1953 in France

Events from the year 1953 in France.

Incumbents

 * President: Vincent Auriol
 * President of the Council of Ministers:
 * until 8 January: Antoine Pinay
 * 8 January – 28 June: René Mayer
 * starting 28 June: Joseph Laniel

Events

 * 4 January – Operation Bretagne ends, with French victory over the Viet Minh in Vietnam.
 * 9 May – France agrees to the provisional independence of Cambodia with the king Norodom Sihanouk.
 * 5 July – First meeting of the assembly of the European Economic Community in Strasbourg.
 * 17 July – Miss France Christiane Martel Won Miss Universe 1953
 * 28 July – Operation Camargue, further French military action against the Viet Minh, begins.
 * 10 August – Operation Camargue ends.
 * 13 August – 4 million workers go on strike in France to protest against austerity measures.
 * 25 August – General strike ends in France.
 * 9 November – Cambodia becomes independent from France.
 * 20 November – Operation Castor, airborne operation to establish a fortified airhead in Điện Biên Province, starts.
 * 22 November – Operation Castor ends.

Arts and literature

 * 4 January – En Attendant Godot premiered at Théâtre de Babylone

Sport

 * 3 July – Tour de France begins.
 * 27 July – Tour de France ends, won by Louison Bobet.

Births

 * 28 January – Anicée Alvina, singer and actress (died 2006)
 * 9 February – Michèle Rivasi, politician (died 2023)
 * 20 February – Gérard Araud, diplomat
 * 4 March – Rose Laurens, singer-songwriter (died 2018)
 * 16 March – Isabelle Huppert, actress
 * 8 August – Jean Hélène, journalist (died 2003)
 * 19 August – Benoît Régent, actor (died 1994)
 * 22 September – Ségolène Royal, politician
 * 12 October – Serge Lepeltier, politician
 * 14 November – Dominique de Villepin, politician, Prime Minister of France
 * 23 November – Francis Cabrel, singer-songwriter
 * 29 November – Christine Pascal, actress, writer and director (died 1996)
 * 1 December – Antoine de Caunes, television presenter, actor, writer and film director

Deaths

 * 24 March – Paul Couturier, priest and promoter of the concept of Christian unity (born 1881)
 * 4 April – Rachilde, author (born 1860)
 * 4 July – Jean Becquerel, physicist (born 1878)
 * 9 August – Auguste Giroux, rugby union player (born 1874)
 * 29 November – Henri Gance, weightlifter and Olympic gold medalist (born 1888)
 * 30 November – Francis Picabia, painter and poet (born 1879)