Remembrance Day in France

Today I had the opportunity to watch on television the Remembrance Day ceremonies in Paris - an exceptionally impressive event, centred upon the Arc de Triomph. The event left me with two questions that French browsers may be able to answer, viz (a) The area around the Arc de Triomph is now called Place Charles de Gaulle. I assume it had another name previously; what was the name and when was it changed ? (B) French citizens evidently wear a blue flower (a carnation, I believe) rather than the red poppy associated with such services in Commonwealth countries. The poppy, of course, being common wild flowers. were associated with the First World War battlefields and particularly linked through the imagru of John McCrae's poem; what events or associations came to link the blue flowers with French remembrance ? I understand from the commentary that Belgians wear daisies on such occasions; if true, why ?

[Vin]

Hugh

This is the reply I received
The blue flower is the cornflower (le bleuet). It was previously one of 3 flowers which made up a small bouquet, a cornflower, daisy and poppy (marguerite et coquelicot). It is equally the colour of the blue horizon. They used the word “la capote followed by “bleu horizon” in brackets.
The three flowers, red white and blue, have been replaced by the blue which is the colour of the horizon or sky, I suppose. Still waiting on a reply to the Belgian white.

Vin

Good day,
I am belgian. There is no specific flower who symbolise the WWI in belgium.

Was not the area around the Arc de Triomph previously known as Place D'Etoile?, in reference to the star formed by the streets from its center? If I know what I am talking about, I do not know when the name was changed, but would have to be within the past 20 years.

Hello,
the name of the place where arc de triomphe is is still named Place de l'étoile.

Still Place d'Etoile ? Curious, for the commentator clearly spoke of Place Charles de Gaulle and the camera even panned over a sign with that name.

Hi Hugh,
According to this tourist site for Paris (http://www.w3i.com/eng/ville_paris/ville_paris.htm) the Arc de Triomphe is:
Situated in the middle of Place de l’Etoile - Charles de Gaulle, here is buried an Unknown French Soldier from World War I. Napoleon commissioned the construction in 1806, but it was completed only in 1836.

So, it is both.

The web has it all, search and ye may find.

The official name is Place Charles de Gaulle. The previous was Place de l'Etoile. But old habits are hard to loose... and many Frenchmen still use Place de l'Etoile, not counting those who did not accept, for political reasons, the change in name. Same thing apply to CDG airport, which many (and that includes yours trully) still call Roissy...