Birth(+)Fact(x)Death(-) Calendar
Kemmler was the first person in the world to be legally executed using an electric chair. He murdered his common-law wife Matilda 'Tillie' Ziegler with a hatchet on 29 March 1889. Current of 1.000 volts was passed through Kemmler for 17 seconds and he was declared dead by Dr. Edward Charles Spitzka. Witnesses noticed Kemmler was still breathing so attending physicians Dr. Spitzka and Dr. Charles F. Macdonald came forward to examine Kemmler. After confirming he was still alive Spitzka called out "Have the current turned on again, quick — no delay." In the second attempt Kemmler was shocked with 2.000 volts. Blood vessels under the skin ruptured and bled and some witnesses erroneously claimed his body caught fire. The New York Times reported instead that "an awful odor began to permeate the death chamber, and then, as though to cap the climax of this fearful sight, it was seen that the hair under and around the electrode on the head and the flesh under and around the electrode at the base of the spine was singeing. The stench was unbearable."
(6 August 1890)
There are 3393 births, 3959 deaths, 1122 murders, 498 disasters and 2088 other events about 5748 people in 6460 places until today.
Birth(+)Fact(x)Death(-) Calendar is an ongoing project since 1985 by DDV.
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BirthFactDeath (-) Wednesday 28th of July 1655 371 years, 10 months and 12 days ago |
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 Writer and duelist Cyrano de Bergerac born as Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac dies of unknown causes at the age of 36 in Sannois, Île-de-France, France. It is inconclusive as to whether or not de Bergerac's death was a result of the injury from a falling wooden beam in 1654 while entering the house of his patron or an unspecified disease. There is also strong evidence to support the theory that his death was a result of a botched assassination attempt |
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