Napoleon Bonaparte

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Battle of Waterloo Dig Turns Up 15 Limbs

Along with the remains of horses

(Newser) - At least 20,000 men lost their lives in the battle of Waterloo—and a handful of newly uncovered limbs belonging to a few of them is exposing the "carnage and horror" of the 1815 battle, reports the Guardian . The Duke of Wellington led the defeat of Napoleon, and...

Pistols Napoleon Planned to Use to End His Life Are Sold

They were auctioned for $1.8M

(Newser) - As the story goes, French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte intended to shoot himself on April 12, 1814, after he was forced to abdicate. But the BBC reports his grand squire, Armand de Caulaincourt, emptied Napoleon's two pistols of their gunpowder; he instead consumed poison but vomited and survived. Those pistols...

What Critics Are Saying About Ridley Scott's Napoleon
What Critics Are Saying
About Ridley Scott's Napoleon
MOVIE REVIEW
Nov 23, 2023 10:10 AM CST

What Critics Are Saying About Ridley Scott's Napoleon

One critic finds Joaquin Phoenix riveting, another 'expressionless'

(Newser) - From the beheading of Marie Antoinette through the Reign of Terror and on to the Battle of Waterloo, Ridley Scott's Napoleon , hitting theaters Thursday before heading to Apple TV+, charts the dramatic rise of French military commander and emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, who is often regarded as a military genius....

Napoleon's Battered Old Hat Sells for a Towering Sum

Faded, cracked bicorne fetches $2.1M at auction

(Newser) - A faded and cracked felt bicorne hat worn by Napoléon Bonaparte sold for $2.1 million at an auction Sunday of the French emperor's belongings. Yes, $2.1 million. The signature broad, black hat—one of a handful still in existence that Napoléon wore when he ruled...

'It's the Holy Grail' of Napoleonic Souvenirs

Only 4 or 5 signature bicorne hats remain in collectors' hands

(Newser) - One of the signature broad, black bicorne hats that Napoleon Bonaparte wore when he ruled 19th-century France and waged war in Europe is expected to fetch upward of $650,000 at auction on Sunday. The faded black felt hat is the star piece of the auction, valued at between $650,...

Scientists Test Remains Kept in Attic for Battle of Waterloo Ties

Man turns bones over to Belgian archives

(Newser) - After Bernard Wilkin, of the State Archives of Belgium, spoke in the village of Waterloo in November about what became of the remains of troops killed in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, a man approached him. "Dr. Wilkin," he said, "I have bones of these Prussians...

Remote Island Marks 200 Years Since Napoleon's Death

French emperor died in exile on St. Helena

(Newser) - Getting to the remote South Atlantic island where Napoleon died 200 years ago got even harder during the pandemic. So while commemorations of the May 5, 1821 death of the deposed French emperor on British-ruled St. Helena are going ahead there, they are not happening with the influx of international...

One-Legged Skeleton Might Solve Napoleonic Mystery

It could be the remains of Gen. Charles-Étienne Gudin, missing since 1812

(Newser) - A one-legged skeleton found under a Russian dance floor could solve a mystery that has persisted since 1812. Charles-Étienne Gudin, whom the BBC refers to as Napoleon Bonaparte's "favorite general," was hit by a cannonball during the failed French invasion of Russia that year; he had...

Cannonball Alters History of Waterloo

It suggests French army reached British field hospital before defeat

(Newser) - Rare human remains—specifically, amputated leg bones—have been discovered at the site of the 200-year-old battle that marked Napoleon's final defeat. Archaeologists were combing the site of farm buildings that were used as a British field hospital during the Battle of Waterloo in what is now Belgium when...

Was Napoleon Taken Down by a Volcano? Perhaps
Did a Volcano Play a Role in
Napoleon's Downfall? Maybe
in case you missed it
Aug 25, 2018 8:53 AM CDT

Did a Volcano Play a Role in Napoleon's Downfall? Maybe

New study suggests eruption played a role in poor weather conditions during battle

(Newser) - Here's an unexpected theory: that Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo in June 1815 was partly caused by the eruption of an volcano in Indonesia. It's a suggestion tacked onto the end of a study by Dr. Matthew Genge of the Imperial College London published Wednesday in Geology . Titled...

An Item Left on the Waterloo Battlefield Just Sold for $400K

That's more than Napoleon's bicorne hat was expected to fetch

(Newser) - Napoleon's hats were a big deal. The BBC explains he had a system for breaking in and wearing the "bicorne" military hats that he famously wore sideways so as to be better spotted by his troops: He introduced four new ones each year that were first worn by...

How a Neurosurgeon Brought Down Napoleon

Russian general's remarkable brain surgery saved his life, resulted in visionary strategy

(Newser) - As Napoleon Bonaparte's forces moved toward Moscow in the autumn of 1812, Russian General Mikhail Kutuzov burned his own city, fled east, and left Moscow open to invaders. But what some supposed were the actions of a madman instead proved visionary, as Napoleon's troops couldn't handle the...

Napoleon's Waterloo Didn't Come at Waterloo

Braine-l’Alleud would finally like some credit

(Newser) - History buffs—and tourists with money to spend—will be swarming on Waterloo, Belgium, next week to mark the 200th anniversary of Napoleon's famous last battle. The nearby town of Braine-l’Alleud isn't too thrilled about it, however. As the Wall Street Journal reports, the Battle of Waterloo...

Up for Auction: Napoleon's Will

Copy expected to fetch $160K

(Newser) - History buffs will have to dig deep if they hope to score a rare copy of Napoleon's will at auction tomorrow. The AP reports that the sale at Paris' Drouot Auction house is expected to fetch about $160,000. A few odds and ends about the document, which is...

NRA Unholsters New Museum— in Gun Store

'If you are a gun person, you are going to love this place'

(Newser) - The National Rifle Association has unveiled a new museum—inside a gun store. The National Sporting Arms Museum, inside a sprawling Bass Pro store in Springfield, Mo., features close to 1,000 firearms, including ones owned by historical figures as diverse as Teddy Roosevelt, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Jesse James, Reuters...

Napoleon-Era Telegraph Revolutionized Communication

Rudimentary system sent messages over great distances quickly

(Newser) - If the telegraph is like old-school email, then this is like old-school telegraph: The BBC takes a look at a system of distance communication developed by a French inventor in the late 1790s that seems crude by today's standards but was ingenious in its day. Claude Chappe's telegraph—...

Want to Play Napoleon? So Do These Guys—Bad

Two actors vie for coveted role in Waterloo reenactment

(Newser) - France no longer has an emperor, but tell that to Frank Samson and Mark Schneider. The Frenchman and American, respectively, are vying for the role of Napoleon in a massive 200th-anniversary reenactment of the battle of Waterloo—and neither will take defeat lying down, the Wall Street Journal reports. "...

10 Strangest Amusement Parks
 10 Strangest Amusement Parks 
Feb 19, 2012 7:12 AM CST

10 Strangest Amusement Parks

Try Napoleonland and Dickens World for starters

(Newser) - Roller coasters, water slides, and teacups are boring. Take a trip to one of these 10 strange amusement parks, compiled by Time .
  • Napoleonland: Opening in France in 2014, this park is dedicated to the French dictator and will feature a water show reenactment of the Battle of Trafalgar and a
...

3 Dead Guys We Just Can't Leave Alone

Their causes of death still puzzle researchers

(Newser) - These folks have been dead for centuries—and yet we still won’t leave them alone. Discover presents a list of celebs whose mysterious deaths keep us snooping:
  • Napoleon Bonaparte. In 1961, researchers found a lot of arsenic in the emperor’s hair, prompting speculation that he was poinsoned. Two
...

Sarko Uses Footstool to Measure Up to Obama

5'5" French president shorter than Napoleon

(Newser) - At 5 feet 5 inches, Nicolas Sarkozy seems to feel a bit stature-challenged—so at the recent D-Day tribute, he used a 6-inch footstool, in addition to his elevator shoes, to hold his own against Barack Obama and Gordon Brown, the Daily Mail reports. Sarko “knew he was appearing...

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