Jacques Chirac

He went into the wedlock with Bernadette Chodron de Courcel, who bore him two daughters, Laurence and Claude. He also has a foster daughter, Anh Dao Traxel.

Post presidency, he initiated the organization Foundation Chirac, which aims to strive for peace with its five advocacy programs. He even became a lifetime member of Constitutional Council of France.

Jacques Chirac was born in a Roman Catholic family to Abel Fran�ois Chirac and Marie-Louise Valette. While his father was employed with an aircraft company, his mother was a homemaker.

He acquired his basic education in Paris from Lyc�e Carnot and Lyc�e Louis-le-Grand. In the 1950s, he took to pursue a career in civil services. For the same, he continued his academic career graduating from Paris Institute of Political Science in 1953.

After a short stint at Harvard University’s summer school, he enrolled at the Grande �cole National School of Administration (ENA) in 1957. Two years of rigorous training to rank amongst France’s best civil servants paid off as he was appointed as a civil servant in the Court of Auditors

Year 1962 marked his foray into politics as he gained himself the position of the head of the personal staff of Prime Minister Georges Pompidou. His knack for getting things done made him Pompidou favourite and earned him the nickname, ‘Le Bulldozer’.

Five years later, in 1967, he contested as a Gaullist for a seat in National Assembly on the recommendation of Pompidou. Emerging victorious, he was elected deputy for his home Corr�ze department.

During the end of 1960s, he took up various roles, serving as he state secretary of economy from 1968 until 1971, and Minister for Relations with the Parliament from 1971 until 1972. Pompidou, by then, had become the President of France.

His first major appointment came in 1972 as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development. In the new capacity, he attained immense recognition, which reached its peak when he openly lambasted agricultural policies of other nations as they conflicted with French interests.

In February 1974, he was given the office of Minister of Interior. Same year, he started to make preparation for the upcoming presidential elections in 1976 but a tragic untimely death of Pompidou in April 1974 thwarted all efforts.

For his outstanding contribution in the field of politics, he has been the proud recipient of honorary awards and highest decorations from countries across the globe, few of which including France, Quebec, Lithunian, Austria, Romania, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Latvia, Poland, Italy, Russia, South Africa, Portugal, Norway, and others.