Discover the Unexpected: Top 5 Fun and Fascinating Facts About Napoleon Bonaparte!
1. Scentsational Love Request
Talk about a scentsational love story: Napoleon Bonaparte once requested his wife, Joséphine, not to change her clothes for a few days while he was away campaigning, as he wanted to savor the sweet whiff of her perfume upon his return.
Source => rsc.org
2. Not-So-Little Corporal
You know how people often say, "good things come in small packages"? Well, turns out that Napoleon Bonaparte was actually not as small a package as people think: In reality, he was not significantly shorter than his soldiers, standing at about 5'7", which was an above-average height for that time, and his nickname "The Little Corporal" was a term of endearment from his troops, not a commentary on his stature.
Source => britannica.com
Did you know the iconic Caesar Salad wasn't created by Julius Caesar, nor did it originally contain anchovies? Discover the surprising truth about this popular dish's real origin and ingredients!
=> Fun Facts about Julius-Caesar
3. Speedy Culinary Conqueror
In a world where foodies thrive and glorify hours-long dining escapades, Napoleon Bonaparte scoffed (literally!), leaving Gordon Ramsay cringing and Julia Child clutching her pearls: The consummate workaholic, Napoleon gulped down meals in a speedy 10 to 15 minutes, even amping up to a wild 20-minute feast during his second wedding, enticed by the likes of simple eggs, potatoes, and pasta wonderfully paired with Chambertin, watered-down of course, to avoid muddling his strategic mind.
Source => flavorsofparis.com
4. Napoleon's Self-Made Holiday
Get ready for a Saint of a twist: Napoleon Bonaparte created his own holiday, Saint Napoleon's Day, on August 15th to celebrate his birthday - using an invented martyr and borrowing significance from the Ascension of the Virgin Mary and his Italian ties.
Source => historytoday.com
5. Mummified Emperor Mystery
You could say that Napoleon was the OG mummy: with a burial fit for a Pharaoh, his body was encased in a tomb on Saint Helena, featuring three coffins, and a hefty stone slab sealed by cement. The serious reveal: when the tomb was opened 19 years later, witnesses found the Emperor's body in a remarkably well-preserved state, squashing rumors of any sneaky body swaps.
Source => napoleon.org