45.7583° N, 4.8412° E

LYON

Most Famous People Born in Lyon, France

Notable people
2,546
Peak decade
1940s
Median birth year
1907
Most distinctive
Architect 3.9×

A Roman foundation that gave the empire two emperors and the modern Republic a silk industry. Lyon's distinctive professions are architects, painters, physicians, botanists, and sculptors — the trades of a medical-and-craft city built around its great hospitals and the silk weavers of the Croix-Rousse. Claudius and Caracalla were both born here, Jacquard invented his loom here, and Saint-Exupéry grew up a few streets from the Rhône; the 18th-century bench is heavier than in most French cities outside Paris.

Through the Centuries

One face per century — the most globally famous figure born in Lyon during each.

What Lyon Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Politician is Lyon's biggest profession — 11% of all notables (287).

Lyon over-indexes on architect3.9× the global rate.

Lyon under-produces football — only 0.6× the global rate.

  1. Politician287
  2. Painter205
  3. Football156
  4. Actor131
  5. Writer114
  6. Architect88
  7. Journalist53
  8. Physician52
  1. Architect883.9×
  2. Painter2053.1×
  3. Physician523.0×
  4. Botanist262.5×
  5. Sculptor422.5×
  6. Artist411.6×
  7. Historian411.5×
  1. Football1560.6×
  2. Singer320.6×

Profession Mix Over Time

Each band shows a profession family's share of Lyon's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.

15001550160016501700175018001850190019502000
  • Art & Design
  • Sports
  • Politics & Law
  • Writing
  • Science
  • Film & TV
  • Other
All2,546
Sort By

Showing 208 of 2,546 notable people

0002 COMPOSER

Jean-Michel Jarre

Born 1948

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0026 BANK

Jean-Claude Trichet

Born 1942

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0044 HISTORIAN

Roger Chartier

Born 1945

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0050 ACTOR

Bernard Farcy

Born 1949

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0071 SCREENWRITER

Diane Kurys

Born 1948

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0085 POLITICIAN

Bernard Accoyer

Born 1945

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0102 WRITER

Chantal Thomas

Born 1945

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0107 INTELLECTUAL

Pierre Goldman

1944 - 1979

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0134 POLITICIAN

Stefan Meller

1942 - 2008

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0147 ACTOR

Catherine Ribeiro

Born 1941

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0149 POLITICIAN

Catherine Tasca

Born 1941

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0150 POLITICIAN

Jean-François Mattei

Born 1943

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0159 ACTOR

Myriam Boyer

Born 1948

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0181 MATHEMATICIAN

Jean-Pierre Bourguignon

Born 1947

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0192 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Philippe Flajolet

1948 - 2011

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0195 MATHEMATICIAN

Jean-Yves Girard

Born 1947

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0201 PHILOSOPHER

Yves Michaud (philosopher)

Born 1944

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0204 LINGUIST

Bernard Cerquiglini

Born 1947

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0220 POLITICIAN

Jean-Jack Queyranne

Born 1945

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0223 COMPOSER

Hugues Dufourt

Born 1943

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0227 RABBI

Shlomo Aviner

Born 1943

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0229 POLITICIAN

Michel Noir

Born 1944

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0248 KICKBOXER

Dominique Valera

Born 1947

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0249 POLITICIAN

Jacques Myard

Born 1947

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0255 WRITER

Pierre Péju

Born 1946

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0277 FOOTBALL

Fleury Di Nallo

Born 1943

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0289 POLITICIAN

Françoise Grossetête

Born 1946

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0290 POLITICIAN

Jean-Paul Alduy

Born 1942

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0292 WRITER

René Belletto

Born 1945

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0294 MEDICAL

Jean-Louis Touraine

Born 1945

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0307 STATISTICIAN

Alain Desrosières

1940 - 2013

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0319 JUDGE

Bruno Cotte

Born 1945

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0358 PIANIST

Alain Planès

Born 1948

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0370 SINGER

Michèle Bernard

Born 1947

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0374 POLITICIAN

Jacques Pélissard

Born 1946

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0375 PHILOSOPHER

Françoise Dastur

Born 1942

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0386 CONDUCTOR

Marc Soustrot

Born 1949

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0409 PLAYER

Georges Goven

Born 1948

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0410 SKIER

Florence Steurer

Born 1949

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0414 PSYCHOLOGIST

Marie de Hennezel

Born 1946

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0418 HISTORIAN

Maurice Sartre

Born 1944

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0423 PROSECUTOR

Éric de Montgolfier

Born 1946

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0426 AUTHOR

Yves Frémion

Born 1947

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0436 SPORT

Gérard Larrousse

Born 1940

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0446 MEDICAL

Jean-Michel Dubernard

Born 1941

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0456 JOURNALIST

Alain Dister

1941 - 2008

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0464 POLITICIAN

Georges Képénékian

Born 1949

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0475 ACTOR

Marc Chapiteau

Born 1946

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0479 ACTOR

Jean-Luc Boutté

1947 - 1995

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0489 POET

Claude Royet-Journoud

Born 1941

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0492 ARTIST

Jean Clareboudt

1944 - 1997

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0518 MOUNTAINEER

Patrick Vallençant

1946 - 1989

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0519 ACADEMIC

Monique David-Ménard

Born 1947

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0561 WRITER

Marie Chaix

Born 1942

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0566 HISTORIAN

Jean-Paul Thuillier

Born 1943

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0578 JOURNALIST

Alain Dugrand

Born 1946

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0589 SKATER

Patrick Péra

Born 1949

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0596 POLITICIAN

Martine Roure

Born 1948

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0602 POET

Jacques Ancet

Born 1942

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0603 WRITER

Michel Gay

Born 1947

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0604 PUPPETEER

Yves Brunier

Born 1943

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0615 ACTOR

Chantal Pelletier

Born 1949

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0627 WRITER

Thierry de Beaucé

Born 1943

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0652 POLITICIAN

Michel Terrot

Born 1948

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0665 POLITICIAN

Bernard Saugey

Born 1943

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0669 FOOTBALL

Daniel Ravier

Born 1948

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0677 PRIEST

Bruno Grua

Born 1946

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0711 JOURNALIST

Jean-Claude Bourret

Born 1941

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0714 DIPLOMAT

Jean de Gliniasty

Born 1948

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0728 POLITICIAN

Martine Carrillon-Couvreur

Born 1948

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0729 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Alain Fournier

1943 - 2000

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0759 POLITICIAN

René Beaumont

Born 1940

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0765 ENTREPRENEUR

Alain Wertheimer

Born 1948

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0772 PRIEST

Maurice Gardès

Born 1945

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0778 POLITICIAN

Jean-Marc Nesme

Born 1943

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0783 BUSINESS

Claude Mandil

Born 1942

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0804 JOURNALIST

Christine Clerc

Born 1942

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0840 CHEMIST

Michel Che

1941 - 2019

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0851 DIPLOMAT

Daniel Bernard (diplomat)

1941 - 2004

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0857 PIANIST

Laurent Martin

Born 1945

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0864 PROFESSEUR

Pierre Arnaud (historien)

1942 - 2016

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0865 LAWYER

Alain Terrenoire

Born 1941

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0866 SINGER

René Massis

Born 1947

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0883 ROWER

Robert Dumontois

Born 1941

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0897 ACTOR

Évelyne Dress

Born 1947

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0904 ATHLETIC

Jean-Jacques Behm

Born 1942

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0907 CHESS

Michel Benoit (joueur d'échecs)

Born 1949

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0913 FILM

Frank Verpillat

1946 - 2010

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0928 MUSIC

Pierre Charial

Born 1943

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0930 SOCIOLOGIST

Gérard Mermet

Born 1947

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0946 PHYSICIST

Jean Bellissard

Born 1946

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0962 HISTORIAN

Gilbert Meynier

1942 - 2017

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0963 LITERARY

Georges Voisset

Born 1948

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0964 POLITICIAN

Jacques Berthou

Born 1940

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0972 ACTIVIST

Philippe Barret

Born 1945

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0981 PSYCHOANALYST

René Roussillon

Born 1947

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1021 SPORT

Paul Gutty

1942 - 2006

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1024 PHYSICIAN

Paul Trouillas

Born 1943

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1026 PUBLISHER

Jean-Loup Chiflet

Born 1942

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1036 HISTORIAN

Daniel Rivet

Born 1942

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1059 WRITER

Jack Chaboud

Born 1943

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1078 MATHEMATICIAN

Alain Bouvier

Born 1943

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1084 PLAYWRIGHT

Gérard Gelas

Born 1947

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1091 ACTOR

Pierrette Dupoyet

Born 1949

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1092 JOURNALIST

Christine Mital

1946 - 2006

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1093 PHILOSOPHER

Christiane Chauviré

Born 1945

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1096 ACADEMIC

Bruno Benoit

Born 1949

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1107 ORGANIST

Maurice Clerc

Born 1946

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1113 ACTOR

Gérard Giroudon

Born 1949

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1145 BUSINESS

Daniel Lebègue

Born 1943

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1146 ILLUSTRATOR

Jean-Michel Nicollet

Born 1944

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1153 ARTIST

Christian Lax

Born 1949

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1163 FILM

Antoine de Clermont-Tonnerre

Born 1941

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1169 WRITER

Marie-Christine Helgerson

Born 1946

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1172 PHOTOGRAPHER

Jacqueline Salmon

Born 1943

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1179 PRIEST

Bernard Devert

Born 1947

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1190 COMTE

Richard Chanfray

1940 - 1983

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1194 ACTOR

Maurice Vaudaux

Born 1949

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1198 ACTOR

Jean-Marc Avocat

1948 - 2020

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1218 POLITICIAN

Michel Forissier

Born 1943

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1233 JUDO

Rémi Berthet

Born 1947

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1234 NOVELIST

Pierre Lepère

Born 1944

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1244 FOOTBALL

Robert Valette

Born 1948

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1247 HISTORIAN

Alain Bideau

Born 1946

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1248 FILM

Pierre Chevalier (producteur)

1945 - 2019

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1275 FOOTBALL

Alain Thiry

1943 - 2015

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1293 SCULPTOR

Claude Bettinger

1942 - 1998

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1330 ARTIST

Michel Bret

Born 1941

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1334 ACADEMIC

Bernard Deloche

Born 1944

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1337 ACADEMIC

Alain Montandon

Born 1945

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1340 CHEMIST

Jean-Marie Basset

Born 1943

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1347 POET

Christian Limousin

Born 1948

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1353 HEMATOLOGIST

Bruno Varet

Born 1942

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1354 ACTOR

Jean-Paul Lucet

Born 1940

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1355 POLITICIAN

Marc Fraysse

Born 1949

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1364 WRITER

Jacques Wajnsztejn

Born 1949

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1375 POÉTESSE

Claude Dourguin

Born 1946

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1390 POLITICIAN

Joëlle Huillier

Born 1948

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1392 PHILOSOPHER

Jean-Noël Dumont

Born 1947

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1408 PAINTER

Geneviève Dumont

1943 - 1986

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1419 WRITER

Inès de Kertanguy

Born 1947

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1439 PHOTOGRAPHER

Joël Pèlerin

Born 1949

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1440 SPORT

Jean-Marcel Ferret

Born 1947

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1455 JOURNALIST

Daniel Riche

1949 - 2005

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1463 POLITICIAN

Bertrand Gallet (homme politique)

Born 1945

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1468 ACADEMIC

Claude Zaidman

1943 - 2005

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1471 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Alain Nicolas

Born 1941

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1482 POLITICIAN

Gérard Léonard

1945 - 2006

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1484 POET

Annie Zadek

Born 1948

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1521 CARICATURIST

Dubouillon

Born 1943

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1536 WRITER

Michel Ménaché

Born 1941

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1560 HISTORIAN

Michel Étiévent

Born 1947

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1564 PSYCHOANALYST

Gérard Huber

1946 - 2011

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1591 DRIVER

Michel Pignard

Born 1945

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1592 SINGER

Vetty

Born 1941

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1606 BASKET

Pierre Dao

Born 1943

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1630 WRITER

Jean-Charles Fauque

Born 1943

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1636 WRITER

Annie Schwartz

1943 - 2008

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1661 LIBÉRATION

Bruno Barrillot

1940 - 2017

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1664 PAINTER

Christian Guy

1948 - 2006

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1677 ARTIST

Joëlle Savey

Born 1946

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1686 ACTOR

Patrick Guinand

Born 1947

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1700 FOOTBALL

Jean Dumas

Born 1944

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1703 FILM

Raymond Collet

Born 1947

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1719 ARTIST

Henri Ughetto

1941 - 2011

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1729 JOURNALIST

Christian Tortora

Born 1943

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1731 JUMPER

Xavier Delalande

Born 1942

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1737 ARTISTE

François Righi

Born 1946

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1758 POLITICIAN

Roland Bernard (homme politique)

1944 - 2009

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1809 CRÉATEUR

Bernard Besson

Born 1949

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1917 AEROSPACE

Gérard Brachet

Born 1944

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1923 DRIVER

Marc Sourd

Born 1946

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1925 SINGER

Claude Puterflam

Born 1944

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1940 WRITER

Gilles Calamand

Born 1949

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2018 POLITICIAN

Michèle Lindeperg

Born 1941

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2019 PRINTMAKER

Jean-François Ferraton

Born 1949

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2020 CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Michel de Fabiani

Born 1945

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2048 MATHEMATICIAN

Patrick Vollat

Born 1949

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2075 POLITICIAN

Jean-Pierre Calvel

Born 1946

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2102 ECONOMIST

Elisabeth Sadoulet

Born 1945

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2113 HUMANITARIAN

Alain Michel (humanitaire)

Born 1944

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2117 CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Hubert Grouès

Born 1948

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2120 SPORT

Bernard Croyet

Born 1948

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2138 LUGER

Pierre Larchier

Born 1947

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2148 SPORT

Christian Blain

Born 1948

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2149 PLAYER

Michel Greffe

Born 1940

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2165 WRITER

Jacques Rouchouse

Born 1946

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2173 POLITICIAN

Alain Fort

Born 1946

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2183 LAWYER

Patrick Desmure

Born 1949

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2200 HOCKEY

Jean-Paul Sauthier

Born 1942

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2232 FOOTBALL

Roger Duffez

1942 - 2012

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2247 HOCKEY

Bernard Arlin

Born 1942

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2249 DRIVER

Anne Baverey

Born 1946

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2289 TRADE UNION

Daniel Richter

Born 1943

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2326 BUSINESS

Roland Tchenio

Born 1944

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2332 TRADE UNION

Michel Rousselot (syndicaliste)

Born 1943

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2345 PHOTOGRAPHER

André Perlstein

Born 1942

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2347 EMPREGAD

Jacqueline Dubut

1940 - 2017

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2349 POLITICIAN

Marie-Thérèse Patrat

Born 1940

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2354 POLITICIAN

Bernard Niquet

1946 - 2011

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2367 DRIVER

Gérard Maurin

Born 1941

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2383 BUSINESS

Georges Sorel (commerce)

Born 1948

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2394 SPELEOLOGIST

Pierre Rias

1941 - 2008

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2400 JOURNALIST

Patrice Gouy

Born 1949

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2415 MATHEMATICIAN

André Hirschowitz

Born 1944

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2429 JOURNALIST

Joseph Limagne

Born 1946

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2436 POLITICIAN

Mireille Bertrand

Born 1941

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2530 AUTHOR

Gilles Laheurte

Born 1946

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