10 Historical Lies You Totally Fell For

The military prowess of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was second to none. His lengthy résumé of war exploits made him one of the most respected and feared military minds Europe has ever seen, and his impressive list of accomplishments has allowed him the rare honour of being known by one single name (like Madonna or Beyoncé, for example).

Though his storied history as a fierce military tactician may occupy a fraction of conversations about him, there are other characteristics of his that are also ripe for further scrutiny, one of which being his height. The French General supposedly stood at a mere five feet and two inches. This realisation, no matter how unrelated to his ability to command, is surely a blemish on his reputation, as the thought of a dumpy man leading scores of tough soldiers into battle is undoubtedly worthy of a chuckle.

However, the French measurement of one inch at the time was 2.7cm, whereas the more commonly known imperial inch was 2.54cm. In the measurements we know today, this would put his height around five feet and five inches, a mere one inch from the period's average height for a male.