Famous People Who Were Executed

List of famous people who were executed, including photos, birth date, nationality, reason for execution and other information.

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.
Mary, Queen of ScotsMary, Queen of Scots
(Queen of Scotland)

08 December 1542

08 February 1587

Linlithgow Palace

Scottish

Sagittarius

Ted BundyTed Bundy
(Serial Killer)

24 November 1946

24 January 1989

Burlington

American

Sagittarius

Che GuevaraChe Guevara

14 June 1928

09 October 1967

Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina

Argentine

Gemini

Marie AntoinetteMarie Antoinette

02 November 1755

16 October 1793

Hofburg Palace, Vienna, Austria

Austrian,French

Scorpio

Benito MussoliniBenito Mussolini
(Former Duce)

29 July 1883

28 April 1945

Predappio

Italian

Leo

Bhagat SinghBhagat Singh
(Revolutionary)

27 September 1907

23 March 1931

Jaranwala Tehsil

Indian

Libra

Saddam HusseinSaddam Hussein
(Dictator & President of Iraq)

28 April 1937

30 December 2006

Al-Awja

Iraqi

Taurus

Anne BoleynAnne Boleyn
(Marquess of Pembroke)

1501 AD

19 May 1536

Hever

British

John Wayne GacyJohn Wayne Gacy
(Serial Killer)

17 March 1942

10 May 1994

Chicago

American

Pisces

Joan of ArcJoan of Arc
(Heroine of France)

1412 AD

30 May 1431

Domrémy-la-Pucelle

French

Muammar GaddafiMuammar Gaddafi

07 June 1942

20 October 2011

Qasr Abu Hadi

Libyan

Gemini

Aileen WuornosAileen Wuornos

29 February 1956

09 October 2002

Rochester, Michigan

American

Pisces

Leon TrotskyLeon Trotsky
(Founder and first leader of the Red Army)

07 November 1879

21 August 1940

Kherson Oblast

Soviet Russian,Ukrainian,Russian

Scorpio

William WallaceWilliam Wallace
(Patriot, Revolutionary Fighter, Knight, De facto Ruler of Scotland)

1270 AD

23 August 1305

Elderslie

Scottish

Louis XVI of FranceLouis XVI of France
(King of France)

23 August 1754

21 January 1793

Palace of Versailles

French

Leo

Pontius PilatePontius Pilate
(Presided Over the Trial of Jesus)

0039 AD

Roman Italy, Italy

Ancient Roman

Davy CrockettDavy Crockett

17 August 1786

06 March 1836

Greene County

American

Leo

Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of RussiaGrand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia
(Daughter of Tsar Nicholas II)

18 June 1901

17 July 1918

Petergof

Russian

Gemini

Lady Jane GreyLady Jane Grey
(Monarch)

1537 AD

12 February 1554

Leicestershire

British

Otto Adolf EichmannAdolf Eichmann
(One of the Main Organizers of the Holocaust)

19 March 1906

31 May 1962

Solingen, Rhine Province, Germany

German

Pisces

Saint GeorgeSaint George
(Christian martyr)

0280 AD

23 April 0303

Lod

Greek,Israeli

Thomas MoreThomas More
(Catholic Saint)

07 February 1478

06 July 1535

City of London

British

Aquarius

Edward II of EnglandEdward II of England
(King of England)

25 April 1284

21 September 1327

Caernarfon Castle

British

Taurus

Nat TurnerNat Turner
(Leader of Slave Rebellion)

02 October 1800

11 November 1831

Southampton County

American

Libra

Thomas CromwellThomas Cromwell
(English statesman)

1485 AD

28 July 1540

Putney

British

Mata HariMata Hari
(Dutch exotic dancer)

07 August 1876

15 October 1917

Leeuwarden, Netherlands

Dutch

Leo

Andrei ChikatiloAndrei Chikatilo
(Soviet Serial Killer)

16 October 1936

14 February 1994

Yabluchne, Ukraine

Russian

Libra

Walter RaleighWalter Raleigh
(Politician, Writer, Explorer, Aristocrat)

22 January 1554

29 October 1618

East Budleigh

British

Aquarius

Uday HusseinUday Hussein
(Saddam Hussein’s Son)

18 June 1964

22 July 2003

Tikrit

Iraqi

Gemini

Prithviraj ChauhanPrithviraj Chauhan
(Rajput king of the Chauhan dynasty)

1149 AD

1192 AD

Ajmer

Indian

Zulfikar Ali BhuttoZulfikar Ali Bhutto

05 January 1928

04 April 1979

Larkana

Pakistani

Capricorn

Rosa LuxemburgRosa Luxemburg
(Marxist Theorist)

05 March 1871

15 January 1919

Zamos'c'

German,Polish

Pisces

Patrice LumumbaPatrice Lumumba
(Political leader)

02 July 1925

17 January 1961

Katakokombe

Congolese

Cancer

Dietrich BonhoefferDietrich Bonhoeffer

04 February 1906

09 April 1945

Breslau, Silesia Province, Prussia

German

Aquarius

Gilles de RaisGilles de Rais
(Serial Killer of Children)

04 September 1404

26 October 1440

Champtocé-sur-Loire, Anjou

French

Virgo

Vidkun QuislingVidkun Quisling
(World war II Norwegian Politician & Military Officer)

18 July 1887

24 October 1945

Fyresdal

Norwegian

Cancer

Antoine LavoisierAntoine Lavoisier
(Chemist)

26 August 1743

08 May 1794

Paris

French

Virgo

Irma GreseIrma Grese
(Nazi Guard)

07 October 1923

13 December 1945

Feldberger Seenlandschaft, Germany

German

Libra

Nathan HaleNathan Hale
(American Martyr)

06 June 1755

22 September 1776

Coventry, Connecticut

American

Gemini

Tsutomu MiyazakiTsutomu Miyazaki
(Serial Killer)

21 August 1962

17 June 2008

Itsukaichi

Japanese

Leo

Jesus ChristJesus Christ
(Founder of Christianity)

Judea

Ancient Roman

Clara PetacciClara Petacci
(Mistress of Benito Mussolini)

28 February 1912

28 April 1945

Rome, Italy

Italian

Pisces

Thomas CranmerThomas Cranmer
(First Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury)

02 July 1489

21 March 1556

Aslockton

British

Cancer

Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of EssexRobert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
(Political figure)

10 November 1565

25 February 1601

England

British

Scorpio

Mangal PandeyMangal Pandey
(Revolutionary)

19 July 1827

08 April 1857

Nagwa

Indian

Cancer

John AndreJohn André
(18th Century British Army Officer & Spy)

02 May 1750

02 October 1780

London

British

Taurus

Alfred JodlAlfred Jodl
(Military Commander, Nazi War Criminal)

10 May 1890

16 October 1946

Würzburg

German

Taurus

Ernst KaltenbrunnerErnst Kaltenbrunner
(Nazi Leader)

04 October 1903

16 October 1946

Ried im Innkreis

Austrian

Libra

Alfred RosenbergAlfred Rosenberg
(Nazi Party Ideologue, Author)

12 January 1893

16 October 1946

Tallinn

German

Capricorn

William TyndaleWilliam Tyndale
(Theologian)

1494 AD

06 October 1536

North Nibley

British

BalboaVasco Núñez de Balboa
(Spanish Explorer)

1475 AD

15 January 1519

Jerez de los Caballeros, Spain

Spanish

Charles George GordonCharles George Gordon
(British soldier and Administrator)

28 January 1833

26 January 1885

London

British

Aquarius

Guru Tegh BahadurGuru Tegh Bahadur
(Ninth Sikh Guru)

01 April 1621

24 November 1675

Amritsar

Indian

Aries

Julius StreicherJulius Streicher
(A Member of National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP))

12 February 1885

16 October 1946

Fleinhausen, Kingdom of Bavaria, German Empire

German

Aquarius

Georges DantonGeorges Danton
(Revolutionary)

26 October 1759

05 April 1794

Arcis-sur-Aube

French

Scorpio

Amelia DyerAmelia Dyer
(Serial Killer)

1837 AD

11 June 1897

Bristol

British

James ConnollyJames Connolly
(Socialist Leader)

05 June 1868

12 May 1916

Cowgate

British

Gemini

Surya SenSurya Sen
(Revolutionary)

22 March 1894

12 January 1934

Chittagong

Indian

Aries

Guru ArjanGuru Arjan
(Fifth Sikh Guru)

15 April 1563

30 May 1606

Goindval

Indian

Aries

Sidney ReillySidney Reilly
(British Secret Service Bureau Agent)

24 March 1873

05 November 1925

Odessa

Soviet Russian

Aries

Mohammad NajibullahMohammad Najibullah
(President of Afghanistan)

06 August 1947

27 September 1996

Gardez

Afghan

Leo

Hawley Harvey CrippenHawley Harvey Crippen
(Homeopath & Killer of His Wife)

11 September 1862

23 November 1910

Coldwater

American

Virgo

Nicholas IINicholas II

18 May 1868

17 July 1918

Tsarskoye Selo, Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire, Alexander Palace

Russian

Taurus

Agustín de IturbideAgustín de Iturbide
(Emperor of Mexico)

27 September 1783

19 July 1824

Morelia

Mexican

Libra

Jose RizalJose Rizal

19 June 1861

30 December 1896

Calamba, Laguna

Filipino

Gemini

Karl BrandtKarl Brandt
(Personal Physician of Adolf Hitler)

08 January 1904

02 June 1948

Mulhouse

German

Capricorn

Richard SorgeRichard Sorge
(Soviet Military Intelligence Officer)

04 October 1895

07 November 1944

Sabunçu, Baku

Soviet Russian

Libra

Anatoly SlivkoAnatoly Slivko
(Serial Killer)

28 December 1938

16 September 1989

Izberbash

Russian

Capricorn

John BrownJohn Brown
(Abolitionist)

09 May 1800

02 December 1859

Torrington, Connecticut, U.S.

American

Taurus

Edith PiafEdith Piaf

19 December 1915

10 October 1963

Belleville, Paris, France

French

Sagittarius

Maximilien de RobespierreMaximilien de Robespierre
(Influential Figure of the French Revolution)

06 May 1758

28 July 1794

Arras

French

Taurus

Anicius Manlius Severinus BoethiusAnicius Manlius Severinus Boethius
(Philosopher, Theologian, Statesman)

0480 AD

0524 AD

Rome

Italian

Jonas ŽemaitisJonas Žemaitis
(Former President of Lithuania)

15 March 1909

26 November 1954

Palanga

Lithuanian

Pisces

Joseph Smith Jr.Joseph Smith Jr.
(1st President of the Church of Christ (later the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints))

23 December 1805

27 June 1844

Sharon, Vermont, United States

American

Capricorn

Ahmad JavadAhmad Javad
(Poet)

05 May 1892

13 October 1937

Shamkir District

Azerbaijani

Taurus

Nicolae CeaușescuNicolae Ceaușescu
(Former President of Romania)

26 January 1918

25 December 1989

Scornicești

Romanian

Aquarius

Timothy McVeighTimothy McVeigh
(Soldier, Security guard)

23 April 1968

11 June 2001

Pendleton

American

Taurus

Guy FawkesGuy Fawkes
(Soldier)

13 April 1570

31 January 1606

York

British

Aries

Maximilien RobespierreMaximilien Robespierre
(Politician, Lawyer, Journalist, Revolutionary)

06 May 1758

28 July 1794

Arras

French

Taurus

Nathuram GodseNathuram Godse
(Politician, Journalist)

19 May 1910

15 November 1949

Baramati

Indian

Taurus

Claus von StauffenbergClaus von Stauffenberg
(Officer)

15 November 1907

21 July 1944

Jettingen-Scheppach

German

Scorpio

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