Overview
- François Mitterrand died of cancer at 8:30 a.m. on January 8, 1996, at his Paris home on Avenue Frédéric‑Le‑Play at age 79.
- Europe 1 recounts receiving an internal tip relayed by Jean‑Pierre Toilliez, sending reporter Jean‑Pierre Montanay to the residence, and interrupting programming with a flash at 10:53 a.m., which the station says was the first announcement.
- AFP issued its dispatch at 10:58 a.m., with journalist Pierre Favier drawing on a pre‑typed flash, a message widely credited with informing the country.
- Jacques Chirac confirmed the death to journalists gathered at the Élysée and delivered a televised tribute at 8 p.m. the same evening.
- Crowds gathered near the Champ‑de‑Mars, private burial was set in Jarnac with a national homage at Notre‑Dame, and Paris‑Match’s January 25 deathbed photos later led to a 100,000‑franc court fine for its director Roger Thérond.