In which year did Napoleon die?

Napoleon died in 1821. He died on 5 May at Longwood House on Saint Helena, the remote Atlantic island where he had been held in exile since 1815 after his defeat at Waterloo.

Napoleon was 51 years old. During his final years, his health deteriorated through recurring stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and increasing weakness. An autopsy conducted after his death concluded that stomach cancer was the likely cause, although historians have also debated other contributing factors, including chronic illness and the conditions of his confinement.

He was initially buried on Saint Helena. In 1840, nearly two decades later, his remains were transferred to France at the request of King Louis-Philippe. Napoleon’s tomb is now at Les Invalides in Paris, where it became a major national memorial.

The year 1815 is a tempting mistake because it marks both Waterloo and Napoleon’s arrival in exile. It was not the year of his death. Nor did he die in 1820 or 1822: the documented date is 5 May 1821.