Emperor of the French Napoleon I

Born in Corsica in 1769, Napoleon Bonaparte trained as an artillery officer and rose quickly during the French Revolution. A string of military victories in Italy and elsewhere made him one of France's most celebrated commanders, and in 1799 he seized power and became First Consul.

In 1804 he crowned himself Emperor of the French and went on to dominate much of continental Europe through war, diplomacy, and reform. He is also remembered for changes that lasted beyond the battlefield, especially the Napoleonic Code, which helped shape legal systems in France and beyond.

After major setbacks, including the disastrous 1812 invasion of Russia, he was forced to abdicate, briefly returned to power during the Hundred Days in 1815, and was finally defeated at Waterloo. He spent his last years in exile on Saint Helena, where he died in 1821, leaving behind one of history's most debated and influential legacies.