Courtesy of Bloomberg, below is a compilation of the key dates to know for the first French socialist president since Francois Mitterand.
- Francois Hollande was elected the seventh president of France’s Fifth Republic, which dates to 1958. Following are the key dates of his life and career.
- 1954, Aug. 12: born in Rouen (western France) to a doctor and a social worker
- 1968: Moves with his family to Paris
- 1971: High-school graduation
- 1974: Wins grant, travels to California for two months
- 1975: Graduates from Paris Institute of Political Sciences, HEC-Paris business school and passes an undergraduate law degree
- 1977: Military service
- 1979: Joins the Socialist Party, starts dating Segolene Royal
- 1980: Graduates from Ecole Nationale d’Administration
- 1981: Hired as aides to President Francois Mitterrand
- 1981, June: Loses his first electoral battle in Correze district against Jacques Chirac, who was to become President
- 1983: Chief of staff to Max Gallo, the government’s spokesman
- 1984: Birth of Thomas, Royal-Hollande’s first son
- 1986: Birth of Clemence, the couple’s first daughter
- 1987: Birth of Juline, the couple’s third child
- 1988: Wins first local mandate as Correze district deputy (mandate runs until 1993)
- 1992: Supports the Maastricht Treaty
- 1992: Birth of Flora, the couple’s fourth and last child
- 1993: Head the informal club “Temoin” to support Jacques Delors’ possible presidential bid
- 1994: Heads the Socialist Party’s economic-policy unit
- 1995: Socialist presidential candidate Lionel Jospin’s spokesman (Jospin lost to Chirac)
- 1997: Elected first secretary of the Socialist Party, re- elected as deputy of Correze
- 1999: European deputy from July to December
- 2001: Elected mayor of Tulle, the Correze district’s administrative center (until 2008)
- 2001: Supports Socialist Prime Minister Jospin’s decision to send French troops to Afghanistan
- 2002: Spokesman for Socialist presidential candidate Jospin, who was eliminated in first round against anti- immigration National Front candidate
- 2004: The Socialist Party wins 20 of France’s 22 regions in regional votes
- 2005: Supports the European Constitution in a referendum; most Socialist supporters vote against
- 2007: Segolene Royal runs for president and loses to Sarkozy
- 2007, June: Royal makes their separation public, Hollande wins back Correze deputy seat, member of the National Assembly Finance Committee
- 2008, March: Wins the Correze district presidency (still in power)
- 2008, September: Votes against sending more troops to Afghanistan
- 2008, November: Quits as Socialist Party head
- 2009, June: Makes first speech in presidential race
- 2009, November: Makes relationship with Paris Match magazine journalist Valerie Trierweiler public (after three years of partnership)
- 2011, March: Declares presidential candidacy
- 2011, May: Socialist rival Dominique Strauss-Kahn abandons presidential possible bid
- 2011, October: Wins Socialist nomination
- 2012, April 22: Wins the first round of the presidential race
- 2012, May 6: Wins French presidential election against Nicolas Sarkozy