Napoleon Bonaparte: the Corsican who basically went from zero to hero in the blink of a cannon’s smoke. Born in 1769, this pint-sized powerhouse climbed the military ranks faster than you can say "Vive la France!" By 1796, he was leading the troops like a boss and giving Austrian and Italian armies the runaround.

Flash forward to 1799, he waltzes back to France, pulls a fast one on the government, and voila—First Consul! Then, with a little "Emperor" cherry on top in 1804, he starts painting Europe French blue until, well, Russia and winter happen.

Cut to 1814: he’s exiled to Elba (not the actor), takes a short sabbatical, tries for a comeback, but gets a thumbs-down at Waterloo. Final stop: Saint Helena, where he spends his days presumably dictating his "Should’ve, Would’ve, Could’ve" memoirs until 1821.

Today, he’s the poster boy for French military smarts and ambition, with a legacy that’s part awe, part "oops," and all Napoleon. He is enshrined at Hotel Invalids.

List 25 things Napoleon did for Paris

Sure, here is a list of 25 things Napoleon did for Paris:

Established the Bank of France in 1800
Created the Napoleonic Code, which modernized and centralized the French legal system
Commissioned the Arc de Triomphe, one of the most famous monuments in Paris
Commissioned the Vendôme Column, a monument that commemorates Napoleon's victory at the Battle of Austerlitz
Established the École Polytechnique, one of France's most prestigious universities
Created the Légion d'Honneur, a prestigious honorific order that recognizes exceptional service to France
Commissioned the Palais des Tuileries, a large palace that served as the residence of French monarchs and later the seat of government
Created the Musée du Louvre, one of the largest and most famous museums in the world
Established the Institut de France, a prestigious organization that promotes the arts and sciences
Commissioned the Pont des Arts, a pedestrian bridge that crosses the Seine River
Commissioned the Rue de Rivoli, a famous shopping street in Paris
Commissioned the Rue de la Paix, another famous shopping street in Paris
Created the Paris Bourse, a stock exchange that helped to modernize French finance
Commissioned the Place Vendôme, a famous square in Paris that features the Vendôme Column
Created the Paris Fire Brigade, a professional firefighting organization that serves the city to this day
Commissioned the Paris Observatory, one of the most important astronomical observatories in the world
Established the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts, which helped to promote and support the arts in France
Commissioned the Church of La Madeleine, a famous neoclassical church in Paris
Commissioned the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, a smaller triumphal arch that commemorates Napoleon's military victories
Commissioned the Hôtel de la Marine, a large palace that served as the headquarters of the French Navy
Created the Paris Stock Exchange, which helped to modernize and centralize French finance
Commissioned the Canal de l'Ourcq, a large canal that provided a reliable source of drinking water for the city
Commissioned the Hôtel des Invalides, a large complex that provided housing and support for disabled and elderly soldiers
Created the Jardin des Plantes, a large botanical garden that is one of the most famous in the world
Commissioned the Pont d'Austerlitz, a bridge that crosses the Seine River and is named for Napoleon's victory at the Battle of Austerlitz.