Anecdotes

Grandfather of Martin, son of Claude and judoka champion Thierry Rey

Father of two daughters: Laurence Chirac (1958 - April 14, 2016) and Claude Chirac (his communications supervisor). He and his wife also adopted a young adult Vietnamese refugee, Anh Dao Duong Traxel (Anh-Dao Traxel) in 1979.

May 5, 2002: re-elected as President of France with almost 82% of the votes in the second round against Jean-Marie Le Pen. (He had less than 20% in the first round)

Has his look-alike puppet in the French show Les Guignols de l'info (1988).

Staunch opponent of the invasion of Iraq in 2003. His relations thereafter with US President George W. Bush were hardly cordial.

Underwent surgery at the Val de Grace military hospital on 2 September 2005 for what doctors called a minor stroke which has affected his vision in one eye.

Fitted with a pacemaker in April 2008.

Announced in March 2007 that he would not seek a third term of office.

He was at home and surrounded by his family when he died.

His death was announced to the local media and the Associated Press by his son-in-law, Fréderic Salat-Baroux on September 26, 2019.

While Prime Minister, he was caricatured as the ambitious Roman politician Caius Preposterus in René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo's "Obelix and Co." (1976).

President of France (17 May 1995 to 16 May 2007).

Prime Minister of France (27 May 1974 to 25 August 1976 and 20 March 1986 to 10 May 1988).