Guillotine’s last public execution was a debacle
A crowd gathered in front of Saint-Pierre prison in Versailles 80 years ago today to see the last public execution by guillotine
Today In History
Hitler’s winged bombs were war’s first drones
In the early hours of June 13, 1944, a strange sound broke the silence. It was the noise of the first V-1 “buzz bomb” landing in England
Father kept Anne’s voice alive by sharing diaries
When a young Jewish girl living in Amsterdam began keeping a diary on her 13th birthday she could never have suspected the impact it might have
Ace lived fast, died young and entered music legend
When Paul Simon sang a song about the violent death of singer Johnny Ace he added to the legend of the short-lived rocker
More Stories
Wahine ferry met its fate in clash of storms
WHEN a tropical cyclone collided with a storm from the Antarctica in New Zealand in 1968 it resulted in a terrible maritime tragedy.
H. G. Wells’ visions of future ‘uncannily accurate’
When Herbert Wells found himself with time on his hands he also had time on his mind, writing a story about a time traveller 130 years ago this month.
Betty Ford pushed for women’s rights
Former US first lady Betty Ford, who openly revealed her struggles with cancer and alcohol, was born 100 years ago.
Sky no limit for the Flying Dutchman
AMONG the students who watched their aircraft project crash in Germany in 1909 was a Dutchman who would go on to become a major force in aircraft.
Martin Luther King Jr’s life ended with single shot
FIFTY years ago a single shot ended the life of Martin Luther King but his legacy lives on.
Sole survivor’s record 133 days adrift at sea
BRAZILIAN fishermen spotted a raft adrift off the coast of Brazil in 1943. Aboard the raft was a man who had survived 133 days at sea.
Mystery killers lurked Whitechapel’s streets
WHEN Emma Smith was found dead on the streets of Whitechapel 130 years ago today, it started a period when many women feared for their lives.
Dirty business of Australia’s first Grand Prix
Although Victoria and South Australia have long argued over who holds the Australian Grand Prix, Victoria was the first state to run the event
Kubrick’s vision of the future a real trip
More than a year before men landed on the moon director Stanley Kubrick took humanity into the depths of space
America’s richest man left a miserly legacy
When John Jacob Astor died people thought he was miserly because he left only a small portion of his fortune to the community
Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/today-in-history/page/31