5. Napoleon Was Extremely Short
The image of Napoleon Bonaparte as a tiny, temperamental general was heavily influenced by British propaganda during the Napoleonic Wars. Nicknamed the “Little Corporal,” he was routinely depicted as much shorter than he truly was. In reality, Napoleon stood around 5’6″—average for Frenchmen of his time. Confusion between French and English measurement systems also contributed to the myth’s persistence. For more on the origins and endurance of this myth, see BBC.
