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.
Ted BundyTed Bundy
(Serial Killer)

24 November 1946

24 January 1989

Burlington

American

Sagittarius

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

08 December 1542

08 February 1587

Linlithgow Palace

Scottish

Sagittarius

Saddam HusseinSaddam Hussein
(Dictator & President of Iraq)

28 April 1937

30 December 2006

Al-Awja

Iraqi

Taurus

Che GuevaraChe Guevara

14 June 1928

09 October 1967

Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina

Argentine

Gemini

Muammar GaddafiMuammar Gaddafi

07 June 1942

20 October 2011

Qasr Abu Hadi

Libyan

Gemini

John Wayne GacyJohn Wayne Gacy
(Serial Killer)

17 March 1942

10 May 1994

Chicago

American

Pisces

Benito MussoliniBenito Mussolini
(Former Duce)

29 July 1883

28 April 1945

Predappio

Italian

Leo

Marie AntoinetteMarie Antoinette

02 November 1755

16 October 1793

Hofburg Palace, Vienna, Austria

Austrian,French

Scorpio

Joan of ArcJoan of Arc
(Heroine of France)

1412 AD

30 May 1431

Domrémy-la-Pucelle

French

Aileen WuornosAileen Wuornos

29 February 1956

09 October 2002

Rochester, Michigan

American

Pisces

Andrei ChikatiloAndrei Chikatilo
(Soviet Serial Killer)

16 October 1936

14 February 1994

Yabluchne, Ukraine

Russian

Libra

Anne BoleynAnne Boleyn
(Marquess of Pembroke)

1501 AD

19 May 1536

Hever

British

Jose RizalJose Rizal

19 June 1861

30 December 1896

Calamba, Laguna

Filipino

Gemini

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

23 August 1754

21 January 1793

Palace of Versailles

French

Leo

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

07 November 1879

21 August 1940

Kherson Oblast

Soviet Russian,Russian

Scorpio

Bhagat SinghBhagat Singh
(Revolutionary)

27 September 1907

23 March 1931

Jaranwala Tehsil

Indian

Libra

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

22 January 1554

29 October 1618

East Budleigh

British

Aquarius

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

1270 AD

23 August 1305

Elderslie

Scottish

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

25 April 1284

21 September 1327

Caernarfon Castle

British

Taurus

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

19 March 1906

31 May 1962

Solingen, Rhine Province, Germany

German

Pisces

Nicolae CeaușescuNicolae Ceaușescu
(Former President of Romania)

26 January 1918

25 December 1989

Scornicești

Romanian

Aquarius

Thomas MoreThomas More
(Catholic Saint)

07 February 1478

06 July 1535

City of London

British

Aquarius

Edith PiafEdith Piaf

19 December 1915

10 October 1963

Belleville, Paris, France

French

Sagittarius

Irma GreseIrma Grese
(Nazi Guard)

07 October 1923

13 December 1945

Feldberger Seenlandschaft, Germany

German

Libra

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

Thomas CromwellThomas Cromwell
(English statesman)

1485 AD

28 July 1540

Putney

British

Lady Jane GreyLady Jane Grey
(Monarch)

1537 AD

12 February 1554

Leicestershire

British

Antoine LavoisierAntoine Lavoisier
(Chemist)

26 August 1743

08 May 1794

Paris

French

Virgo

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

Mata HariMata Hari
(Dutch exotic dancer)

07 August 1876

15 October 1917

Leeuwarden, Netherlands

Dutch

Leo

Saint GeorgeSaint George
(Christian martyr)

0280 AD

23 April 0303

Lod

Prithviraj ChauhanPrithviraj Chauhan
(Rajput king of the Chauhan dynasty)

1149 AD

1192 AD

Ajmer

Indian

Jesus ChristJesus Christ
(Founder of Christianity)

Judea

Nat TurnerNat Turner
(Leader of Slave Rebellion)

02 October 1800

11 November 1831

Southampton County

American

Libra

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

BalboaVasco Núñez de Balboa
(Spanish Explorer)

1475 AD

15 January 1519

Jerez de los Caballeros, Spain

Spanish

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

Mangal PandeyMangal Pandey
(Revolutionary)

19 July 1827

08 April 1857

Nagwa

Indian

Cancer

Mohammad NajibullahMohammad Najibullah
(President of Afghanistan)

06 August 1947

27 September 1996

Gardez

Afghan

Leo

Nathan HaleNathan Hale
(American Martyr)

06 June 1755

22 September 1776

Coventry, Connecticut

American

Gemini

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

02 May 1750

02 October 1780

London

British

Taurus

Charles George GordonCharles George Gordon
(British soldier and Administrator)

28 January 1833

26 January 1885

London

British

Aquarius

William TyndaleWilliam Tyndale
(Theologian)

1494 AD

06 October 1536

North Nibley

British

Thomas CranmerThomas Cranmer
(: First Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury)

02 July 1489

21 March 1556

Aslockton

British

Cancer

Alfred JodlAlfred Jodl
(Military Commander, Nazi War Criminal)

10 May 1890

16 October 1946

Würzburg

German

Taurus

Alfred RosenbergAlfred Rosenberg
(Nazi Party Ideologue)

12 January 1893

16 October 1946

Tallinn

German

Capricorn

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

Guru Tegh BahadurGuru Tegh Bahadur
(Ninth Sikh Guru)

01 April 1621

24 November 1675

Amritsar

Indian

Aries

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

11 September 1862

23 November 1910

Coldwater

American

Virgo

James ConnollyJames Connolly
(Socialist Leader)

05 June 1868

12 May 1916

Cowgate

British

Gemini

John BrownJohn Brown
(Abolitionist)

09 May 1800

02 December 1859

Torrington, Connecticut, U.S.

American

Taurus

Sidney ReillySidney Reilly
(British Secret Service Bureau Agent)

24 March 1873

05 November 1925

Odessa

Aries

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

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

10 November 1565

25 February 1601

England

British

Scorpio

Richard SorgeRichard Sorge
(Soviet Military Intelligence Officer)

04 October 1895

07 November 1944

Sabunçu, Baku

Soviet Russian

Libra

Guru ArjanGuru Arjan
(Fifth Sikh Guru)

15 April 1563

30 May 1606

Goindval

Indian

Aries

Karl BrandtKarl Brandt
(Personal Physician of Adolf Hitler)

08 January 1904

02 June 1948

Mulhouse

German

Capricorn

Surya SenSurya Sen
(Revolutionary)

22 March 1894

12 January 1934

Chittagong

Indian

Aries

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

06 May 1758

28 July 1794

Arras

French

Taurus

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

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

0480 AD

0524 AD

Rome

Italian,Ancient Roman

Ahmad JavadAhmad Javad
(Poet)

05 May 1892

13 October 1937

Shamkir District

Azerbaijani

Taurus

Jonas ŽemaitisJonas Žemaitis
(Former President of Lithuania)

15 March 1909

26 November 1954

Palanga

Lithuanian

Pisces

Guy FawkesGuy Fawkes
(Soldier)

13 April 1570

31 January 1606

York, United Kingdom

British

Aries

Timothy McVeighTimothy McVeigh
(Soldier, Security guard)

23 April 1968

11 June 2001

Lockport

American

Taurus

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

06 May 1758

28 July 1794

Arras

French

Taurus

Olympe de GougesOlympe de Gouges
(Playwright, Journalist, Philosopher, Writer, Feminist, Politician)

07 May 1748

03 November 1793

Montauban

French

Taurus

Nathuram GodseNathuram Godse
(Politician, Journalist)

19 May 1910

15 November 1949

India

Indian

Taurus

Giordano BrunoGiordano Bruno
(Philosopher)

1548 AD

17 February 1600

Nola

Italian

Claus von StauffenbergClaus von Stauffenberg
(Officer)

15 November 1907

21 July 1944

Jettingen-Scheppach

German

Scorpio

Pierre LavalPierre Laval
(Politician, Lawyer)

28 June 1883

15 October 1945

Châteldon

French

Cancer

Louis RielLouis Riel
(Politician)

22 October 1844

16 November 1885

Red River Colony

Canadian

Libra

Joachim von RibbentropJoachim von Ribbentrop
(Politician, Diplomat)

30 April 1893

16 October 1946

Wesel

German

Taurus

Ajmal KasabAjmal Kasab
(Criminal)

13 July 1987

21 November 2012

Faridkot, Okara

Pakistani

Cancer

Joe HillJoe Hill
(Songwriter, Trade unionist)

07 October 1879

19 November 1915

Gävle

American

Libra

Vidkun QuislingVidkun Quisling
(Politician, Officer)

18 July 1887

24 October 1945

Fyresdal

Norwegian

Cancer

Georges DantonGeorges Danton
(Advocate)

26 October 1759

05 April 1794

Arcis-sur-Aube, France

French

Scorpio

Ernst KaltenbrunnerErnst Kaltenbrunner
(Politician, Lawyer, Officer)

04 October 1903

16 October 1946

Ried im Innkreis

Austrian

Libra

Hans FrankHans Frank
(Lawyer, Politician)

23 May 1900

16 October 1946

Karlsruhe

German

Gemini

William JoyceWilliam Joyce
(Politician, Journalist, Radio personality)

24 April 1906

03 January 1946

Brooklyn

German,British,American

Taurus

Ion AntonescuIon Antonescu
(Former Prime Minister of Romania)

02 June 1882

01 June 1946

Kingdom of Romania

Romanian

Gemini

Giuseppe ZangaraGiuseppe Zangara
(Politician)

07 September 1900

20 March 1933

Ferruzzano

American

Virgo

Wilhelm CanarisWilhelm Canaris
(Intelligence officer, Submariner, Navy officer)

01 January 1887

09 April 1945

Aplerbeck

German

Capricorn

Eddie SlovikEddie Slovik
(Military personnel, Soldier)

18 February 1920

31 January 1945

Detroit

Polish,American

Aquarius

Joachim MuratJoachim Murat
(Politician, Officer, Military personnel)

25 March 1767

13 October 1815

Labastide-Murat

French

Aries

Arthur Seyss-InquartArthur Seyss-Inquart
(Politician, Lawyer, Jurist)

22 July 1892

16 October 1946

Stonařov

Austrian

Cancer

Ken Saro-WiwaKen Saro-Wiwa
(Writer, Poet, Screenwriter)

10 October 1941

30 November 1995

Bori, Rivers

Nigerian

Libra

Grigory ZinovievGrigory Zinoviev
(Actor, Politician)

23 September 1883

25 August 1936

Kropyvnytskyi

Virgo

Imre NagyImre Nagy
(Politician, Diplomat, Economist)

07 June 1896

16 June 1958

Kaposvár

Hungarian

Gemini

Violette SzaboViolette Szabo
(Spy)

26 June 1921

05 February 1945

Levallois-Perret

French

Cancer

Michael ServetusMichael Servetus

27 October 1553

Villanueva de Sigena

Spanish

William BoninWilliam Bonin
(Criminal)

08 January 1947

23 February 1996

Willimantic

American

Capricorn

Wilhelm FrickWilhelm Frick
(Politician, Diplomat, Lawyer)

12 March 1877

16 October 1946

Alsenz

German

Pisces

Galeazzo CianoGaleazzo Ciano
(Diplomat, Politician, Jurist, Diarist)

18 March 1903

11 January 1944

Livorno

Pisces

Born Today

Fashion

Amber Rose

United States

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Carrie Fisher

United States

Fashion

Kim Kardashian

United States

Leaders

Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel

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