Duel

At least 4000 French noblemen were killed in duels between 1589 and 1607.

Julie d'Aubigny (1670/1673–1707) was a French swordswoman and opera singer who was challenged to duels by three different noblemen after kissing a young woman at a society ball. She beat all three of them, but fell afoul of the king's law that forbade duels in Paris. She was forced to flee to Brussels to wait for calmer times.

In 1792 Lady Almeria Braddock felt insulted by Mrs Elphinstone and challenged her to a duel after their genteel conversation turned to the subject of Lady Almeria's true age. Their "Petticoat duel" took part in London's Hyde Park with pistols, then with swords, until Mrs. Elphinstone received a wound to her arm and agreed to write Lady Almeria an apology.

Former US Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton was shot and mortally wounded by US Vice President Aaron Burr in a pistol duel near Weehawken, New Jersey on July 11, 1804. The duel was the culmination of a long and bitter rivalry between the two men. Hamilton was carried to the home of William Bayard on the Manhattan shore, where he died the next day.

From a painting by J. Mund. - Lord, John, LL.D. (1902). Beacon Lights of History. Vol. XI

Alexander Hamilton’s first son Philip had died from a duel three years earlier near the same spot his father was fatally shot, using the same set of pistols.

The first duel from two hot air balloons was fought on May 3, 1808. The duel took place in Paris between Monsieur Le Pique and a Monsieur Grandpré over the attention of a ‘mutual acquaintance’. The men ascended in identical balloons, Le Pique fired his blunderbuss first but missed. Grandpré then fired hitting his opponent’s balloon, which plunged to earth, killing Le Pique.

Between 1798 and the Civil War, the US Navy lost two-thirds as many officers to dueling as it did in combat at sea, including naval hero Stephen Decatur.

The British Foreign secretary George Canning was challenged to a duel by political rival Lord Castlereagh in 1809. Canning, who had never fired a pistol, missed and was wounded in the thigh by Castlereagh.

Notoriously touchy about his honour, Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837) fought as many as twenty-nine duels. When he faced scandalous rumors that his wife, Natalya, had embarked on a love affair with her brother in-law Georges d'Anthès, the Russian poet challenged her alleged lover to a duel which left both men injured. Shot through the spleen, Pushkin died two days later.

In 1842 Abraham Lincoln was challenged to a duel by political rival, James Shields. He accepted the challenge and chose broadswords "of the largest size" in order to take advantage of his superior reach. When the day of the duel arrived Lincoln demonstrated his strength by chopping a nearby tree branch in half, causing Shields to back out and apologize.

The Marmaduke–Walker duel was fought between John S. Marmaduke and Lucius M. Walker, two generals in the Confederate States Army, on September 6, 1863, near Little Rock, Arkansas. The duel was the result of a disagreement between the two generals over the conduct of the war. Marmaduke was a supporter of General Sterling Price, who was known for his aggressive tactics. Walker, on the other hand, was more cautious and believed that Price was risking the Confederate cause by taking unnecessary risks.

The duel was fought with pistols at fifteen paces. Both men fired, but neither was hit. Marmaduke then fired a second time, and Walker was mortally wounded. He died the next day.  The Marmaduke–Walker duel was a controversial event. Some people believed that it was a waste of time and energy, while others saw it as a necessary way to settle their differences. The duel also had a negative impact on the Confederate cause, as it weakened the morale of the troops.

In spring 1864, during his time working as a reporter for the Virginia City Enterprise, Mark Twain got involved in a duel with the editor of a rival newspaper, The Chronicle. Twain was a useless shot but his second was Steve Gillis, the best shot in Nevada. The editor arrived just in time to see Gillis shooting down a bird and mistaking Gillis for Twain quickly retired.

The last duel in what is now Canada occurred in August 1873, in a field near St. John's, Newfoundland. The duelists, Mr. Dooley and Mr. Healey, once friends, had fallen in love with the same young lady, and had quarreled bitterly over her. Upon turning and firing, Dooley fell to the ground. Both duelists unknowingly had blanks loaded in their guns by their seconds. Dooley had fallen because he fainted with fear.

Wong Chin Foo, a 19th century Chinese-American civil rights activist once challenged Denis Kearney, an anti-Chinese demagogue, to a duel. He offered Kearney "his choice of chopsticks, Irish potatoes or Krupp guns."

Duelling was a demonstration sport at the 1908 London Olympics. It featured two male competitors firing at each other with duelling pistols loaded with wax bullets and wearing protective equipment for the torso, face, and hands.  It was also a sport at the 1906 Intercalated  Games at Athens, when male competitors fired duelling pistols at plaster dummies from 20m and 30m.

Before World War II in Germany, it was considered fashionable for young men to have a scar on their left cheek from sword duels.

The last duel in France took place in 1967 between Gaston Defferre and René Ribière, following an argument in the French National Assembly. Ribière demanded satisfaction by duel with swords after Defferre refused to apologize for yelling, "shut up, stupid!" Ribière lost the duel.

From 1920-1992 duelling was legal in Uruguay as long as the participants had official permission.

Dueling is legal in Paraguay as long as both parties are registered blood donors.

Texas still has a mutual combat law. This means that duelling is still legal according the Texas penal code. The law states that any two individuals who feel the need to fight can agree to mutual combat through a signed, verbal or implied communication and have at it (fists only, however).

The Kentucky oath of office has remained unchanged since the early 1800s. Anyone sworn into any statewide or county office or judgeship in Kentucky must declare under oath that he or she has not participated in, acted as a second or otherwise assisted in a duel.

A duel between three people is called a truel.