Napoleon

About Napoleon

Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821) remains one of history’s most formidable political and military figures, securing the #20 spot in MIT's Historical Popularity Index. As the Emperor of the French, his impact fundamentally reshaped European political structures through the Napoleonic Wars and the establishment of the Napoleonic Code, a lasting legal framework influencing systems globally. His ambition and military genius made him a pivotal player in the transition from the Age of Enlightenment to the modern nation-state era.

Despite this profound historical weight, Napoleon's modern internet attention is highly pronounced, demonstrating a significant +6x overattention relative to his historical importance. He accumulated 5.8 million Wikipedia views in 2025. This level of attention sees him viewed nearly as often as Adolf Hitler (#22 importance, 9.2M views) and substantially more than towering historical figures like Gautama Buddha (#2 importance, 410K views) or Mary, mother of Jesus (#9 importance, 1.5M views).

This data suggests a strong contemporary focus on the turbulence of the late 18th/early 19th centuries, though interest is slightly waning, indicated by a steep 37.1% year-over-year decline in views and a -34% drop in momentum from Q1 to Q3 of 2025.