Events from the year 1862 in France.
Incumbents
Monarch – Napoleon III
Events
6 January - French, Spanish and British forces arrive in Veracruz, Mexico, beginning the French intervention in Mexico. 5 May - Battle of Puebla, victory for the Mexican Army against the French occupational forces.
Arts and literature
3 April - The first two volumes of Les Misérables by Victor Hugo is published. 15 May - The remainder of Les Misérables is published.
Births
28 March - Aristide Briand, statesman, Prime Minister and Nobel Peace Prize winner (died 1932) 6 April - Georges Darien, writer (died 1921) 22 August - Claude Debussy, composer (died 1918) 19 October - Auguste Lumière, filmmaker (died 1954) 7 December - Paul Adam, novelist (died 1920) 8 December - Georges Feydeau, playwright (died 1921)
Deaths
11 January - Jean Philibert Damiron, philosopher (born 1794) 7 February - Prosper Ménière, scientist (born 1799) 11 February - Jules Lequier, philosopher (born 1814) 17 March - Fromental Halévy, composer (born 1799) 9 April - Charles Deval, ophthalmologist (born 1806) 18 June - Jean-Baptiste Pallegoix, vicar apostolic of Eastern Siam (born 1805) 5 July - Étienne-Denis Pasquier, statesman (born 1767) September - Mathieu-Richard-Auguste Henrion, magistrate, historian and journalist (born 1805)
Full date unknown
Louis Alfred Becquerel, physicist and medical researcher (born 1814) Antoine Fauchery, photographer (born 1823) Louis Petitot, sculptor (born 1794)