On This Day

Joséphine de Beauharnais, future Empress of the French, marries her first husband, Alexandre de Beauharnais, in Paris

Joséphine Bonaparte was the first wife of Emperor Napoleon I and as such Empress of the French from 18 May 1804 until their marriage was annulled on 10 January 1810.

Joséphine Bonaparte was the first wife of Emperor Napoleon I and as such Empress of the French from 18 May 1804 until their marriage was annulled on 10 January 1810. As Napoleon's consort, she was also Queen of Italy from 26 May 1805 until the 1810 annulment. She is widely known as Joséphine de Beauharnais or Empress Joséphine.

Joséphine's marriage to Napoleon was her second. Her first husband, Alexandre de Beauharnais, was guillotined during the Reign of Terror, and she was imprisoned in the Carmes prison until five days after his execution. Through her children by Beauharnais, she was the grandmother of Emperor Napoleon III of France and Empress Amélie of Brazil.

Historical Significance

Joséphine Bonaparte was the first wife of Emperor Napoleon I and as such Empress of the French from 18 May 1804 until their marriage was annulled on 10 January 1810.

Key People

Alexandre de Beauharnais

revolutionary politician and general

French revolutionary politician and general

Events Before

  1. Treaty of Amity and Commerce and the Treaty of Alliance are signed in Paris between the United States and France, the fi

    Treaty of Amity and Commerce and the Treaty of Alliance are signed in Paris between the United States and France, the first treaties negotiated by the United States. The first treaty establishes formal diplomatic and commercial relations, and the second forms a defensive alliance.

  2. American poet Phillis Wheatley (24) weds grocer and advocate for black rights John Peters

    American poet Phillis Wheatley (24) weds grocer and advocate for black rights John Peters

  3. Naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (34) weds Marie Anne Rosalie Delaporte

    Naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (34) weds Marie Anne Rosalie Delaporte

  4. British explorer Captain James Cook is the first European to visit Maui in the Sandwich Islands (now Hawaii)

    The history of Hawaii began with the discovery and settlement of the Hawaiian Islands by Polynesian people between 940 and 1200 AD.

  5. 1st American military court martial trial begins in Cambridge, Massachusetts

    The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years...

Events After

  1. Pennsylvania becomes first US state to abolish slavery (for newborns only)

    Pennsylvania becomes first US state to abolish slavery (for newborns only)

  2. The Great Hurricane of 1780 hits Barbados and goes on to kill 20,000 to 30,000 people in the Caribbean, making it the de

    The Great Hurricane of 1780 hits Barbados and goes on to kill 20,000 to 30,000 people in the Caribbean, making it the deadliest recorded hurricane in the Atlantic

  3. US founding father Alexander Hamilton (25) weds Elizabeth Schuyler (23) at Schuyler Mansion in Albany, New York

    US founding father Alexander Hamilton (25) weds Elizabeth Schuyler (23) at Schuyler Mansion in Albany, New York

  4. Danish national anthem "Kong Kristian stod ved højen mast" first performed during a play at the Royal Danish Theatre in

    Danish national anthem "Kong Kristian stod ved højen mast" first performed during a play at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen

  5. Snowstorm hits George Washington's army at Morristown, New Jersey

    Snowstorm hits George Washington's army at Morristown, New Jersey

More from the 1770s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on December 13, 1779?
Joséphine Bonaparte was the first wife of Emperor Napoleon I and as such Empress of the French from 18 May 1804 until their marriage was annulled on 10 January 1810. As Napoleon's consort, she was also Queen of Italy from 26 May 1805 until the 1810 annulment. She is widely known as Joséphine de Beauharnais or Empress Joséphine.
Why is Joséphine de Beauharnais, future Empress of the French, marries her first hus... significant?
Joséphine Bonaparte was the first wife of Emperor Napoleon I and as such Empress of the French from 18 May 1804 until their marriage was annulled on 10 January 1810.
Who was involved in Joséphine de Beauharnais, future Empress of the French, marries her first hus...?
Key figures include Joséphine de Beauharnais, Alexandre de Beauharnais (revolutionary politician and general).

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