Legion of Honor

Icons of France's Greatest Honor

Explore the most illustrious personalities decorated with the Legion of Honor, France's premier national order founded by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802.

LEGENDARY PORTRAITS Over 35 iconic figures awarded the Legion of Honor or who famously refused it: artists, scientists, military leaders, politicians, athletes, musicians, filmmakers, and great figures of civil society.

CATEGORIES

• Arts and Culture: Monet, Rodin, Delacroix, Cezanne, Matisse
• Sciences: Marie Curie, Louis Pasteur
• Politics: Charles de Gaulle, Simone Veil
• Military: Napoleon Bonaparte, Marshal Joffre
• Literature: Victor Hugo, Emile Zola
• Music: Berlioz, Edith Piaf
• Cinema: Louis Lumiere, Catherine Deneuve
• Sport: Zidane, Rene Lacoste

CIVIL SOCIETY A dedicated chapter for personalities who transformed France through humanitarian commitment, entrepreneurial genius, or fights for rights: Abbe Pierre, Coluche, Coco Chanel, Marcel Dassault, Simone de Beauvoir, Senghor, Rodolphe Saade and many more.

FAMOUS REFUSALS A unique category: the great names who refused the Legion of Honor on principle. Sartre (who also refused the Nobel Prize), Flaubert, Clemenceau, Maupassant, Rimbaud, Brigitte Bardot. Discover their quotes and the reasons for their refusal.

HISTORY OF THE ORDER The fascinating history of the Legion of Honor since 1802: the motto Honor and Homeland, the five ranks from Knight to Grand Cross, the symbols, the Palace of the Legion of Honor in Paris, and 220 years of history.

INTERACTIVE QUIZ Three types of questions to test your knowledge: identify a recipient from their title, find out who accomplished a historic act, or guess who refused the decoration from their famous quote.

FEATURES

• Over 35 detailed profiles with biography and key facts
• Historical photos of each personality
• Interactive quiz with 3 question types
• Filters by category and domain
• Quick search
• Bilingual French and English
• Optimized for iPhone and iPad