Category: Today In History

Today In History

L.A. mob attacks ‘Night Stalker’

On this day in 1985, a tense and panic-stricken Los Angeles finally breathed a sigh of relief as Richard Ramirez, the infamous “Night Stalker,” was captured by an angry mob in East Los Angeles. Recognized from widely circulated photographs, Ramirez was nearly killed by the enraged crowd before police intervened and took him into custody.

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Today In History

Murderous couple sentenced to death

On this day in 1989, in San Bernardino, California, Cynthia Coffman and James Marlow were sentenced to death for the brutal 1986 murder of Corinna Novis, marking the first time a woman received a death sentence in the state since the reinstatement of capital punishment in 1977.

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Today In History

Hero security guard, Richard Jewell, falsely accused as Olympic bombing suspect, dies

On this day in 2007, Richard Jewell, once hailed as a hero for his actions during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, tragically passed away at 44 due to complications as a result of Type 2 Diabetes at his home in Georgia. Jewell’s life was marked by a series of dramatic and unfortunate events that followed his discovery of a bomb in Centennial Olympic Park during the Summer Games on July 27, 1996.

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Today In History

Mike Vick pleads guilty to dogfighting

On this day in 2007, Michael Vick, the star quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, stood before a Richmond, Virginia judge and pleaded guilty to a federal felony charge related to running a dogfighting ring. This marked a significant fall from grace for the 27-year-old, who had once been the highest-paid player in the NFL.

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Today In History

“Preppy Murder” shocks NYC

On this date in 1986, the lifeless body of 18-year-old Jennifer Levin was discovered under a tree in New York City’s Central Park, just hours after she was last seen leaving an Upper East Side bar with 19-year-old Robert Chambers. This tragic event would soon capture national attention, as Chambers, a strikingly handsome former altar boy who had attended prestigious Manhattan private schools, was arrested and charged with her murder.

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Today In History

Outlaw Bill Doolin killed

On this night in 1896, the notorious outlaw Bill Doolin met his end, in Lawson, Oklahoma, when a posse tracked him down and killed him.

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Today In History

John Lennon’s killer sentenced

On this day in 1981, Mark David Chapman, the man who murdered John Lennon, was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison, marking the culmination of a tragic and deeply unsettling series of events that began months earlier. John Lennon, one of the founding members of The Beatles and a global icon, was gunned down on December 8, 1980, outside his New York City apartment, the Dakota.

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sacvan
Today In History

Sacco and Vanzetti executed

On this day in 1927, Italian-born anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were executed by electric chair after being controversially convicted of murder in one of the most polarizing legal cases of the early 20th century. Their trial and subsequent execution sparked worldwide protests and debates, centering on issues of anti-immigrant sentiment, political bias, and the fairness of the American justice system.

Read More
Peruggia
Today In History

Theft of Mona Lisa discovered

On this day in 1911, in what remains one of the most audacious art thefts of the 20th century, Vincenzo Peruggia, a former employee of the Louvre, walked out of the famed museum with Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa hidden under his arm.

Read More
Nat Turner
Today In History

Nat Turner leads insurrection in Virginia

On this day in 1831, Nat Turner, an enslaved man and educated minister in Southampton County, Virginia, initiated an insurrection that he believed was ordained by God. Nat Turner’s rebellion, known historically as the Southampton Insurrection, stands as the largest and deadliest uprising of enslaved people in U.S. history.

Read More
Category: Today In History

L.A. mob attacks ‘Night Stalker’

On this day in 1985, a tense and panic-stricken Los Angeles finally breathed a sigh of relief as Richard Ramirez, the infamous “Night Stalker,” was captured by an angry mob in East Los Angeles. Recognized from widely circulated photographs, Ramirez was nearly killed by the enraged crowd before police intervened and took him into custody.

Read More

Murderous couple sentenced to death

On this day in 1989, in San Bernardino, California, Cynthia Coffman and James Marlow were sentenced to death for the brutal 1986 murder of Corinna Novis, marking the first time a woman received a death sentence in the state since the reinstatement of capital punishment in 1977.

Read More

Hero security guard, Richard Jewell, falsely accused as Olympic bombing suspect, dies

On this day in 2007, Richard Jewell, once hailed as a hero for his actions during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, tragically passed away at 44 due to complications as a result of Type 2 Diabetes at his home in Georgia. Jewell’s life was marked by a series of dramatic and unfortunate events that followed his discovery of a bomb in Centennial Olympic Park during the Summer Games on July 27, 1996.

Read More

Mike Vick pleads guilty to dogfighting

On this day in 2007, Michael Vick, the star quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, stood before a Richmond, Virginia judge and pleaded guilty to a federal felony charge related to running a dogfighting ring. This marked a significant fall from grace for the 27-year-old, who had once been the highest-paid player in the NFL.

Read More

“Preppy Murder” shocks NYC

On this date in 1986, the lifeless body of 18-year-old Jennifer Levin was discovered under a tree in New York City’s Central Park, just hours after she was last seen leaving an Upper East Side bar with 19-year-old Robert Chambers. This tragic event would soon capture national attention, as Chambers, a strikingly handsome former altar boy who had attended prestigious Manhattan private schools, was arrested and charged with her murder.

Read More

Outlaw Bill Doolin killed

On this night in 1896, the notorious outlaw Bill Doolin met his end, in Lawson, Oklahoma, when a posse tracked him down and killed him.

Read More

John Lennon’s killer sentenced

On this day in 1981, Mark David Chapman, the man who murdered John Lennon, was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison, marking the culmination of a tragic and deeply unsettling series of events that began months earlier. John Lennon, one of the founding members of The Beatles and a global icon, was gunned down on December 8, 1980, outside his New York City apartment, the Dakota.

Read More
sacvan

Sacco and Vanzetti executed

On this day in 1927, Italian-born anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were executed by electric chair after being controversially convicted of murder in one of the most polarizing legal cases of the early 20th century. Their trial and subsequent execution sparked worldwide protests and debates, centering on issues of anti-immigrant sentiment, political bias, and the fairness of the American justice system.

Read More
Peruggia

Theft of Mona Lisa discovered

On this day in 1911, in what remains one of the most audacious art thefts of the 20th century, Vincenzo Peruggia, a former employee of the Louvre, walked out of the famed museum with Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa hidden under his arm.

Read More
Nat Turner

Nat Turner leads insurrection in Virginia

On this day in 1831, Nat Turner, an enslaved man and educated minister in Southampton County, Virginia, initiated an insurrection that he believed was ordained by God. Nat Turner’s rebellion, known historically as the Southampton Insurrection, stands as the largest and deadliest uprising of enslaved people in U.S. history.

Read More
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