"At the peremptory request of a large majority of the citizens of these United States, I, Joshua Norton, formerly of Algoa Bay, Cape of Good Hope, and now for the past nine years and ten months of San Francisco, California, declare and proclaim myself Emperor of these United States . . ." -- Emperor Norton I, first imperial proclamation, Sept. 17, 1859

Possible Avatar of TheFool. He even had two dogs (named Lazarus and Bummer)!