Pelletier Falls to Guillotine: France's New Execution Machine
Nicolas J. Pelletier became the first person to die under the guillotine, a device France designed to replace brutal executions with a supposedly humane method. This grim milestone instantly transformed capital punishment into a standardized state ritual that defined French justice for decades.
April 25, 1792
234 years ago
Key Figures & Places
guillotine
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Highwayman
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Nicolas J. Pelletier
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Highwayman
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Nicolas Jacques Pelletier
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Guillotine
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Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville - esplanade de la Libération
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Paris
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French Revolution
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Charles Henri Sanson
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La Marseillaise
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حرابة
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