countries in order to develop a hinterland including all nations bordering the Mediterranean. Modernising Paris Pompidou's time in office was marked by constant efforts to modernise France's capital city. He spearheaded construction of a modern art museum, the Centre Beaubourg (renamed Centre Pompidou after his death), on the edge of the Marais area of Paris. Other attempts at modernisation included tearing down the open air markets at Les Halles and replacing them with the shopping mall of the same name, building the Montparnasse Tower, and constructing an expressway on the right bank of the Seine. Death in office While still in office, Pompidou died on 2 April 1974, at 9 PM, while in his apartment, from Waldenström macroglobulinemia. His body was buried on 4 April, in the churchyard of Orvilliers, where he had bought an old baker's house which he turned into a weekend home. The official memorial service for him was held at Notre-Dame de Paris with 3000 dignitaries in attendance (including 28 heads of state and representatives from 82 countries). April 6 was declared a national day of mourning and entertainment and cultural events were canceled, theatres and schools closed. Attendees included: A controversy arose surrounding the secrecy kept over Pompidou's illness, and the political class "agreed" that future presidents of the Republic would have to provide reports on the state of their health. However, President François Mitterrand, who had pledged during his 1981 campaign to publish regular health bulletins, would also conceal, after his accession to power, the severity of the cancer from which he was suffering. Pompidou's wife Claude Pompidou would outlive him by more than thirty years. The couple had one (adopted) son, Alain Pompidou, who went on to serve as president of the European Patent Office. France withdrew from the Eurovision Song Contest 1974, which took place just four days after Pompidou's death, as a mark of respect. Works Anthologie de la Poésie Française, Livre de Poche/Hachette, 1961 Le Nœud gordien, éd. Plon, 1974 Entretiens et discours, deux vol., éd. Plon, 1975 Pour rétablir une vérité, éd. Flammarion, 1982 Medals Legion of Honour: Chevalier de la Legion of Honour: (France) (1948); Officier de la Legion of Honour: (France) (1957); Grand-croix de la Legion of Honour: 1969, grand-maître de l'ordre (France) (1969-1974, as president of the republic); Grand-croix de l'Ordre national du Mérite (France); Grand Cross of Order of St. Olav (Norway) (1962); Grand Cordon