and demands (unsuccessfully) the return to him by France of the royal lands annexed in 1880

Marie NDiaye wins the Prix Goncourt with Trois femmes puissantes ("Three Strong Women"), a story of family relationships linking France and Senegal

François Hollande defeats Nicolas Sarkozy and becomes president of France

France's far-right Front National, led by Marine Le Pen, does far better than expected in municipal elections, winning control of eleven towns

Two gunmen belonging to Al-Qaeda's Yemen branch kill 12 people and injure 11 more at the Paris headquarters of satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.

86 people are killed and more than 400 others injured in a truck attack in Nice, France, during Bastille Day celebrations

During Holy Week, a major fire engulfs Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, resulting in the roof and main spire collapsing