Edouard Manet, The Railway, 1872, National Gallery, Washington, D.C. (left)

Degas paints Le Foyer de la danse a l'Opera (right).

Consecration of Sacre Coeur, on top of Montmartre. (CHF - or 1873 a la AF. The stone is actually laid in 1875.)

Berthe Morisot paints LeBerceau. (CHF)

A free school of political science opens.

More broadly:

Marx starts publishing Das Kaptial. (AF)

Rugby is introduced to France (Le Harve Atheltic Club) (CHF)

France starts five years of compulsory military service. (CHF)

The post card comes to France (it was first created in Austria). (CHF)

There is a migration of French families from now German Alsace Lorraine to France. (CHF)