Last updated: October 25, 2026
The history section of the French civic exam is only 8 questions out of 40. But dates also hide inside other themes: the motto, laïcité, women’s rights, the Constitution. Learn one short list well and you pick up points all over the exam.
We kept this list to the dates that matter for the exam, grouped by period, with the French term you’ll actually read on the screen.
The ten dates to know by heart
If you only have one evening, learn these ten. They’re the ones that keep coming back in the official program and in our practice test.
| Date | What happened | In French |
|---|---|---|
| July 14, 1789 | Storming of the Bastille, start of the Revolution | La prise de la Bastille |
| August 26, 1789 | Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen | Déclaration des droits de l’homme et du citoyen |
| 1792 | First Republic proclaimed, La Marseillaise written | Première République |
| 1848 | Final abolition of slavery, universal male suffrage | Abolition de l’esclavage |
| 1881 to 1882 | Jules Ferry laws: free, compulsory, secular primary school | Lois Jules Ferry |
| December 9, 1905 | Law separating the Churches and the State | Loi de séparation des Églises et de l’État |
| June 18, 1940 | De Gaulle’s appeal from London to keep fighting | L’appel du 18 juin |
| 1944 | Women get the right to vote, Liberation of Paris | Droit de vote des femmes |
| 1958 | Constitution of the Fifth Republic | Constitution de la Ve République |
| 1981 | Abolition of the death penalty | Abolition de la peine de mort |
Notice how many of these are about values. That’s the logic of the exam. It asks about history to check that you understand where today’s rules come from.
Before the Revolution
The exam goes light on early history, but a few names show up.
- 52 BC, Alésia. Vercingétorix, the Gaulish chief, surrenders to Julius Caesar.
- Around 496, the baptism of Clovis. The king of the Franks becomes Christian.
- 800, Charlemagne crowned emperor.
- 1539, the Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts. French replaces Latin in official documents. Expect it in a question about the French language.
- 1598, the Edict of Nantes. Henri IV grants Protestants freedom of worship.
Revolution and Empire
This is the heart of it. The Revolution produced the motto, the flag, the anthem and the idea that the people are sovereign.
- 1789. The Estates-General meet, the Bastille falls on July 14, and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen is adopted on August 26.
- 1792. The monarchy falls and the First Republic is proclaimed. Rouget de Lisle writes the song that becomes La Marseillaise.
- 1804. Napoleon Bonaparte is crowned emperor and the Civil Code is published. Parts of that Code still apply today.
From 1848 to the Third Republic
- 1848. Slavery is abolished for good in the French colonies, under Victor Schœlcher’s lead, and men get universal suffrage.
- 1870. The Third Republic begins.
- 1881 to 1882. The Jules Ferry laws make primary school free, compulsory and secular.
- 1905. The law separating the Churches and the State. The State no longer recognizes or funds any religion, and it guarantees freedom of conscience. This is the founding text of laïcité, so expect at least one question that leans on it.
The two World Wars
- 1914 to 1918. World War I. The armistice is signed on November 11, 1918, now a public holiday.
- June 18, 1940. General de Gaulle broadcasts his appeal from London. The same year, Marshal Pétain leads the Vichy regime, which collaborates with Nazi Germany.
- 1944. Women get the right to vote (they first vote in 1945). Paris is liberated in August.
- May 8, 1945. Victory in Europe, also a public holiday.
One trap here: Vichy’s motto, Travail, Famille, Patrie, sometimes appears as a wrong answer to a question about the Republic’s motto.
From 1957 to today
- 1957. Treaty of Rome. France is one of the six founding countries of what becomes the European Union.
- 1958. The current Constitution, drafted under de Gaulle.
- 1962. The president is now elected by direct universal suffrage.
- 1974. The age of majority drops to 18.
- 1975. The Veil law legalizes abortion, carried by Simone Veil.
- 1981. The death penalty is abolished, a law carried by Robert Badinter.
- 2002. Euro coins and notes replace the franc.
- 2013. Marriage is opened to same-sex couples.
How to make these dates stick
Reading a list twice won’t do it. Three things work better.
First, link each date to a value. 1905 is laïcité. 1944 is equality between women and men. 1981 is the right to life. When a question asks about a value, the date comes back on its own.
Second, learn the French wording. The exam won’t say “storming of the Bastille”, it’ll say “prise de la Bastille”. The right-hand column of the table above is there for that.
Third, test yourself. Our free practice test includes the history questions, with the French and the English side by side. Then go back to the civic exam guide for the rest of the program.
Want a printable version? The free Starter Kit covers the civic exam, the B2 French rule and the documents to prepare. Send me the free PDF
Frequently asked questions
How many history questions are on the civic exam?
The theme “history, geography and culture” accounts for 8 of the 40 questions. Dates also show up in questions about values and institutions.
Do I need to know exact days or just years?
Years are usually enough. A few days are worth knowing exactly because they’re national holidays or symbols: July 14, 1789, November 11, 1918, May 8, 1945 and June 18, 1940.
Is there an official list of dates?
There’s no separate list of dates. The official program and the citizen’s booklet on formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr cover the major landmarks of French history that the exam draws on.