There is a common misconception that Napoleon Bonaparte was small. He was measured as five feet two inches using the French system of measurement which in the English system is five feet seven inches. He employed particularly tall bodyguards which may have contributed to the perception that he was small. Continue Reading
France
Nostradamus Prophecies: Death of Henry II of France and the Election of Donald Trump
Michel de Nostradame, usually anglicised to Nostradamus, wrote Les Propheties in 1555, which is a collection of over a thousand quatrains (four line poems) that have often been interpreted as prophecies of future events. Nostradamus rejected the label of “prophet” and disliked astrologers. However, that hasn’t stopped many commentators interpreting the Continue Reading
The Metric System was not invented by the French
The Metric System of measures was introduced by the First French Republic in 1799 and has developed into the SI system (International System of Units) recognised as the official measuring system of most countries around the world. However, the system was not invented by the French. John Wilkins, the first Continue Reading
Vive la Révolution: Victims of The Guillotine
During the Reign of Terror (1793-1794) in the French Revolution it is estimated that up to 40,000 people were executed by Guillotine. Notable victims were: François III Maximilien de la Woestyne, 3rd Marquess of Becelaere Arnaud II de La Porte (23 August 1792) Second political victim of the guillotine Jacques Continue Reading