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Emperor Norton

San Francisco eccentric and self-proclaimed Emperor of the United States

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Key facts

Born: Joshua Abraham Norton , ( 1818-02-04 ) February 4, 1818, Deptford , England
Died: January 8, 1880 (1880-01-08) (aged 61), San Francisco, California , U.S.
Resting place: Woodlawn Memorial Park , Colma, Calif. (originally buried in the Masonic Cemetery, San Francisco, Calif.; reburied in Woodlawn in 1934), 37°40′46″N 122°28′7″W / 37.67944°N 122.46861°W / 37.67944; -122.46861
Citizenship: United States
Years active: 1859–1880
Known for: Assuming the identity of "Norton I, Emperor of the United States"; newspaper proclamations; personal style (regalia, etc.)

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Article

Joshua Abraham Norton (February 4, 1818 – January 8, 1880) was a resident of San Francisco, California, who in 1859 declared himself "Emperor of these United States" in a proclamation that he signed "Norton I., Emperor of the United States". Commonly known as Emperor Norton, he took the secondary title "Protector of Mexico" in 1866.

Born in England and raised in South Africa, Norton left Cape Town in late 1845, sailing from Liverpool to Boston in early 1846 and eventually arriving in San Francisco in late 1849. After a brief period of prosperity, Norton made a business gambit in late 1852 that played out poorly, ultimately forcing him to declare bankruptcy in 1856.