FALSE

Historical records and autopsy results indicate that Napoleon Bonaparte was approximately 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 meters) tall in modern units 1 3. The common misconception that he was exceptionally short stems from his height being recorded as 5 feet 2 inches in French inches at the time of his death, a unit that was longer than the standard English inch 4 5 9. When converted to modern measurements, historians estimate his actual height was between 5 feet 5 inches and 5 feet 7 inches 2 6 10. This stature was considered average or even above average for a man during the early 19th century 8 11. No credible source supports the claim that he was only five feet tall, as even the misinterpreted French records listed him at a minimum of 5 feet 2 inches 7 12.