DNA

 On 10 September 1984 Alec Jeffreys discovered DNA fingerprinting. It has proved to be a vital tool for law enforcement. Colin Pitchfork was the first murderer caught by the new technology.

The last person guillotined

 On 10 September 1977, Hamida Djandoubi became the last person in France to be guillotined. The French abolished capital punishment in 1981.

History of Prisons

 I wrote a history of prisons. 

In 1885 a journalist bought a girl

 In London, in 1885 a journalist called W T Stead purchased a 13-year-old girl from a woman for prostitution. (At that time the age of consent was 13). The girl’s mother sold her for 5 pounds (several weeks' wages for many people). The buyer made it clear that the child must be ‘pure’ i.e. a virgin. But Stead took the girl to safety in France. Stead then wrote about it to show how easy it was to buy a child. Partly as a result, the age of consent was raised to 16.

Tudor Sex Trafficking

 In the 16th century carting was a punishment. A person was made to sit in a cart and ride through the streets to be mocked by the crowd. Someone would bang a basin to attract attention. In 1560 a woman in London was convicted of being a 'bawd' (procuring girls for prostitution). She procured an 11-year-old girl and 'sent her off to be a whore'. So sex trafficking is nothing new. As a punishment, the woman was carted.

An innocent man was hanged

 On 3 September 1952, an unfortunate British Somali man named Mahmood Hussein Mattan was hanged for the murder of a shopkeeper. His conviction was quashed in 1998. I dread to think how many other innocent people were executed.

The Last Woman Beheaded in England

 On 2 September 1685 Alice Lisle became the last woman to be beheaded in England. She was executed in Winchester. 

Covering up the Holodomor

 This YouTube video shows how Communists covered up the Holodomor, a genocide in Ukraine.

Jack the Ripper's First Victim

 Mary Ann 'Polly' Nichols was murdered on 31 August 1888. Many people believe she was the first victim of the Whitechapel murderer.

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Maartje Tamboezer

 I wrote about Maartje Tamboezer, a Dutch girl living in England. In 1986 she was the victim of a horrific murder in Surrey. The two men who killed her are still in prison.

Maartje Tamboezer (1971-1986) - Find a Grave Memorial 

John Duffy and David Mulcahy

 This article by Courtroom News discusses two men, John Duffy and David Mulcahy who raped a number of women and murdered three of them.

Ed Gein

 Infamous murderer Ed Gein was born on 27 August 1906. He is supposed to have been the inspiration for Norman Bates.

Polly Nichols

 Mary Ann (Polly) Nichols, who many believe was the first victim of Jack the Ripper, was born on 26 August 1845. She died in 1888.

The Pillory

Billie-Jo Jenkins

 This is an interesting video about the tragic murder of a 13 year old girl, Billie-Jo Jenkins 

William Wallace

King Edward I of England tried to rule Scotland. However many small landowners rose in a rebellion led by William Wallace. In 1297 Wallace severely defeated the English at Stirling Bridge. However the won a victory at Falkirk in July 1298. Yet the Scots continued to resist and the English only really controlled the southeast. But Wallace was captured in 1305. William Wallace was hung, drawn, and quartered on 23 August 1305. His limbs were put on display in Stirling, Perth, Berwick, and Newcastle.

A Dangerous Place

 I purchased this book from Amazon. It's a horrific case about two depraved and fiendish men who raped and murdered young girls in the 1980s. They were called the Railway Murders because of their location near railway stations. However it's a good read. I recommend it to anyone interested in true crime. A Dangerous Place by Simon Farquhar is published by History Press.

Thumbscrews

In 1684 William Carstares became the last man in Britain to be tortured with thumbscrews. He was tortured because he was suspected of being involved in a plot against the king.

The Devils

On 18 August 1634 a French Catholic priest named Urbain Grandier was burned to death after being convicted of witchcraft. He was supposed to have caused a group of nuns to become demon posessed. In 1971 a movie called The Devils was made about it.

The Berlin Wall

 On 17 August 1962 Peter Fechter became the first person shot by East German guards at the Berlin Wall.