General Napoleon Bonaparte first rises to national prominence being named to defend the French National Convention against armed counter-revolutionary rioters threatening the three year old revolutionary government.

Napoleon Bonaparte first rises to national prominence with a "Whiff of Grapeshot", using cannon to suppress armed counter-revolutionary rioters threatening the French Legislature (National Convention).

Napoléon Bonaparte marries his first wife, Joséphine de Beauharnais.

The Armistice of Cherasco is signed by Napoleon Bonaparte and Vittorio Amedeo III, the King of Sardinia, expanding French territory along the Mediterranean coast.

First Coalition: Napoleon I of France wins a decisive victory against Austrian forces at Lodi bridge over the Adda River in Italy. The Austrians lose some 2,000 men.

First Coalition: Napoleon enters Milan in triumph.

First Coalition: Napoleon I of France conquers Venice.

Napoleon Bonaparte captures Jaffa in Palestine and his troops proceed to kill more than 2,000 Albanian captives.

At Aboukir in Egypt, Napoleon I of France defeats 10,000 Ottomans under Mustafa Pasha.

Napoleon leaves Egypt for France en route to seize power.

Napoleon Bonaparte leads the Coup d'état of 18 Brumaire ending the Directory government, and becoming one of its three Consuls (Consulate Government).

The French Army of First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte defeats the Austrians at the Battle of Marengo in Northern Italy and re-conquers Italy.

Napoleon Bonaparte signs a general amnesty to allow all but about one thousand of the most notorious émigrés of the French Revolution to return to France, as part of a reconciliary gesture with the factions of the Ancien Regime and to eventually consolidate his own rule.

Napoleon Bonaparte founds the Légion d'Honneur.

By the Law of 20 May 1802, Napoleon Bonaparte reinstates slavery in the French colonies, revoking its abolition in the French Revolution

Napoleon Bonaparte is proclaimed Emperor of the French by the French Senate.

The Italian Republic, with Napoleon as president, becomes the Kingdom of Italy, with Napoleon as King.

Napoleon Bonaparte is crowned King of Italy with the Iron Crown of Lombardy in the Cathedral of Milan.

Napoléon Bonaparte assumes the title of King of Italy and is crowned with the Iron Crown of Lombardy in the Duomo di Milano, the gothic cathedral in Milan.

Napoleon Bonaparte invades Austria during the War of the Third Coalition.

Emperor Napoleon I's French Grande Armee defeats the Russian Army at the Battle of Friedland in Poland (modern Russian Kaliningrad Oblast) ending the War of the Fourth Coalition.

The Treaties of Tilsit are signed by Napoleon I of France and Alexander I of Russia.

The Royal Navy bombards Copenhagen with fire bombs and phosphorus rockets to prevent Denmark from surrendering its fleet to Napoleon.

Napoleon's brother, Joseph Bonaparte is crowned King of Spain.

Two Austrian army corps in Bavaria are defeated by a First French Empire army led by Napoleon I of France at the Battle of Abensberg on the second day of a four day campaign which ended in a French victory.

Two Austrian army corps are driven from Landshut by a First French Empire army led by Napoleon I of France as two French corps to the north hold off the main Austrian army on the first day of the Battle of Eckmühl.

The second day of the Battle of Eckmühl sees the Austrian army defeated by the First French Empire army led by Napoleon I of France and driven over the Danube at Regensburg.

Napoleon I of France orders the annexation of the Papal States to the French Empire.

On the second and last day of the Battle of Aspern-Essling (near Vienna), Napoleon is repelled by an enemy army for the first time.

The marriage of Napoleon and Josephine is annulled.

Andreas Hofer, Tirolean patriot and leader of rebellion against Napoleon's forces, is executed.

Napoleon Bonaparte marries Archduchess Marie Louise of Austria.

Napoleon annexes Westphalia as part of the First French Empire.

Napoleonic Wars: Napoleon I of France invades Russia.

The French army under Napoleon reaches the Kremlin in Moscow.

Napoleon I of France retreats from Moscow.

Claude François de Malet, a French general, begins a conspiracy to overthrow Napoleon Bonaparte, claiming that the Emperor died in Russia and that he is now the commandant of Paris.

French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte defeats a larger force of Austrians, Russians, and Prussians at the Battle of Dresden.

The Sixth Coalition attacks Napoleon Bonaparte in the Battle of Leipzig.

The Battle of Leipzig concludes, giving Napoleon Bonaparte one of his worst defeats.