Louis-Nicolas Davout

Louis-Nicolas d'Avout, better known as Davout, 1st Prince of Eckmühl, 1st Duke of Auerstaedt, was a French military commander and Marshal of the Empire who served during both the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. His talent for war, along with his reputation as a stern disciplinarian, earned him the nickname "The Iron Marshal". He is ranked along with Marshals André Masséna and Jean Lannes as one of Napoleon's finest commanders. His loyalty and obedience to Napoleon were absolute. During his lifetime, Davout's name was commonly spelled Davoust - this spelling appears on the Arc de Triomphe and in much of the correspondence between Napoleon and his generals.

10 May 1770

Born on the same birth day (10 May): Adrian Morley • Alex Schomburg • Alfred Jodl • Anne Robert Jacques Turgot • Ariel Durant • Arthur Alexander • Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle • George Coe • Mahmoud Mokhtar • Richarlison • Robert Gray (sea captain) • Sid Vicious • Tyus Jones • William Henry Barlow

Born in the same month (May 1770): Ezekiel Hart • François Gérard • Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom