Joséphine de Beauharnais

About Joséphine de Beauharnais

Joséphine de Beauharnais (1763–1814) was a pivotal figure in the early 19th century, primarily known as the first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte and Empress of the French. While her personal life was marked by political maneuverings and the eventual annulment of her marriage, her historical importance is rooted in her role as a consort during the rise and consolidation of the First French Empire. MIT's Pantheon project ranks her at #417, reflecting a significant, though secondary, cultural and political footprint in global history, especially concerning the Napoleonic era and French royalty.

In the digital age of 2025, Joséphine commands 906K Wikipedia views, which results in an "overattention" score of +2x relative to her historical importance rank. This suggests she receives significantly more modern internet attention than her HPI rank would strictly predict. To provide contrast, a figure ranked nearly 400 positions lower in importance, such as Eva Braun (#829), garnered 1.6M views, indicating that figures associated with high-profile, though often sensational, historical narratives attract a disproportionate amount of search traffic.

Interestingly, her online presence shows signs of recent flux: while she experienced a 62.5% year-over-year drop in views, her 2025 momentum (Q1 vs Q3) saw a slight +9% increase, suggesting minor fluctuations in public interest despite the overall decline in historical engagement.