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The Greatest Frenchman

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Le Plus Grand Français de tous les temps ("The Greatest Frenchman of all Time") was a France 2 show of early 2005, 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. It was presented by Michel Drucker and Thierry Ardisson, and the final episode was broadcast at the French Senate.

The winner was the 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 the national heroine Joan of Arc, the kings Philip Augustus, Saint Louis, and Louis XIV or French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte were largely ignored.

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]
[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

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

See also

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References

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  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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