Napoleon I of France

Born: 1769-08-15 France

Died: 1821-05-05 Saint Helena

Alternate name: Bonaparte

Born Napoleone di Buonaparte, Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military leader who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and subsequent French Revolutionary Wars. In 1799, he became the first consul of the First French Republic, and in 1804, he became the first emperor of the French. Defeated in battle in 1814, Napoleon abdicated on April 4 and went into exile on the Island of Elba. Escaping from Elba in February 1815, Napoleon returned to France, but his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in June led Napoleon to again abdicate. He was exiled to the island of Saint Helena, where he died in 1821.

Andrew Roberts, Napoleon: A Life (New York: Penguin, 2014).