1305: William Wallace Hanged, Drawn, and Quartered at Smithfield
William Wallace, the Scottish knight and military leader who had defied English rule for nearly a decade, was captured in August 1305 and swiftly tried for treason and atrocities against English civilians. Read more →
1853: John Smith Hanged at Melbourne Gaol for the Murder of a Miner at Fryer’s Creek
In 1853, John Smith and Henry Turner forced their way into the hut of John Warren at Fryer’s Creek, demanding gold. Read more →
1853: Henry Turner Hanged at Melbourne Gaol for Robbery and Murder
At Melbourne Gaol on 23 August 1853, Henry Turner and his accomplice John Smith were hanged for the murder of John Warren at Fryer’s Creek. Read more →
1895: The Wild Scotchman: Death of Queensland Bushranger James Macpherson
James Alpin Macpherson, known as the Wild Scotchman, was one of Queensland’s most notorious bushrangers before his capture and imprisonment. Read more →
1929: The Vampire of Dusseldorf Kills Two Foster Sisters at a Fairground
Peter Kurten, known as the Vampire of Dusseldorf, murdered two young foster sisters at a fairground on 23 August 1929, in one of a string of attacks that terrorised the city throughout that year. Read more →
