Napoleon Dies in Exile: An Era Ends
Napoleon Bonaparte died on the island of Saint Helena on May 5, 1821, at age 51, after six years of British-enforced exile. His cause of death was officially recorded as stomach cancer, though arsenic poisoning theories have persisted since elevated arsenic levels were found in his hair samples. Modern analysis suggests the arsenic came from wallpaper dye rather than deliberate poisoning. Napoleon dictated memoirs during his exile that carefully crafted his legend, portraying himself as a champion of revolutionary ideals thwarted by reactionary monarchies. His remains were returned to France in 1840 and interred in a massive porphyry sarcophagus at Les Invalides in Paris. His legal code, the Code Napoleon, remains the basis of civil law in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, and much of Latin America.
May 5, 1821
205 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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