April 25, 1792: The Guillotine Is Used For The First Time

The guillotine is used for the first time in Paris, France. The beheading device was developed as a “humane” way to kill criminals, and as a way to spare the executioner from difficult executions with a sword. The first victim of the guillotine was Nicolas-Jacques Pelletier, who had been found guilty of robbery and murder, and his execution was carried out by executioner Charles Henri Sanson, who would also oversee the execution of Queen Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI. France continued to use the guillotine until 1977.