Famous People Who Were Executed

Capital punishment has become a rarity in today’s world though it was quite common until a few decades ago. In fact, in the past centuries, not just criminals, but also political dissidents and rebels were routinely executed. One of the most famous figures to have ever been executed was the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates, who was accused of “failing to acknowledge the gods that the city acknowledges” and “introducing new deities.” Sir Thomas More, an English social philosopher, faced execution for his “treason, religious dissent” while Sir William Wallace, one of the main leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence was brutally executed for high treason. Coming to the 20th century, Adolf Eichmann, Ernst Kaltenbrunner, and Arthur Seyss-Inquart were executed for their involvement in war crimes against humanity. Ion Victor Antonescu, who presided over two successive wartime dictatorships in Romania was another figure to be convicted of war crimes and executed. Talking of politically motivated executions, General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, a military head of state of Ghana, was deposed and later executed by firing squad. This section gives you more information about the life and works of famous people who were executed.

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Birthdate: December 8, 1542

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Linlithgow Palace, Linlithgow, Scotland

Died: February 8, 1587

Mary, Queen of Scots was the ruler of Scotland till 24 July 1567. After an uprising against her, Mary sought protection from her first cousin, Queen Elizabeth I of England. However, the Queen perceived her as a threat and kept Mary in confinement for eighteen and a half years. Ultimately Mary was beheaded for plotting to assassinate the Queen.

Birthdate: June 14, 1928

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Rosario, Argentina

Died: October 9, 1967

Argentine Marxist revolutionary, Che Guevara, was a major figure of the Cuban Revolution. A physician by profession, he developed radical views upon witnessing the injustices in the world and joined Fidel Castro’s revolutionary 26th of July Movement. Assassinated in 1967, he remains both a revered and reviled historical figure.

Socrates

(Greek Philosopher Who is Credited as the Founder of Western Philosophy)

Birthdate: 0470 AD

Birthplace: Alopece, Greek

Died: 0399 AD

A famous Greek philosopher, Socrates is credited with founding Western philosophy along with other popular philosophers of his time. An enigmatic figure, most of his work is documented by his famous student Plato. Socrates is widely regarded as one of the most influential philosophers of all timeas he had a strong influence on the philosophers of the modern era.

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Birthdate: November 2, 1755

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: The Hofburg, Vienna, Austria

Died: October 16, 1793

The last queen of France before the French Revolution started, Marie Antoinette was married to Louis XVI of France and came to be linked with everything that was wrong with the French monarchy including ignorance and extravagance. Her policies aggravated unrest that eventually led to the abolishment of the monarchy and finally the execution of both king and queen.

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Birthdate: August 23, 1754

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Palace of Versailles, Versailles, France

Died: January 21, 1793

Louis XVI of France reigned as the last king of France from 1774 to 1792 before the French Revolution, which ended the monarchy in France. During his reign, Louis made attempts to remove land and labor tax, abolish serfdom, and improve tolerance toward non-Catholics. However, the proposed reforms were opposed by the French nobility.

Joan of Arc

(Best Remembered as 'The Heroine of France' for Her Role During the 'Hundred Years' War' Against England)

Birthdate: January 6, 1412

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Domrémy-la-Pucelle, France

Died: May 30, 1431

Considered a great saint and a symbol of French unity, Joan of Arc led the French army to the watershed victory over the English forces in Orleans in 1429. In 1430, she was captured by the Anglo-Burgundians while defending Compiegne. She was burned at the stake at the age of 19 in 1431. Pope Benedict XV canonised her in 1920.

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Birthdate: May 18, 1868

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia

Died: July 17, 1918

Nicholas II reigned as the last Emperor of All Russia from 1894 until his abdication in 1917. His reign oversaw a series of reforms in Russia. These reforms included the introduction of literacy programs, civil liberties, and methods to modernize the empire's infrastructure. However, these reforms were eventually undermined by Nicholas' love for autocratic rule.

Birthdate: April 13, 1570

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: York

Died: January 31, 1606

Guy Fawkes was a member of an infamous group which unsuccessfully plotted the murder of King James I. The plot, which came to be known as the Gunpowder Plot, became popular and Guy Fawkes became synonymous with the plot. The failure of the plot has been commemorated as Guy Fawkes Night, during which Fawkes' effigy is burned on a bonfire.

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Jose Rizal

(Filipino Nationalist and Writer Who is Considered One of the Greatest Heroes of the Philippines)

Birthdate: June 19, 1861

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Calamba, Laguna

Died: December 30, 1896

Jose Rizal was a Filipino polymath and nationalist. An ophthalmologist by profession, Rizal turned towards writing and inspired the Philippine Revolution through his writings. The revolution eventually led to Philippine independence and Rizal became a national hero. His life has inspired several biographical films and TV series.

Walter Raleigh

(English Statesman, Soldier, Writer, Explorer and One of the Most Notable Figures of the Elizabethan Era)

Birthdate: 1552 AD

Birthplace: Hayes Barton,United Kingdom, United Kingdom

Died: October 29, 1618

English explorer Walter Raleigh is best remembered for his involvement in the Siege of Smerwick and for colonizing North America. He made smoking tobacco popular in England. His accounts of his first voyage to South America led to the legend of El Dorado. He was executed to please the Spanish.

Patrice Lumumba

(1st Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo)

Birthdate: July 2, 1925

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Sankuru, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Died: January 17, 1961

Congolese politician Patrice Lumumba was the first prime minister of the Republic of the Congo. He was an MNC leader and played a major role in turning Congo from a Belgian colony to an independent country. He was executed on the orders of Mobutu Sese Seko, following the Congo Crisis.

Jesus Christ

(Founder of Christianity Who is Believed to be the Incarnation of God )

Birthdate: 0004 AD

Birthplace: Judea, Roman Empire

Died: 0033 AD

First-century Jewish preacher Jesus, known as the Son of God, led to the formation of Christianity, the world’s largest religion. He was born to Joseph and the Virgin Mary. His miracles irked the Roman government, who then tried him and crucified him. Jesus later rose from the dead.

Birthdate: 1521 AD

Birthplace: London, England, United Kingdom

Died: February 13, 1542

Catherine Howard, England’s queen consort from 1540 until 1541, was Henry VIII’s fifth wife. She was a cousin of Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne Boleyn. In November 1541, Catherine was stripped of the queen’s title and imprisoned. She was later beheaded on charges of adultery with her cousin Thomas Culpeper.

Birthdate: 1149 AD

Birthplace: Ajmer

Died: 1192 AD

A king from the Chahamana dynasty, Prithviraj Chauhan ruled Sapadalaksha in present-day north-western India. The son of king Someshvara and queen Karpuradevi, he ascended to the throne when he was just a child. As a young man, he became known as a brave warrior and an excellent military commander. Various sources differ on the exact circumstances of his death.

Saint George

(One of the Most Venerated Saints and Megalomartyrs in Christianity)

Birthplace: Cappadocia, Turkey

Died: April 23, 0303

Saint George was a Christian soldier in the Roman army who is accepted as a saint in Christianity. He was sentenced to death for refusing to recant his Christian faith and was executed by decapitation, according to Greek tradition. Saint George's Day is celebrated in his memory on 23 April. He is one of the most venerated saints in Christianity.

Birthdate: May 6, 1758

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Arras, France

Died: July 28, 1794

Maximilien de Robespierre was a leading left-wing lawyer and leader during the Reign of Terror. He led the Committee of Public Safety and was part of the Constituent Assembly and the Jacobin Club. He was accused of establishing a dictatorship and was guillotined in 1794, thus beginning the Thermidorian Reaction.

Lady Jane Grey

(Queen of England and Ireland from 10 July 1553 to 19 July 1553)

Birthdate: 1537 AD

Birthplace: Leicestershire, United Kingdom

Died: February 12, 1554

Lady Jane Grey, the Nine Days' Queen, was the Queen of England and Ireland from July 10 to 19, 1553. Jane, a Protestant, was nominated to the Crown, owing to Roman Catholic Mary’s opposition to the Reformed Church of England. However, Jane was deposed, convicted of high treason, and executed.

Birthdate: June 6, 1872

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Darmstadt, Germany

Died: July 17, 1918

Alexandra Feodorovna, wife of Emperor Nicholas II, was the last Russian tsarina and reigned from 1894 to 1917. She suffered from hemophilia. Alexandra and her entire family were murdered by the Bolshevik revolutionaries. In 2000, the Russian Orthodox Church canonized her as Saint Alexandra the Passion Bearer.

Birthdate: 1485 AD

Birthplace: Putney

Died: July 28, 1540

Thomas Cromwell was the 1st Earl of Essex and the chief minister to King Henry VIII from 1532 to 1540. He supported the English Reformation. He helped Henry leave Catherine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn, and later Anne of Cleves. He was eventually beheaded for treason and heresy.

Birthdate: 1475 AD

Birthplace: Jerez de los Caballeros, Spain

Died: January 15, 1519

Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa became the first European to reach the Pacific from the New World, when he crossed the Isthmus of Panama. He is remembered for his long-term conflict with Spanish administrator Pedrarias, who eventually charged Balboa with treason and ill-treatment of Indians. Balboa was eventually beheaded.

Birthdate: February 4, 1906

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Wrocław, Poland

Died: April 9, 1945

Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer is remembered for his anti-Nazi stance, for establishing the Confessing Church, and for authoring the book The Cost of Discipleship. He was sent to the Flossenbürg concentration camp after being imprisoned for a year. He was eventually hanged after being charged of plotting to assassinate Hitler.

Birthdate: November 30, 1863

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Tondo

Died: May 10, 1897

Andrés Bonifacio, or the “Father of the Philippine Revolution,” established the Katipunan, the Philippine independence movement against the Spanish colonial reign. He also worked with La Liga Filipina. He is considered the first president of the Philippines though he was never officially the president. He was eventually executed for treason.

Birthdate: May 9, 1921

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Forchtenberg, Germany

Died: February 22, 1943

Sophie Scholl was a German anti-Nazi political activist who was involved with a non-violent resistance group called White Rose. Scholl was executed by guillotine at the age of 21 for distributing anti-war leaflets. Since her death, Sophie Scholl has been viewed as an iconic figure. Her life and work have inspired several films, including Sophie Scholl – The Final Days.

Birthdate: November 15, 1907

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Jettingen, Germany

Died: July 1, 1944

German army officer Claus von Stauffenberg, a significant figure of the German Resistance Movement within the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany, attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler in July 1944, but failed. He was executed by a firing squad soon after Operation Valkyrie. He had earlier actively participated in World War II.

Birthplace: Roman Syria

Died: 0108 AD

Ignatius of Antioch went down in history as a man who was arrested and executed for his non-allegiance to Roman gods. The seven letters he wrote while being escorted from Antioch to Rome as a prisoner later served as a mirror that reflected his concern for Christianity, against false teachings.

Birthdate: 1494 AD

Birthplace: North Nibley

Died: October 6, 1536

English scholar, William Tyndale, became a leading figure in the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. He is known for translating the Bible into English. An active writer, he wrote extensively on political issues and religion. He was accused of heresy and condemned to be burned to death. Executed in 1536, he is honored as a martyr.

Birthdate: January 1, 1914

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Moscow, Russia

Died: September 13, 1944

Noor Inayat Khan was a British spy who served in a secret BritishWorld War IIorganization called Special Operations Executive (SOE) during the war. She was also the first female radio operator to be sent into occupied France from the UK to aid the French Resistance. She was subsequently caught and executed at a Nazi concentration camp.

Michel Ney

(French Military Commander and Marshal of the Empire)

Birthdate: January 10, 1769

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Saarlouis, Germany

Died: December 7, 1815

Michel Ney was a French military commander. One of the 18 Marshals of the Empire inaugurated by Napoléon Bonaparte, Michel Ney played important roles in theNapoleonic Warsand the French Revolutionary Wars. Nicknamed the Bravest of the Brave by Napoleon himself, Ney was renowned for his valor in wars.

Birthdate: July 6, 1832

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Vienna, Austria

Died: June 19, 1867

Austrian archduke Maximilian I ruled as the only emperor of the Second Mexican Empire, from 1864 to 1867. He had also been the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Austrian Navy. However, after the French withdrew their support, he was executed by Mexico’s Republican forces, led by Benito Juárez.

Lu Bu

(Chinese Army General and Warlord of the 2nd Century)

Birthdate: 0161 AD

Birthplace: Wuyuan Commandery, China

Died: February 7, 0199

After killing warlord Ding Yuan, Chinese army general Lü Bu ran away to work for another warlord, Dong Zhuo, whom he also killed. After assisting Yuan Shao, he fought against Cao Cao. He eventually lost to Cao Cao and Liu Bei in the Battle of Xiapi and was executed.

Edith Cavell

(British Nurse Who Saved the Lives of Soldiers from Both Sides During the First World War)

Birthdate: December 4, 1865

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Swardeston, Norfolk, England

Died: October 12, 1915

Edith Cavell was a British nurse best remembered for saving the lives of many soldiers from both camps without discrimination. She helped nearly 200 Allied soldiers escape from Belgium during World War I. Her decision to help both German and Allied soldiers without discrimination landed her in trouble; Edith Cavell was accused of treason and sentenced to death.

Birthdate: June 5, 1868

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Cowgate

Died: May 12, 1916

Birthdate: January 28, 1833

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: London

Died: January 26, 1885

Charles George Gordon was a British administrator and Army officer. He is best remembered for his work as the commander of the Ever Victorious Army in China, which played a key role in suppressing the Taiping Rebellion. The force, under Gordon's command, was also able to defeat much larger forces, earning him the nickname Chinese Gordon.

Guan Yu

(Chinese Military General Serving Under the Warlord Liu Bei During the Late Eastern Han Dynasty of China)

Birthdate: 0160 AD

Birthplace: Yuncheng, Shanxi, China

Died: 0220 AD

Guan Yu was nicknamed Beautiful Beard for his long, flowing beard. Featured in literary works such as Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Guan was a Chinese military general who served Liu Bei of the Eastern Han dynasty. Lord Guan is now revered as a deity in Chinese folk culture.

Vitellius

(Roman emperor)

Birthdate: September 24, 0015

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Rome, Italy

Died: December 20, 0069

Birthdate: November 10, 1565

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: England

Died: February 25, 1601

Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, was an English nobleman. Considered a favorite of Elizabeth I, Robert Devereux did the unthinkable when he led an abortive coup d'état in 1601 against the government of Elizabeth I. He was subsequently executed for treason. Over the years, Robert Devereux has been portrayed in many stage plays, TV series, and films.

Charlotte Corday

(French Revolutionary Who Was Executed for the Assassination of Jacobin Leader Jean-Paul Marat)

Birthdate: July 27, 1768

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Écorches, Normandy, France

Died: July 17, 1793

Charlotte Corday was an important figure of the French Revolution. She is remembered for murdering Jacobinleader Jean-Paul Marat, for which she was executed by guillotine. Her action changed the political position and role of women at the time. She was also considered a hero by those who opposed the teachings of Jean-Paul Marat.

Birthdate: January 1, 1877

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Germany

Died: April 9, 1945

While Wilhelm Canaris became one of Hitler’s most trusted secret agents, he was actually supplying information to Britain all along. He went down in history as a man who was hanged twice for treason, first as part of torture for a few moments, and then for good.

Birthdate: 1502 AD

Birthplace: Inca Empire

Died: July 26, 1533

Atahualpa was the last Inca Emperor. He reigned for a short time between 1532 and 1533 before the Spanish conquest ended his reign. The Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro captured Atahualpa and killed him after a while. Even though many brave warriors led the Inca resistance against the invading Spaniards, they could not stop the empire from disintegrating.

Birthdate: November 10, 1879

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland

Died: May 3, 1916

Patrick Pearse was an Irish teacher, barrister, poet, writer, and revolutionary. He was one of the leaders of the Easter Rising in 1916. Opinionated with radical views, he decided as a boy that he would dedicate his life to Irish freedom. A relentless idealist, he was executed after the Easter Rising and was immortalized as a symbol of the rebellion.

Olympe de Gouges

(French Playwright, Political Activist, and Advocate for Women's Rights)

Birthdate: May 7, 1748

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Montauban, France

Died: November 3, 1793

Olympe de Gouges was an 18th-century French playwright and political activist. Her writings on women's rights and abolitionism were popular in various countries. She was an outspoken advocate against the slave trade in the French colonies. She demanded that French women be given the same rights as French men. She was executed during the Reign of Terror.

Sambhaji

(Ruler)

Birthdate: May 14, 1657

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Purandar fort, India

Died: March 11, 1689

The Maratha Empire’s second Chhatrapati, Sambhaji Bhosale, was the eldest son of Shivaji. After losing his mother at 2, he was raised by his grandmother. A treaty made him a Mughal mansabdar. Later, following repeated clashes with the Mughals, he was eventually captured and tortured to death.

Sima Qian

(Chinese Historian and Astrologer)

Birthdate: 0145 AD

Birthplace: Hejin, Yuncheng, China

Died: 0086 AD

The first noted Chinese historian, Sima Qian is best remembered for authoring the history of China titled Shiji. The son of Sima Tan, a court historian of the Han dynasty, Qian traveled widely and was also responsible for modifying the Chinese calendar. He was later castrated for defaming Emperor Wu.

Birthdate: 0477 AD

Birthplace: Rome, Italy

Died: October 23, 0524

Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius was a Roman senator, consul, and philosopher of the early 6th century. He worked under the Ostrogothic King Theodoric the Great, who later imprisoned and killed him. In jail, Boethius wrote his Consolation of Philosophy, which is considered a seminal treatise on death, fortune, and other issues. He also translated the works of Plato and Aristotle.

Birthdate: September 27, 1783

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Morelia, Mexico

Died: July 19, 1824

Agustín de Iturbide was a Mexican politician and army general who played a key role during the Mexican War of Independence. During the war, Agustín built a successful military and political coalition that brought the entire Mexico City under its control on 27 September 1821, thus playing an important role in gaining independence for Mexico.

Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York

(Noblemen)

Birthdate: August 17, 1473

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England

Died: 1483 AD

Genrikh Grigoryevich Yagoda

(Official)

Birthdate: November 7, 1891

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Rybinsk, Russia

Died: March 15, 1938

Birthdate: 1497 AD

Birthplace: Tenochtitlan

Died: 1525 AD

Cuauhtémoc was the Aztec ruler of Tenochtitlan who reigned from 1520 to 1521. The last Aztec Emperor, Cuauhtémoc is an important historical figure in present-day Mexico. His image has appeared on Mexican banknotes and coins. Over the years, he has been a popular subject of paintings and music in Mexico.

Raynald of Châtillon

(Prince of Antioch (1153 to 1160))

Birthdate: 1125 AD

Birthplace: Champagne, France

Died: July 4, 1187

Reginald of Châtillon

(Prince)

Birthdate: 1120 AD

Birthplace: France

Died: July 4, 1187