FACTBOX: Facts about French designer Yves Saint Laurent

(Reuters) - French fashion king Yves Saint Laurent died on Sunday at the age of 71. Here are some facts about his life.

* Yves Saint Laurent was born on August 1 1936 in Oran, Algeria, which Paris then considered part of France. He came from a wealthy family and moved to Paris when he was 17, immediately entering the world of fashion.

* He met Christian Dior in 1954 and became his assistant. After his mentor's death in 1957 he was named chief stylist for the Dior fashion house, triumphing at his very first show with his "Trapeze collection" that introduced a revolutionary new silhouette -- narrow shoulders falling to wide skirts.

* Called up for French military service in 1960, the homosexual Saint Laurent had a nervous breakdown. By the time he recovered, he had already been relaced at Dior. His friend Pierre Berge stepped in, organizing the financial backing for Saint Laurent to set up his own fashion house in 1962.

* The pair built up a multi-million-dollar fashion, perfumes and accessories business which constantly broke the mould, anticipating modern styles. The business was floated on the Paris bourse in 1989 -- a first for a fashion house.

* Saint Laurent suffered from bouts of severe depression and was rushed to hospital in 1990, suffering from nervous fatigue.

* In 1992, the heavily-indebted YSL was bought by cosmetics and drugs company Sanofi, a subsidiary of the then state-owned oil firm Elf-Aquitaine. Berge and Saint Laurent retained creative control. French luxury house PPR took control in 1999.

* Saint Laurent presented his last haute couture show in January 2001 and officially retired in 2002. In October 2006 he fell in a Paris street and was filmed lying motionless in the road for several minutes until emergency services arrived to help him. Aides denied he was seriously ill.

* He died on June 1, 2008.

(Reporting by Crispian Balmer)