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| - As his own account of his greatest victory at the Battle of Austerlitz goes under the hammer in Paris, here are 10 key dates in the epic life of Napoleon Bonaparte, the legendary French military and political leader: - August 15, 1769: Napoleon is born on the island of Corsica to a minor noble Italian-Corsican family. - December 22, 1793: He is made a general at the age of 24 and scores a series of victories in an Italian campaign three years later that make him famous across Europe. - November 9, 1799: Engineers a coup and becomes First Consul, progressively extending his control over France. - March 21, 1804: Pushes through a series of laws known as the Napoleonic Code replacing previous French law. - December 2, 1804: He is declared Emperor of the French, crowning himself at Notre-Dame cathedral. - October 21, 1805: His plans to invade Britain are shelved after the Battle of Trafalgar, won by the British fleet under Admiral Nelson. - December 2: Wins a decisive victory over the Austrian and Russian armies at the Battle of Austerlitz, considered his tactical masterpiece. - April 11, 1814: After the catastrophic failure of his 1812 invasion of Russia, he is forced to abdicate and is exiled to the island of Elba off Italy. - February 26, 1815: Escapes and returns to lead the French government. Finds himself up against a British-Prussian coalition. - June 18, 1815: Abdicates again, three days after being beaten at the Battle of Waterloo in Belgium. Is taken to the remote island of St Helena, off the African coast, where he dies on May 5, 1821, aged 51. jmy/fg/jxb
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