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Jan 1, 1500
1700s BC Code of Hammurabi
The Code of Hammurabi was where the first known death penalty laws were written. Under this code there were 25 punishable crimes that resulted in the death penalty. These crimes ranged from adultery to murder. Death sentences were carried out in a number of ways depending on the crime and sentence given. Death could be by crucifixion, drowning, and beating to death, buring alive or impalement. (Death penalty.procon.org) -
First Recorded Execution in 1608
The first recorded execution was in Virginia. A man by the name of Captain George Kendall was hanged for treason. Crimes that were punishable by death in the colony included but was not limited to stealing, killing animals, rape, murder and witchcraft. This time in history was important because it was in fact the first recorded execution in the United states. (death penalty-procon.org) -
Establishment of Federal Death Penalty
US Congress established the death penalty on this date. In addition to this was the Punishment of Crimes act. This was a listing of federal crimes and the punishment of such crimes. Crimes included treason, murder, and robbery just to mention at few. (death penalty-procon.org) -
First Execution Under Federal Death Penalty
A US Marshall by the name of Henry Dearborn coordinated the first federal execution of Thomas Bird. Thomas was a man from Massachusetts and was executed on June 25, 1790. The constuction of the gallows and coffin cost Dearborn five dollars and fifty cents. (death penalty-procon.org) -
First Execution by Electrocution
New York was the first state to perform an execution by electrocution. William Kemmler was a condemned murder that met the fate that became the preferred method of executions. The execution took two surges that eventually burned Kemmeler to death. (death penalty-procon.org) -
First Execution by Gas Chamber
Tong Lee was the first person to be executed in a gas chamber in the US. He was a Chinese gang member convicted of murder. Nevada adopted the gas chamber as a more humane way to carry out death sentences. The execution took place in Carson City, Nevada. (death penalty-procon.org) -
Last Public Execution
The last public execution was that of Rainey Bethea. A convicted murderer and rapist of a 70 year old woman. The execution by hanging was the hanging conducted by a woman in the US. It is believed that this execution led to the eventual ban in America on public executions. (death penalty-procon.org) -
First Execution in US in 10 Years
Gary Gilmore was a convicted murderer in Utah. He was the first person to be executed by a firing squad since 1967 in the US. It was at his own request this type of execution took place. (death penalty-procon.org) -
First Lethal Injection Performed
Jay Chapman a Oklahoma medical examiner suggested the use of three drugs to be administered to inmates to carry out executions. Oklahoma took Chapman's suggestion and executed Charles Brooks by lethal injection. He was convicted of the murder of David Gregory a mechanic in Forth Worth. Other states quickly adopted the same execution procedure. (death penalty-procon.org) -
Last Hanging Execution
The last person to be executed by hanging was a man by the name of Bill Bailey. He was convicted of a double murder. Since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976 Bailey was the third person to be executed. He was the only person since 1946 to be hung in Delaware and the last person to be executed in this manner in the US. (death penalty-procon.org) -
Last Execution by Gas Chamber
Walter LaGrand was the last person to be executed in a gas chamber. LaGrand was from Germany and came to the US as children. Germany and other officials exhausted all their efforts to prevent the death penalty as Germany has not such sentencing. LaGrand was offered lethal injection in lew of the gas chamber but refused as this was his way to protest the death penalty. (death penalty-procon.org) -
First Execution with a One-Drug Intravenous Lethal Injection
With much debate from death penalty opponents, the first execution using one drug was performed on Kenneth Biros. The drug was similar to that used to euthanize animals and was known by experts to be painless. It was thought to be and improvement over other types of lethal injections that most states used. Death penalty opponents however deemed this as the same as a human experiment. (death penalty-procon.org) -
Last Firing Squad Execution
Ronnie Lee Gardner was convicted of shooting attorney Michael Burdell to death while he was trying to escape in 1985. He was executed by a firing squad in Utah. He told his attorney that the firing squad method was more humane then lethal injection. He was the last person in the US to be put to death by a firing squad. Utah has since eliminated the use of firing squads. Oklahoma is the only state that still uses a firing squad, but only as a backup. (death penalty-procon.org)
