Famous Duels in History
Duel↕ | Year↕ | Location↕ | Weapon↕ | Known For↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Hamilton vs. Burr | 1804 | Weehawken, New Jersey | Flintlock pistols | Vice President killed Treasury Secretary, shaped American politics, Hamilton musical made it iconic again |
Pushkin's Fatal Duel | 1837 | St. Petersburg, Russia | Pistols | Russia's greatest poet killed at 37 defending his wife's honor, Georges d'Anthès survived, national tragedy |
Musashi vs. Sasaki Kojirō | 1612 | Ganryū Island, Japan | Wooden oar (Musashi) vs. long sword | Japan's greatest swordsman arrived late, carved an oar into a bokken, killed Kojirō with one blow |
Andrew Jackson vs. Charles Dickinson | 1806 | Kentucky, USA | Pistols | Dickinson shot first and hit Jackson in the chest. Jackson calmly fired back and killed him. Bullet stayed in Jackson for life |
Évariste Galois's Last Duel | 1832 | Paris, France | Pistols | 20-year-old math genius died in a duel, spent his last night writing revolutionary algebra (group theory), tragic waste |
Abraham Lincoln's Near-Duel | 1842 | Missouri (Bloody Island) | Cavalry broadswords (chosen by Lincoln for his long arms) | Lincoln challenged to a duel, chose ridiculous weapons to exploit his reach advantage, both sides backed down |
Mark Twain's Almost-Duel | 1864 | Virginia City, Nevada | Pistols (never fired) | Twain's second bluffed incredible marksmanship, opponent's second saw a bird shot and assumed it was Twain, all fled to California |
The Affair of the Mignons | 1578 | Paris, France | Swords | Three-on-three duel between favorites of Henri III and Duc de Guise, 4 of 6 died, ended the fad of court favorites dueling |
D'Artagnan's Duels (historical) | 1640s | Paris, France | Rapier | The real Charles de Batz-Castelmore d'Artagnan did fight duels, inspired Dumas's Three Musketeers |
Burr vs. Hamilton's Son (Philip) | 1801 | Weehawken, New Jersey | Pistols | Philip Hamilton died 3 years before his father at the SAME dueling ground, same attending doctor |
Cardinal Richelieu's Anti-Dueling Laws | 1626 | France | N/A (legislative duel) | Richelieu made dueling punishable by death, executed Comte de Bouteville for dueling — ended an era |
The Petticoat Duel | 1792 | London, England | Pistols | Lady Almeria Braddock vs. Mrs. Elphinstone — duel over age insult, Braddock wounded Elphinstone's arm, rarest women's duel |
Wild Bill Hickok vs. Davis Tutt | 1865 | Springfield, Missouri | Revolvers (quick-draw) | First true Wild West quick-draw duel, 75-yard shot through the heart, cemented Hickok's legend |
Grevskabsduel (Last Legal Duel in France) | 1967 | Neuilly-sur-Seine, France | Épée (sword) | Last known duel in France between two politicians, Gaston Defferre nicked René Ribière, both survived |
Cassius Clay (Abolitionist) Duels | 1840s-1860s | Kentucky, USA | Bowie knife + pistols | Cassius Marcellus Clay fought multiple duels defending abolition, once stabbed and shot, Muhammad Ali's namesake |
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