From Henri Grialou to Father Marie-Eugène

Studies in the Minor Seminary of Graves

Faced with the determination and insistence of Henri, Mrs. Grialou sent her son to study in Graves, shouldering heavy sacrifices to pay for the tuition fees. He spent there the 3 last years of the French secondary school system.

Election of Pope Pius X

The Pope remained in office until he died on 20 August 1914.

Yuri Gagarin : the first human to journey into outer space

The Beatles made their first recording

The single « Love me do » came out on 5 October and reached the 17th position in the British hit parade. In February 1963, their second album, « Please, Please Me » reached the first position. The Beatle mania spread incredibly fast.

Henri six years old

Marius, the oldest of the siblings, then Fernande, and finally Henri (the little boy at the bottom left of the photo). Not on the photo: the two younger sisters, Angèle and Berthe.

USA : Launch of McDonald’s franchises

Ray Kroc suggested to the McDonald brothers to develop their concept by using franchises. So he opened the first restaurant of McDonald's, Inc. in Des Plaines (Illinois). He had been seduced by the restaurant of the McDonald brothers in San Bernardino (California) which offered ready-made dishes which one could eat with one’s fingers. In 1979, the first McDonald’s opened in Strasbourg.

Europe : Creation of the ECSC

The first sign of a European cooperation was given by the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) founded by 6 countries : Belgium, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Luxemburg. All signed the treaty which aimed at encouraging the political rapprochement of the Six by creating a common market for coal and steel and facilitating the free movement of those goods. It came into force on 23 July 1952.

Signing of the Treaty of Rome

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the six member countries (France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands) signed in Rome the treaties constituting the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) and the European Economic Community (EEC). The aim of the latter treaty was to create a common market and to eliminate the trade barriers between the member countries. It was expected that the EEC should be ruled by several institutions : the Commission, ensuring that the treaty be respected and playing the role of the executive ; the Council of Ministers, bringing together, according to the issue at hand, the ministers of the member States ; the Assembly and the Court of Justice which were also in charge of the ECSC and of the Euratom. The Treaty of Rome took effect on 1 January 1958.

USA : Explosion of the first atomic bomb

For the first time the USA tested the thermonuclear bomb

Abbé Pierre’s call

Henri Grouès, better known under the name of Abbé Pierre, raised an alarm against misery on Radio Luxemburg (RTL). This call for an « uprising of kindness » occured just after the death of a woman, frozen to death in the street. In that year Winter was particularly severe and going to cause more victims. The founder of the community of Emmaus appealed to all the French people to give shelter to the homeless, to give them blankets, food and time in order to save the lives of tens of thousands of people. The call was heard and France witnessed one of the largest impulses of generosity in its history. The movement led to the voting of a law forbidding the expulsion of renters in Winter. The Community of Emmaus increased further and further and expanded worldwide.