7 Interesting Facts About Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon Bonaparte
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There are few individuals in European history as influential as Napoleon Bonaparte. The historic leader is remembered for his iconic bicorn hat, his allegedly short stature (a bit unfairly, since he was actually of average height for his time), and his singular military skill. During his lifetime, Napoleon went from a student in a French military academy to the ruler of an empire that spanned nearly all of continental Europe. By the time he was finally defeated in 1815, his series of conquests, known as the Napoleonic Wars, had changed the European continent forever. Here are seven facts about Napoleon Bonaparte that offer a small glimpse into his spectacular rise and fall.

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French Wasn’t His First Language

Despite the central role Napoleon played in the history of France, he didn’t start learning to speak French until he was 9 years old. Napoleon was born on the Mediterranean island of Corsica, where most people spoke a regional dialect of Italian, and this was the language he grew up speaking. He spoke with a Corsican accent throughout his life, and even after he became emperor of France, this accent continued to mark him as a foreigner on the French mainland and served as a reminder of his Mediterranean origins.

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5 Things You May Not Know About Genghis Khan

Genghis Khan
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Of all of history’s greatest leaders, few if any have held as much power and influence as the mighty Mongol ruler Genghis Khan. As founder of the Mongol Empire, Genghis laid waste to all who stood in his way en route to controlling a large swath of Asia during the early 13th century. Though Genghis was undeniably ruthless in his conquests, he was also a cunning tactician whose skills made him wildly effective in his imperialist efforts.

Genghis Khan lived from 1162 until 1227, rising from the ranks of relative obscurity to unify a once-scattered Steppe region in modern Mongolia and other parts of Central Asia. At the height of his power, no man was more feared or revered than Genghis, whose success as a conqueror led to one of the largest empires in history. Genghis Khan’s impact on global history is undeniable, and there’s much to be discussed about his life. Here are five facts about the infamous leader of the Mongols.

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Genghis Khan’s Birth Name Was Temüjin

Though he’s best known as Genghis Khan, that name was actually bestowed on the Mongol leader later in life. At birth, he was known as Temüjin, derived from the Turkic word temür, meaning “iron.” The name was an apt descriptor of the boy who would grow up to become a brutal warrior after being forced into a leadership role at a young age. After Temüjin’s father was poisoned when Temüjin was around 10 years old, the family was abandoned by their clan, forcing the boy to look after his mother and siblings. He showcased leadership skills from an early age, and spent the ensuing years conquering countless nomadic Steppe tribes. As recognition for his efforts, Mongol nobles gave him the name Chinggis Khan — Genghis Khan in the Western spelling — a title that roughly translates to “Universal Ruler.”

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6 Surprising Facts About Attila and the Huns

Illustration of Attila the Hun
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More than 1,500 years after his death, Attila the Hun remains one of the most fear-inducing figures in history. He and his nomadic empire spent decades terrorizing and conquering Europe on horseback, so much so that he’s still remembered all across the continent — sometimes with reverence, sometimes with hatred. But many details of his life are unclear, and some that have been reliably recorded aren’t as widely known as the apocryphal legends about him. Here are five such facts about Attila and his empire.

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No One Knows Where the Huns Came From

The Huns were among the most feared people in the world, as well as some of the least understood. That’s exemplified by the fact that the tribe’s precise origins remain unknown to this day. They were nomads, after all, and while one popular theory posits that their roots can be traced back to the Xiongnu people of ancient Mongolia, it’s impossible to confirm. Even the etymology of the Huns’ name is disputed, with some historians ascribing it to the old Turkic word for “ferocious”; others thinking it comes from the Persian term hūnarā, meaning “skilled”; and others still of the belief that it’s derived from the Ongi River in Mongolia, which could possibly have been the Huns’ ancestral homeland.

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