Famous People Who Died of Execution - Celebrities with Execution - page 2

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.

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

The Most Famous People Who Died of Execution

NameBirthdayNationalityBio
Irma GreseOctober 7, 1923GermanIrma Grese was a notorious German Nazi concentration camp guard during the Second World War
Aileen WuornosFebruary 29, 1956AmericanAileen Wuornos was a serial killer who was sentenced to death for killing seven men in Florida
Anatoly SlivkoDecember 28, 1938RussianAnatoly Slivko was a Soviet serial killer
Ernst KaltenbrunnerOctober 4, 1903AustrianErnst Kaltenbrunner was an Austrian Nazi Party leader during World War II
John Wayne GacyMarch 17, 1942AmericanJohn Wayne Gacy was an American serial killer and rapist who targeted boys and young men
Alfred RosenbergJanuary 12, 1893GermanAlfred Rosenberg was one of the leading ideologists of the Nazi Party who played a decisive role in shaping Nazi philosophy
William Wallace1270ScottishWilliam Wallace was a Scottish knight who was a central figure in the Wars of Scottish Independence
Amelia Dyer1837BritishAmelia Dyer is known as one of the most brutal and infamous serial killers in history
Che GuevaraJune 14, 1928ArgentinianChe Guevara is one of the most revered and legendary political figures in world history
Uday HusseinJune 18, 1964IraqiUday Hussein was the eldest of the two sons of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein
Karl Brandt

Karl Brandt

Karl Brandt was a German physician who served as Adolf Hitler’s personal physician

GermanJanuary 8, 1904471 views

Richard Sorge

Richard Sorge was a military intelligence officer of the Soviet Union during the Second World War

RussianOctober 4, 1895293 views

Mangal Pandey

Mangal Pandey was an Indian soldier who played a major role in inciting the Indian rebellion of 1857

IndianJuly 19, 1827190 views

Surya Sen

Surya Sen was a Bengali independence fighter who led the 1930 Chittagong armoury raid

IndianMarch 22, 1894155 views

Sidney Reilly

Sidney George Reilly, renowned as ‘Ace of Spies’ and termed by historians as the first ‘super spy’ of the 20th century served the British ‘Secret Service Bureau’ as a secret agent.

RussianMarch 24, 1873146 views

John André

John André was a British Army officer who was tried and executed for his espionage by the ‘Continental Army’ at the time of the ‘American War of Independence’

BritishMay 2, 1750321 views

Julius Streicher

Julius Streicher was a prominent member of the NSDAP before the World War II

GermanFebruary 12, 1885248 views

Mohammad Najibullah

Mohammad Najibullah was the President of Afghanistan from 1987 to 1992

AfghanAugust 6, 1947363 views

Vasco Núñez de Balboa

Spanish explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa was one of the most important and influential explorers in the 16th century

Spanish1475126 views

Bhagat Singh

Bhagat Singh was an Indian revolutionary who played a pivotal role in the Indian Independence movement

IndianSeptember 27, 1907244 views