In what year was Napoleon born?

Napoleon was born in 1769. His birth date was 15 August 1769, and his birthplace was Ajaccio on the island of Corsica, which had recently come under French control. His birth name was Napoleone di Buonaparte, reflecting his family’s Italian-Corsican background.

Corsica had been ceded by the Republic of Genoa to France in 1768, only about a year before Napoleon’s birth. That timing helps explain why his identity and accent retained strong Corsican and Italian influences even as he rose through the French military and political system.

Napoleon later became a successful artillery officer during the French Revolution, seized power as First Consul in 1799, and became Emperor of the French in 1804. The commonly confused dates 1770 and 1771 are incorrect; 1769 is supported by the established historical record and by Napoleon’s contemporaries.