Timeline: Nicolas Sarkozy's first term as French president Jul 27: Sarkozy speech in Dakar on Africa ties deemed racist by some Aug 10: First major Sarkozy reform, universities declared autonomous Aug 21: Sarkozy signs "tax shield" law capping bills of rich Oct 15: Sarkozy and wife Cecilia Ciganer-Albeniz divorce Feb 2: Sarkozy marries supermodel Carla Bruni Aug 12: Sarkozy shuttle diplomacy brokers Russia-Georgia ceasefire Sep 25: In major speech Sarkozy vows to reform capitalism and Europe Oct 12: Eurozone summit agrees plan to defend banks in finance crisis Nov 14: First meeting of G20 in Washington. Sarkozy claims credit for idea Apr 4: France formally rejoins NATO command structure Jun 22: Sarkozy announces huge "national loan" to support investment Sep-Oct: Rival Dominique de Villepin tried for smearing Sarkozy Jan 28: De Villepin cleared in "Clearstream trial" Jun 16: Report suggests L'Oreal heiress illegally funded Sarkozy campaign Jul 30: Sarkozy speech links crime to immigration, vows to expel Roma Nov 10: Sarkozy formally signs law raising retirement age to 62 Nov 14: Labour minister Eric Woerth leaves cabinet amid L'Oreal scandal Mar 19: France and allies launch air war in Libya championed by Sarkozy Apr 11: French forces aid in downfall of Ivorian leader Laurent Gbagbo May 26-27: Sarkozy chairs G8-G20 summit in Deauville on finance crisis Oct 19: Sarkozy and wife Carla have daughter, Giulia Oct 20: Libyan rebels kill Muammar Gaddafi after French jets hit convoy Oct 23: Sarkozy clashes with British PM David Cameron at EU summit Nov 3-4: Sarkozy chairs G20 summit in Cannes Dec 9: Sarkozy says British objections to EU treaty "unacceptable" Jan 30: France and 24 of 26 EU allies agree "fiscal compact" Feb 6: In Paris, Germany's Merkel backs Sarkozy re-election bid Future Apr 22: First round of voting in French presidential election May 6: Second round run-off