The Greatest Frenchman

Le Plus Grand Français de tous les temps ("The Greatest Frenchman of all Time") is a France 2 programme, which was aired in early 2005. It was based on an original series of Great Britons on the BBC. The show asked the French viewers who they thought was the Greatest Frenchman or Frenchwoman. The programme was presented by Michel Drucker and Thierry Ardisson. The final episode was broadcast at the French Senate.

The winner was former president and leader of the Free French movement Charles de Gaulle.[1]

The show was criticized by some historians in that it focused only on personalities of recent French history. Key figures of French history who contributed to the founding of the French nation, such as national heroine Joan of Arc, kings Philip Augustus, Saint Louis, and Louis XIV or French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte were largely ignored.

Top 10

Rank Personality Notability Nomination defended by Ref.
1 Charles De Gaulle
(1890-1970) 		General and president. Leader of the French resistance movement during World War II. President of France between 1944 and 1946 and between 1958 and 1969. Admired for giving post-war France international prestige and independence in their foreign policy. Maurice Druon, historian [2] [2]
2 Louis Pasteur
(1822-1895) 		Chemist. Discovered vaccination, microbial fermentation and pasteurization. Developed vaccines against rabies and anthrax. [2]
3 Abbé Pierre
(1912-2007) 		Priest who was a member of the Resistance movement during World War II. Founder of the Emmaus movement, who help poor and homeless people. [2]
4 Marie Skłodowska-Curie
(1867-1934) 		Polish physicist and chemist. Co-discoverer of radioactivity, radium and polonium. First woman to win the Nobel Prize in Physics (1903) and Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1911) and the only person to have won both. [2]
5 Coluche
(1944-1986) 		Comedian, actor and humanitarian activist. Founder of the Restaurants du Coeur, a non-profit charity movement who distribute food to the needy and help people out with finding housing. [2]
6 Victor Hugo
(1802-1885) 		Novelist, poet and playwright. Author of internationally famous and beloved works, such as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Les Misérables. Also campaigned for freedom of the press and against the death penalty and social injustice. Max Gallo, novelist.[2] [2]
7 Bourvil
(1917-1970) 		Comedian, actor and singer. His films and songs are still classics in France today and beloved in other countries too. [2]
8 Molière
(1612-1673) 		Playwright. Creator of internationally renowned comedy plays such as Tartuffe, The Miser and The Misanthrope. Praised for his satirical wit, socially critical themes and vivid characters. Considered the most important and influential French-language author of all time. [2]
9 Jacques Cousteau
(1910-1997) 		Explorer, inventor, documentary maker and oceanographer. Co-inventor of the Aqua-lung, which introduced modern underwater diving. Explored the oceans and made numerous documentaries about them. Championed for marine conservation. [2]
10 Edith Piaf
(1915-1963) 		Singer. Internationally famous and beloved for tragic and passionate songs, such as "La Vie en Rose", "Hymne à l'amour", "Milord" and "Non, je ne regrette rien", which have been covered by numerous artists since. [2]

From 11 to 102

    1. Marcel Pagnol (1895-1974) – novelist, playwright and film director
    2. Georges Brassens (1921-1981) – singer and songwriter
    3. Fernandel (1903-1971) – singer, actor and comedian
    4. Jean de la Fontaine (1621-1695) – poet and fabulist
    5. Jules Verne (1828-1905) – science fiction author
    6. Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) – military leader and emperor
    7. Louis de Funès (1914-1983) – actor and comedian
    8. Jean Gabin (1904-1976) – actor
    9. Daniel Balavoine (1952-1986) – singer, songwriter and musician
    10. Serge Gainsbourg (1928-1991) – singer and songwriter
    11. Zinedine Zidane (1972-) – footballer
    12. Charlemagne (748-814) – emperor
    13. Lino Ventura (1919-1987) – actor
    14. François Mitterrand (1916-1996) – president
    15. Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923) – architect
    16. Émile Zola (1840-1902) – novelist
    17. Emmanuelle Cinquin (1908-2008) – religious sister and humanitarian
    18. Jean Moulin (1899-1943) – leader of French resistance during World War II
    19. Charles Aznavour (1924-2018) – singer, songwriter and actor
    20. Yves Montand (1921-1991) – actor and singer
    21. Jeanne d’Arc (1412-1431) – military leader
    22. Général Leclerc (1902-1947) – military leader
    23. Voltaire (1694-1778) – philosopher and novelist
    24. Johnny Hallyday (1943-2017) – singer
    25. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900-1944) – aviator, novelist and poet
    26. Claude Francois (1939-1978) – singer
    27. Christian Cabrol – cardiologist and surgeon
    28. Jean-Paul Belmondo (1933-2021) – actor
    29. Jules Ferry (1832-1893) – politician and prime minister
    30. Louis Lumière – inventor, film director
    31. Michel Platini (1955-) – footballer
    32. Jacques Chirac (1932-2019) – president and prime minister
    33. Charles Trenet (1913-2001) – singer and songwriter
    34. Georges Pompidou (1911-1974) – president and prime minister
    35. Michel Sardou (1947-) – singer
    36. Simone Signoret (1921-1985) – actress
    37. Haroun Tazieff (1914-1998) – vulcanologist
    38. Jacques Prévert (1900-1977) – poet
    39. Éric Tabarly (1931-1998) – sailor
    40. Louis XIV (1638-1715) – king
    41. David Douillet (1969-) – judoka
    42. Henri Salvador (1917-2008) – singer and comedian
    43. Jean-Jacques Goldman (1951-) – singer, songwriter and musician
    44. Jean Jaurès (1859-1914) – politician
    45. Jean Marais (1913-1998) – actor and comedian
    46. Yannick Noah (1960-) – tennis player
    47. Albert Camus (1913-1960) – author and philosopher
    48. Dalida (1933-1987) – singer
    49. Léon Zitrone (1914-1995) – journalist
    50. Nicolas Hulot (1955-) – journalist
    51. Simone Veil (1927-2017) – politician
    52. Alain Delon (1935-2024) – actor
    53. Patrick Poivre d'Arvor (1947-) – journalist
    54. Aimé Jacquet (1941-) – footballer
    55. Francis Cabrel (1953-) – singer and songwriter
    56. Brigitte Bardot (1934-) – actress
    57. Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) – author
    58. Alexandre Dumas, père (1802-1870) – author and playwright
    59. Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850) – novelist
    60. Paul Verlaine (1844-1896) – poet
    61. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) – author and philosopher
    62. Maximilien de Robespierre (1758-1794) – political leader
    63. Renaud (1952-) – singer and songwriter
    64. Bernard Kouchner (1938-) – politician and humanitarian
    65. Claude Monet (1840-1926) – painter
    66. Michel Serrault (1928-2007) – actor
    67. Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) – painter
    68. Michel Drucker (1942) – journalist
    69. Raimu (1883-1946) – actor and comedian
    70. Vercingetorix (c.82BC-46BC) – chieftain who led resistance against the Roman army
    71. Raymond Poulidor (1936-2019) – cyclist
    72. Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867) – poet
    73. Pierre Corneille (1606-1684) – playwright
    74. Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891) – poet
    75. Georges Clemenceau (1841-1929) – prime minister, and journalist
    76. Gilbert Bécaud (1927-2001) – singer, songwriter and musician
    77. José Bové (1953-) – syndicalist
    78. Jean Ferrat (1930-2010) – singer and songwriter
    79. Lionel Jospin (1937-) – prime minister
    80. Jean Cocteau (1889-1963) – dramatist, poet, playwright and filmmaker
    81. Luc Besson (1959-) – film director
    82. Tino Rossi (1907-1983) – singer
    83. Pierre de Coubertin (1863-1937) – educator and founder of the modern Olympic Games
    84. Jean Renoir (1894-1979) – film director
    85. Gérard Philipe (1922-1959) – actor and comedian
    86. Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980) – philosopher, novelist and playwright
    87. Catherine Deneuve (1943-) – actress
    88. Serge Reggiani (1922-2004) – actor, singer and comedian
    89. Gérard Depardieu (1948-) – actor
    90. Françoise Dolto (1908-1988) – psychoanalyst
    91. René Descartes (1596-1650) – philosopher, mathematician, and scientist
    92. Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) – mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer and Catholic theologian

    • See also

    References

    1. ^ "De Gaulle plus grand Français de tous les temps - Culture - Nouvelobs.com". Tempsreel.nouvelobs.com. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
    2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "De Gaulle plébiscité par les téléspectateurs de France 2". Le Monde. 5 April 2005. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
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