Jack the Ripper
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the serial killer. For other uses, see Jack the Ripper (disambiguation). For the murders in or near Whitechapel usually attributed to Jack the Ripper, see Whitechapel murders.
Jack the Ripper
Drawing of a man with a pulled-up collar and pulled-down hat walking alone on a street watched by a group of well-dressed men behind him
"With the Vigilance Committee in the East End: A Suspicious Character" from The Illustrated London News, 13 October 1888
Born Unknown
Other names
"The Whitechapel Murderer"
"Leather Apron"
Motive Unknown
Details
Victims Unknown (5 canonical)
Date 1888–1891
(1888: 5 canonical)
Location(s) Whitechapel and Spitalfields, London, England (5 canonical)
Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer who was active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer was also called the Whitechapel Murderer and Leather Apron.
Attacks ascribed to Jack the Ripper typically involved women working as prostitutes who lived in the slums of the East End of London. Their throats were cut prior to abdominal mutilations. The removal of internal organs from at least three of the victims led to speculation that their killer had some anatomical or surgical knowledge. Rumours that the murders were connected intensified in September and October 1888, and numerous letters were received by media outlets and Scotland Yard from people purporting to be the murderer.
The name "Jack the Ripper" originated in the "Dear Boss letter" written by someone claiming to be the murderer, which was disseminated in the press. The letter is widely believed to have been a hoax and may have been written by journalists to heighten interest in the story and increase their newspapers' circulation. Another, the "From Hell letter", was received by George Lusk of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee and came with half a preserved human kidney, purportedly taken from one of the victims. The public came to believe in the existence of a single serial killer known as Jack the Ripper, mainly because of both the extraordinarily brutal nature of the murders and media coverage of the crimes.
Extensive newspaper coverage bestowed widespread and enduring international notoriety on the Ripper, and the legend solidified. A police investigation into a series of eleven brutal murders committed in Whitechapel and Spitalfields between 1888 and 1891 was unable to connect all the killings conclusively to the murders of 1888. Five victims—Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly—are known as the "canonical five" and their murders between 31 August and 9 November 1888 are often considered the most likely to be linked. The murders were never solved, and the legends surrounding these crimes became a combination of historical research, folklore, and pseudohistory, capturing public imagination to the present day.
Background
Women and children congregate in front of one of the Whitechapel common lodging-houses close to where Jack the Ripper murdered two of his victims.[1]
In the mid-19th century, England experienced an influx of Irish immigrants who swelled the populations of the major cities, including the East End of London. From 1882, Jewish refugees fleeing pogroms in the Russian Empire and other areas of Eastern Europe emigrated into the same area.[2] The parish of Whitechapel in the East End became increasingly overcrowded, with the population increasing to approximately 80,000 inhabitants by 1888.[3] Work and housing conditions worsened, and a significant economic underclass developed.[4] Fifty-five per cent of children born in the East End died before they were five years old.[5] Robbery, violence, and alcohol dependency were commonplace,[3] and the endemic poverty drove many women to prostitution to survive on a daily basis.[6]
In October 1888, London's Metropolitan Police Service estimated that there were 62 brothels and 1,200 women working as prostitutes in Whitechapel,[7] with approximately 8,500 people residing in the 233 common lodging-houses within Whitechapel every night,[3] with the nightly price for a coffin bed being fourpence (equivalent to £2 in 2023)[8] and the cost of sleeping upon a "lean-to" or "hang-over" rope stretched across the dormitory being two pence per person.[9]
The economic problems in Whitechapel were accompanied by a steady rise in social tensions. Between 1886 and 1889, frequent demonstrations led to police intervention and public unrest, such as Bloody Sunday (1887).[10] Antisemitism, crime, nativism, racism, social disturbance, and severe deprivation influenced public perceptions that Whitechapel was a notorious den of immorality.[11] Such perceptions were strengthened in 1888 when the series of vicious and grotesque murders attributed to "Jack the Ripper" received unprecedented coverage in the media.[12]
Murders
Main article: Whitechapel murders
Victorian map of London marked with seven dots within a few streets of each other
The sites of the first seven Whitechapel murders – Osborn Street (centre right), George Yard (centre left), Hanbury Street (top), Buck's Row (far right), Berner Street (bottom right), Mitre Square (bottom left), and Dorset Street (middle left)
The large number of attacks against women in the East End during this time adds uncertainty to how many victims were murdered by the same person.[13] Eleven separate murders, stretching from 3 April 1888 to 13 February 1891, were included in a Metropolitan Police investigation and were known collectively in the police docket as the "Whitechapel murders".[14][15] Opinions vary as to whether these murders should be linked to the same culprit, but five of the eleven Whitechapel murders, known as the "canonical five", are widely believed to be the work of the Ripper.[16] Most experts point to deep slash wounds to the throat, followed by extensive abdominal and genital-area mutilation, the removal of internal organs, and progressive facial mutilations as the distinctive features of the Ripper's modus operandi.[17] The first two cases in the Whitechapel murders file, those of Emma Elizabeth Smith and Martha Tabram, are not included in the canonical five.[18]
Smith was robbed and sexually assaulted in Osborn Street, Whitechapel, at approximately 1:30 a.m. on 3 April 1888.[19] She had been bludgeoned about the face and received a cut to her ear.[20] A blunt object was also inserted into her vagina, rupturing her peritoneum. She developed peritonitis and died the following day at London Hospital.[21] Smith stated that she had been attacked by two or three men, one of whom she described as a teenager.[22] This attack was linked to the later murders by the press,[23] but most authors attribute this murder to general East End gang violence unrelated to the Ripper case.[14][24][25]
Tabram was murdered on a staircase landing in George Yard, Whitechapel, on 7 August 1888;[26] she had suffered 39 stab wounds to her throat, lungs, heart, liver, spleen, stomach, and abdomen, with additional knife wounds inflicted to her breasts and vagina.[27] All but one of Tabram's wounds had been inflicted with a bladed instrument such as a penknife, and with one possible exception, all the wounds had been inflicted by a right-handed person.[26] Tabram had not been raped.[28]
The savagery of the Tabram murder, the lack of an obvious motive, and the closeness of the location and date to the later canonical Ripper murders led police to link this murder to those later committed by Jack the Ripper.[29] However, this murder differs from the later canonical murders because although Tabram had been repeatedly stabbed, she had not suffered any slash wounds to her throat or abdomen.[30] Many experts do not connect Tabram's murder with the later murders because of this difference in the wound pattern.[31]
Canonical five
The canonical five Ripper victims are Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly.[32]
The body of Mary Ann Nichols was discovered at about 3:40 a.m. on Friday 31 August 1888 in Buck's Row (now Durward Street), Whitechapel. Nichols had last been seen alive approximately one hour before the discovery of her body by a Mrs. Emily Holland, with whom she had previously shared a bed at a common lodging-house in Thrawl Street, Spitalfields, walking in the direction of Whitechapel Road.[33] Her throat was severed by two deep cuts, one of which completely severed all the tissue down to the vertebrae.[34] Her vagina had been stabbed twice,[35] and the lower part of her abdomen was partly ripped open by a deep, jagged wound, causing her bowels to protrude.[36] Several other incisions inflicted to both sides of her abdomen had also been caused by the same knife; each of these wounds had been inflicted in a downward thrusting manner.[37]
29 Hanbury Street. The door through which Annie Chapman and her murderer walked to the yard where her body was discovered is beneath the numerals of the property sign.
One week later, on Saturday 8 September 1888, the body of Annie Chapman was discovered at approximately 6 a.m. near the steps to the doorway of the back yard of 29 Hanbury Street, Spitalfields. As in the case of Nichols, the throat was severed by two deep cuts.[38] Her abdomen had been cut entirely open, with a section of the flesh from her stomach being placed upon her left shoulder and another section of skin and flesh—plus her small intestines—being removed and placed above her right shoulder.[39] Chapman's autopsy also revealed that her uterus and sections of her bladder and vagina[40] had been removed.[41]
At the inquest into Chapman's murder, Elizabeth Long described having seen Chapman standing outside 29 Hanbury Street at about 5:30 a.m.[42] in the company of a dark-haired man wearing a brown deerstalker hat and dark overcoat, and of a "shabby-genteel" appearance.[43] According to this eyewitness, the man had asked Chapman, "Will you?" to which Chapman had replied, "Yes."[44]
Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes were both killed in the early morning hours of Sunday 30 September 1888. Stride's body was discovered at approximately 1 a.m. in Dutfield's Yard, off Berner Street (now Henriques Street) in Whitechapel.[45] The cause of death was a single clear-cut incision, measuring six inches across her neck which had severed her left carotid artery and her trachea before terminating beneath her right jaw.[46] The absence of any further mutilations to her body has led to uncertainty as to whether Stride's murder was committed by the Ripper, or whether he was interrupted during the attack.[47] Several witnesses later informed police they had seen Stride in the company of a man in or close to Berner Street on the evening of 29 September and in the early hours of 30 September,[48] but each gave differing descriptions: some said that her companion was fair, others dark; some said that he was shabbily dressed, others well-dressed.[49]
Contemporaneous police drawing of the body of Catherine Eddowes, as discovered in Mitre Square
Eddowes's body was found in a corner of Mitre Square in the City of London, three-quarters of an hour after the discovery of the body of Elizabeth Stride.[50] Her throat was severed from ear to ear and her abdomen ripped open by a long, deep and jagged wound before her intestines had been placed over her right shoulder, with a section of the intestine being completely detached and placed between her body and left arm.[51]
The left kidney and the major part of Eddowes's uterus had been removed, and her face had been disfigured, with her nose severed, her cheek slashed, and cuts measuring a quarter of an inch and a half an inch respectively vertically incised through each of her eyelids.[52] A triangular incision—the apex of which pointed towards Eddowes's eye—had also been carved upon each of her cheeks,[53] and a section of the auricle and lobe of her right ear was later recovered from her clothing.[54] The police surgeon who conducted the post mortem upon Eddowes's body stated his opinion these mutilations would have taken "at least five minutes" to complete.[55]
A local cigarette salesman named Joseph Lawende had passed by a narrow walkway to Mitre Square named Church Passage with two friends shortly before the murder;[56] he later described seeing a fair-haired man of medium build with a shabby appearance with a woman who may have been Eddowes.[57] Lawende's companions were unable to confirm his description.[57] The murders of Stride and Eddowes ultimately became known as the "double event".[58][59]
A section of Eddowes's bloodied apron was found at the entrance to a tenement in Goulston Street, Whitechapel, at 2:55 a.m.[60] A chalk inscription upon the wall directly above this piece of apron read: "The Juwes are The men That Will not be Blamed for nothing."[61] This graffito became known as the Goulston Street graffito. The message appeared to imply that a Jew or Jews in general were responsible for the series of murders, but it is unclear whether the graffito was written by the murderer on dropping the section of apron, or was merely incidental and nothing to do with the case.[62] Such graffiti were commonplace in Whitechapel. Police Commissioner Sir Charles Warren feared that the graffito might spark antisemitic riots and ordered the writing washed away before dawn.[63][64]
The extensively mutilated and disembowelled body of Mary Jane Kelly was discovered lying on the bed in the single room where she lived at 13 Miller's Court, off Dorset Street, Spitalfields, at 10:45 a.m. on Friday 9 November 1888.[65] Her face had been "hacked beyond all recognition",[66] with her throat severed down to the spine, and the abdomen almost emptied of its organs.[67] Her uterus, kidneys and one breast had been placed beneath her head, and other viscera from her body placed beside her foot,[68] about the bed and sections of her abdomen and thighs upon a bedside table. The heart was missing from the crime scene.[69]
Multiple ashes found within the fireplace at 13 Miller's Court suggested Kelly's murderer had burned several combustible items to illuminate the single room as he mutilated her body. A recent fire had been severe enough to melt the solder between a kettle and its spout, which had fallen into the grate of the fireplace.[70]
Black and white photograph of an eviscerated human body lying on a bed. The face is mutilated.
Official police photograph of the body of Mary Jane Kelly as discovered in 13 Miller's Court, Spitalfields, 9 November 1888
Each of the canonical five murders was perpetrated at night, on or close to a weekend, either at the end of a month or a week (or so) after.[71] The mutilations became increasingly severe as the series of murders proceeded, except for that of Stride, whose attacker may have been interrupted.[72] Nichols was not missing any organs; Chapman's uterus and sections of her bladder and vagina were taken; Eddowes had her uterus and left kidney removed and her face mutilated; and Kelly's body was extensively eviscerated, with her face "gashed in all directions" and the tissue of her neck being severed to the bone, although the heart was the sole body organ missing from this crime scene.[73]
Historically, the belief these five canonical murders were committed by the same perpetrator is derived from contemporaneous documents which link them together to the exclusion of others.[74] In 1894, Sir Melville Macnaghten, Assistant Chief Constable of the Metropolitan Police Service and Head of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), wrote a report that stated: "the Whitechapel murderer had 5 victims—& 5 victims only".[75] Similarly, the canonical five victims were linked together in a letter written by police surgeon Thomas Bond to Robert Anderson, head of the London CID, on 10 November 1888.[76]
Some researchers have posited that some of the murders were undoubtedly the work of a single killer, but an unknown larger number of killers acting independently were responsible for the other crimes.[77] Authors Stewart P. Evans and Donald Rumbelow argue that the canonical five is a "Ripper myth" and that three cases (Nichols, Chapman, and Eddowes) can be definitely linked to the same perpetrator, but that less certainty exists as to whether Stride and Kelly were also murdered by the same person.[78] Conversely, others suppose that the six murders between Tabram and Kelly were the work of a single killer.[17] Percy Clark, assistant to the examining pathologist George Bagster Phillips, linked only three of the murders and thought that the others were perpetrated by "weak-minded individual[s] ... induced to emulate the crime".[79] Macnaghten did not join the police force until the year after the murders, and his memorandum contains serious factual errors about possible suspects.[80]
Later Whitechapel murders
Mary Jane Kelly is generally considered to be the Ripper's final victim, and it is assumed that the crimes ended because of the culprit's death, imprisonment, institutionalisation, or emigration.[24][81] The Whitechapel murders file details another four murders that occurred after the canonical five: those of Rose Mylett, Alice McKenzie, the Pinchin Street torso, and Frances Coles.[26][82]
The strangled body of 26-year-old Rose Mylett[83] was found in Clarke's Yard, High Street, Poplar on 20 December 1888.[84] There was no sign of a struggle, and the police believed that she had either accidentally hanged herself with her collar while in a drunken stupor or committed suicide.[85] However, faint markings left by a cord on one side of her neck suggested Mylett had been strangled.[86][87] At the inquest into Mylett's death, the jury returned a verdict of murder.[85]
Alice McKenzie was murdered shortly after midnight on 17 July 1889 in Castle Alley, Whitechapel. She had suffered two stab wounds to her neck, and her left carotid artery had been severed. Several minor bruises and cuts were found on her body, which also bore a seven-inch long superficial wound extending from her left breast to her navel.[88] One of the examining pathologists, Thomas Bond, believed this to be a Ripper murder, though his colleague George Bagster Phillips, who had examined the bodies of three previous victims, disagreed.[89] Opinions among writers are also divided between those who suspect McKenzie's murderer copied the modus operandi of Jack the Ripper to deflect suspicion from himself,[90] and those who ascribe this murder to Jack the Ripper.[91]
"The Pinchin Street torso" was a decomposing headless and legless torso of an unidentified woman aged between 30 and 40 discovered beneath a railway arch in Pinchin Street, Whitechapel, on 10 September 1889.[92] Bruising about the victim's back, hip, and arm indicated the decedent had been extensively beaten shortly before her death. The victim's abdomen was also extensively mutilated, although her genitals had not been wounded.[93] She appeared to have been killed approximately one day prior to the discovery of her torso.[94] The dismembered sections of the body are believed to have been transported to the railway arch, hidden under an old chemise.[95]
Frances Coles was found with her throat cut under a railway arch in Whitechapel on 13 February 1891.[96]
At 2:15 a.m. on 13 February 1891, PC Ernest Thompson discovered a 31-year-old prostitute named Frances Coles lying beneath a railway arch at Swallow Gardens, Whitechapel.[97][98] Her throat had been deeply cut but her body was not mutilated, leading some to believe Thompson had disturbed her assailant. Coles was still alive, although she died before medical help could arrive.[99] A 53-year-old stoker, James Thomas Sadler, had earlier been seen drinking with Coles,[100] and the two are known to have argued approximately three hours before her death. Sadler was arrested by the police and charged with her murder. He was briefly thought to be the Ripper,[101] but was later discharged from court for lack of evidence on 3 March 1891.[101]
Other alleged victims
In addition to the eleven Whitechapel murders, commentators have linked other attacks to the Ripper. In the case of "Fairy Fay", it is unclear whether this attack was real or fabricated as a part of Ripper lore.[102] "Fairy Fay" was a nickname given to an unidentified[103] woman whose body was allegedly found in a doorway close to Commercial Road on 26 December 1887[104] "after a stake had been thrust through her abdomen",[105][106] but there were no recorded murders in Whitechapel at or around Christmas 1887.[107] "Fairy Fay" seems to have been created through a confused press report of the murder of Emma Elizabeth Smith, who had a stick or other blunt object shoved into her vagina.[108] Most authors agree that the victim "Fairy Fay" never existed.[102][103]
A 38-year-old widow named Annie Millwood was admitted to the Whitechapel Workhouse Infirmary with numerous stab wounds to her legs and lower torso on 25 February 1888,[109] informing staff she had been attacked with a clasp knife by an unknown man.[110] She was later discharged, but died from apparently natural causes on 31 March.[103] Millwood was later postulated to be the Ripper's first victim, although this attack cannot be definitively linked to the perpetrator.[111]
Another suspected precanonical victim was a young dressmaker named Ada Wilson,[112] who reportedly survived being stabbed twice in the neck with a clasp knife[113] upon the doorstep of her home in Bow on 28 March 1888 by a man who had demanded money from her.[114] A further possible victim, 40-year-old Annie Farmer, resided at the same lodging house as Martha Tabram[115] and reported an attack on 21 November 1888. She had received a superficial cut to her throat. Although an unknown man with blood on his mouth and hands had run out of this lodging house, shouting, "Look at what she has done!" before two eyewitnesses heard Farmer scream,[116] her wound was light, and possibly self-inflicted.[117][118]
"The Whitehall Mystery" was a term coined for the discovery of a headless torso of a woman on 2 October 1888 in the basement of the new Metropolitan Police headquarters being built in Whitehall. An arm and shoulder belonging to the body were previously discovered floating in the River Thames near Pimlico on 11 September, and the left leg was subsequently discovered buried near where the torso was found on 17 October.[119] The other limbs and head were never recovered and the body was never identified. The mutilations were similar to those in the Pinchin Street torso case, where the legs and head were severed but not the arms.[120]
Drawing of three men discovering the torso of a woman
"The Whitehall Mystery" of October 1888
Both the Whitehall Mystery and the Pinchin Street case may have been part of a series of murders known as the "Thames Mysteries", committed by a single serial killer dubbed the "Torso killer".[121] It is debatable whether Jack the Ripper and the "Torso killer" were the same person or separate serial killers active in the same area.[121] The modus operandi of the Torso killer differed from that of the Ripper, and police at the time discounted any connection between the two.[122] Only one of the four victims linked to the Torso killer, Elizabeth Jackson, was ever identified. Jackson was a 24-year-old prostitute from Chelsea whose various body parts were collected from the River Thames over a three-week period between 31 May and 25 June 1889.[123][124]
On 29 December 1888, the body of a seven-year-old boy named John Gill was found in a stable block in Manningham, Bradford.[125] Gill had been missing since the morning of 27 December.[126] His legs had been severed, his abdomen opened, his intestines partly drawn out, and his heart and one ear removed. Similarities with the Ripper murders led to press speculation that the Ripper had killed him.[127] The boy's employer, 23-year-old milkman William Barrett, was twice arrested for the murder but was released due to insufficient evidence.[127] No-one was ever prosecuted.[127]
Carrie Brown (nicknamed "Shakespeare", reportedly for her habit of quoting Shakespeare's sonnets) was strangled with clothing and then mutilated with a knife on 24 April 1891 in New York City.[128] Her body was found with a large tear through her groin area and superficial cuts on her legs and back. No organs were removed from the scene, though an ovary was found upon the bed, either purposely removed or unintentionally dislodged.[128] At the time, the murder was compared to those in Whitechapel, though the Metropolitan Police eventually ruled out any connection.[128]
Investigation
Sketch of a whiskered man
Inspector Frederick Abberline
The vast majority of the City of London Police files relating to their investigation into the Whitechapel murders were destroyed in the Blitz.[129] The surviving Metropolitan Police files allow a detailed view of investigative procedures in the Victorian era.[130] A large team of policemen conducted house-to-house inquiries throughout Whitechapel. Forensic material was collected and examined. Suspects were identified, traced, and either examined more closely or eliminated from the inquiry. Modern police work follows the same pattern.[130] More than 2,000 people were interviewed, "upwards of 300" people were investigated, and 80 people were detained.[131] Following the murders of Stride and Eddowes, the Commissioner of the City Police, Sir James Fraser, offered a reward of £500 for the arrest of the Ripper.[132]
The investigation was initially conducted by the Metropolitan Police Whitechapel (H) Division Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headed by Detective Inspector Edmund Reid. After the murder of Nichols, Detective Inspectors Frederick Abberline, Henry Moore, and Walter Andrews were sent from Central Office at Scotland Yard to assist. The City of London Police were involved under Detective Inspector James McWilliam after the Eddowes murder, which occurred within the City of London.[133] The overall direction of the murder enquiries was hampered by the fact that the newly appointed head of the CID, Assistant Commissioner Robert Anderson, was on leave in Switzerland between 7 September and 6 October, during the time when Chapman, Stride, and Eddowes were killed.[134] This prompted Colonel Sir Charles Warren, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, to appoint Chief Inspector Donald Swanson to coordinate the enquiry from Scotland Yard.[135]
Butchers, slaughterers, surgeons, and physicians were suspected because of the manner of the mutilations.[136] A surviving note from Major Henry Smith, Acting Commissioner of the City Police, indicates that the alibis of local butchers and slaughterers were investigated, with the result that they were eliminated from the inquiry.[137] A report from Inspector Swanson to the Home Office confirms that 76 butchers and slaughterers were visited, and that the inquiry encompassed all their employees for the previous six months.[138] Some contemporaneous figures, including Queen Victoria, thought the pattern of the murders indicated that the culprit was a butcher or cattle drover on one of the cattle boats that plied between London and mainland Europe. Whitechapel was close to the London Docks,[139] and usually such boats docked on Thursday or Friday and departed on Saturday or Sunday.[140] The cattle boats were examined but the dates of the murders did not coincide with a single boat's movements and the transfer of a crewman between boats was also ruled out.[141]
Drawing of a blind-folded policeman with arms outstretched in the midst of a bunch of ragamuffin ruffians
"Blind man's buff": Punch cartoon by John Tenniel (22 September 1888) criticising the police's alleged incompetence. The failure of the police to capture the killer reinforced the attitude held by radicals that the police were inept and mismanaged.[142]
Whitechapel Vigilance Committee
In September 1888, a group of volunteer citizens in London's East End formed the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee. They patrolled the streets looking for suspicious characters, partly because of dissatisfaction with the failure of police to apprehend the perpetrator, and also because some members were concerned that the murders were affecting businesses in the area.[143] The Committee petitioned the government to raise a reward for information leading to the arrest of the killer, offered their own reward of £50 (the equivalent of between £5,900 and £86,000 in 2021)[144] for information leading to his capture,[145] and hired private detectives to question witnesses independently.[146]
Criminal profiling
At the end of October, Robert Anderson asked police surgeon Thomas Bond to give his opinion on the extent of the murderer's surgical skill and knowledge.[147] The opinion offered by Bond on the character of the "Whitechapel murderer" is the earliest surviving offender profile.[148] Bond's assessment was based on his own examination of the most extensively mutilated victim and the post mortem notes from the four previous canonical murders.[76] He wrote:
All five murders no doubt were committed by the same hand. In the first four the throats appear to have been cut from left to right, in the last case owing to the extensive mutilation it is impossible to say in what direction the fatal cut was made, but arterial blood was found on the wall in splashes close to where the woman's head must have been lying.
All the circumstances surrounding the murders lead me to form the opinion that the women must have been lying down when murdered and in every case the throat was first cut.[76]
Bond was strongly opposed to the idea that the murderer possessed any kind of scientific or anatomical knowledge, or even "the technical knowledge of a butcher or horse slaughterer".[76] In his opinion, the killer must have been a man of solitary habits, subject to "periodical attacks of homicidal and erotic mania", with the character of the mutilations possibly indicating "satyriasis".[76] Bond also stated that "the homicidal impulse may have developed from a revengeful or brooding condition of the mind, or that religious mania may have been the original disease but I do not think either hypothesis is likely".[76]
There is no evidence the perpetrator engaged in sexual activity with any of the victims,[17][149] yet psychologists have suggested that the penetration of the victims with a knife and "leaving them on display in sexually degrading positions with the wounds exposed" indicates that the perpetrator derived sexual pleasure from the attacks.[17][150] This view is challenged by others, who dismiss such hypotheses as insupportable supposition.[151]
Suspects
Main article: Jack the Ripper suspects
Cartoon of a man holding a bloody knife looking contemptuously at a display of half-a-dozen supposed and dissimilar likenesses
Speculation as to the identity of Jack the Ripper: cover of the 21 September 1889 issue of Puck magazine, by cartoonist Tom Merry
The concentration of the killings around weekends and public holidays and within a short distance of each other has indicated to many that the Ripper was in regular employment and lived locally.[152] Others have opined that the killer was an educated upper-class man, possibly a doctor or an aristocrat who ventured into Whitechapel from a more well-to-do area.[153] Such theories draw on cultural perceptions such as fear of the medical profession, a mistrust of modern science, or the exploitation of the poor by the rich.[154] The term "ripperology" was coined to describe the study and analysis of the Ripper case in an effort to determine his identity, and the murders have inspired numerous works of fiction.[155][156]
Suspects proposed years after the murders include virtually anyone remotely connected to the case by contemporaneous documents, as well as many famous names who were never considered in the police investigation, including Prince Albert Victor,[157] artist Walter Sickert, and author Lewis Carroll.[158] Everyone alive at the time is now long dead, and modern authors are free to accuse anyone "without any need for any supporting historical evidence".[159] Suspects named in contemporaneous police documents include three in Sir Melville Macnaghten's 1894 memorandum, but the evidence against each of them is, at best, circumstantial.[160]
In addition to the contradictions and unreliability of contemporaneous accounts, attempts to identify the murderer are hampered by the lack of any confirmed surviving forensic evidence.[161] DNA analysis has attempted to tie Aaron Kosminski (a Whitechapel barber) to crime scene evidence and Walter Sickert to letters (possibly hoaxes) claiming to be from the Ripper. The scientific methodology used to advance these mutually incompatible claims has been criticised.[162] The mitochondrial DNA recovered from the uncorroborated crime scene evidence compared with undisclosed descendants of Kosminski (who had no children) is considered questionable.[163][164] DNA tests on extant letters is inconclusive;[165] the available material has been handled many times and is too contaminated to provide meaningful results.[166] The study linking Kosminski could not be replicated and the original data could not be located, leading the Journal of Forensic Sciences to later publish an official expression of concern.[167]
There are numerous, varied theories about the actual identity and profession of Jack the Ripper, but authorities are not agreed upon any of them, and the number of named suspects reaches over one hundred.[168][169] Despite continued interest in the case, the Ripper's identity remains unknown.[170]
Letters
Over the course of the Whitechapel murders, the police, newspapers, and other members of the public received hundreds of letters regarding the case.[171] Some letters were well-intentioned offers of advice as to how to catch the killer, but the vast majority were either hoaxes or generally useless.[172][173]
Hundreds of letters claimed to have been written by the killer himself,[174] and three of these in particular are prominent: the "Dear Boss" letter, the "Saucy Jacky" postcard and the "From Hell" letter.[175]
The "Dear Boss" letter, dated 25 September and postmarked 27 September 1888, was received that day by the Central News Agency, and was forwarded to Scotland Yard on 29 September.[176] Initially, it was considered a hoax, but when Eddowes was found three days after the letter's postmark with a section of one ear obliquely cut from her body, the promise of the author to "clip the ladys (sic) ears off" gained attention.[177] Eddowes's ear appears to have been nicked by the killer incidentally during his attack, and the letter writer's threat to send the ears to the police was never carried out.[178] The name "Jack the Ripper" was first used in this letter by the signatory and gained worldwide notoriety after its publication.[179] Most of the letters that followed copied this letter's tone,[180] with some authors adopting pseudonyms such as "George of the High Rip Gang"[181] and "Jack Sheridan, the Ripper."[182] Some sources claim that another letter dated 17 September 1888 was the first to use the name "Jack the Ripper",[183] but most experts believe that this was a fake inserted into police records in the 20th century.[184]
Scrawled and misspelled note reading: From hell—Mr Lusk—Sir I send you half the kidne I took from one woman prasarved it for you tother piece I fried and ate it was very nise I may send you the bloody knif that took it out if you only wate a whil longer—Signed Catch me when you can Mishter Lusk
The "From Hell" letter
The "Saucy Jacky" postcard was postmarked 1 October 1888 and was received the same day by the Central News Agency. The handwriting was similar to the "Dear Boss" letter,[185] and mentioned the canonical murders committed on 30 September, which the author refers to by writing "double event this time".[186] It has been argued that the postcard was posted before the murders were publicised, making it unlikely that a crank would hold such knowledge of the crime.[187] However, it was postmarked more than 24 hours after the killings occurred, long after details of the murders were known and publicised by journalists, and had become general community gossip by the residents of Whitechapel.[186][188]
The "From Hell" letter was received by George Lusk, leader of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee, on 16 October 1888.[189] The handwriting and style is unlike that of the "Dear Boss" letter and "Saucy Jacky" postcard.[190] The letter came with a small box in which Lusk discovered half of a human kidney, preserved in "spirits of wine" (ethanol).[190] Eddowes's left kidney had been removed by the killer. The writer claimed that he "fried and ate" the missing kidney half. There is disagreement over the kidney; some contend that it belonged to Eddowes, while others argue that it was a macabre practical joke.[191][192] The kidney was examined by Thomas Openshaw of the London Hospital, who determined that it was human and from the left side, but (contrary to false newspaper reports) he could not determine any other biological characteristics.[193] Openshaw subsequently also received a letter signed "Jack the Ripper".[194]
Scotland Yard published facsimiles of the "Dear Boss" letter and the postcard on 3 October, in the ultimately vain hope that a member of the public would recognise the handwriting.[195] Charles Warren explained in a letter to Godfrey Lushington, Permanent Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department: "I think the whole thing a hoax but of course we are bound to try & ascertain the writer in any case."[196] On 7 October 1888, George R. Sims in the Sunday newspaper Referee implied scathingly that the letter was written by a journalist "to hurl the circulation of a newspaper sky high".[197] Police officials later claimed to have identified a specific journalist as the author of both the "Dear Boss" letter and the postcard.[198] The journalist was identified as Tom Bullen in a letter from Chief Inspector John Littlechild to George R. Sims dated 23 September 1913.[199][n 1] A journalist named Fred Best reportedly confessed in 1931 that he and a colleague at The Star had written the letters signed "Jack the Ripper" to heighten interest in the murders and "keep the business alive".[202]
Media
8 September 1888 edition of the Penny Illustrated Paper depicting the discovery of the body of the first canonical Ripper victim, Mary Ann Nichols
The Ripper murders mark an important watershed in the treatment of crime by journalists.[24][203] Jack the Ripper was not the first serial killer, but his case was the first to create a worldwide media frenzy.[24][203] The Elementary Education Act 1880 (which had extended upon a previous Act) made school attendance compulsory regardless of class. As such, by 1888, more working-class people in England and Wales were literate.[204]
Tax reforms in the 1850s had enabled the publication of inexpensive newspapers with a wider circulation.[205] These mushroomed in the later Victorian era to include mass-circulation newspapers costing as little as a halfpenny, along with popular magazines such as The Illustrated Police News which made the Ripper the beneficiary of previously unparalleled publicity.[206] Consequently, at the height of the investigation, over one million copies[207] of newspapers with extensive coverage devoted to the Whitechapel murders were sold each day.[208] However, many of the articles were sensationalistic and speculative, and false information was regularly printed as fact.[209] In addition, several articles speculating as to the identity of the Ripper alluded to local xenophobic rumours that the perpetrator was either Jewish or foreign.[210][211]
In early September, six days after the murder of Mary Ann Nichols, The Manchester Guardian reported: "Whatever information may be in the possession of the police they deem it necessary to keep secret ... It is believed their attention is particularly directed to ... a notorious character known as 'Leather Apron'."[212] Journalists were frustrated by the unwillingness of the CID to reveal details of their investigation to the public, and so resorted to writing reports of questionable veracity.[24][213] Imaginative descriptions of "Leather Apron" appeared in the press,[214] but rival journalists dismissed these as "a mythical outgrowth of the reporter's fancy".[215] John Pizer, a local Jew who made footwear from leather, was known by the name "Leather Apron"[216] and was arrested, even though the investigating inspector reported that "at present there is no evidence whatsoever against him".[217] He was soon released after the confirmation of his alibis.[216]
After the publication of the "Dear Boss" letter, "Jack the Ripper" supplanted "Leather Apron" as the name adopted by the press and public to describe the killer.[218] The name "Jack" was already used to describe another fabled London attacker: "Spring-heeled Jack", who supposedly leapt over walls to strike at his victims and escape as quickly as he came.[219] The invention and adoption of a nickname for a particular killer became standard media practice with examples such as the Axeman of New Orleans, the Boston Strangler, and the Beltway Sniper. Examples derived from Jack the Ripper include the French Ripper, the Düsseldorf Ripper, the Camden Ripper, the Blackout Ripper, Jack the Stripper, the Yorkshire Ripper, and the Rostov Ripper. Sensational press reports combined with the fact that no one was ever convicted of the murders have confused scholarly analysis and created a legend that casts a shadow over later serial killers.[220]
Legacy
See also: Jack the Ripper in fiction
A phantom brandishing a knife floats through a slum street
The 'Nemesis of Neglect': Jack the Ripper depicted as a phantom stalking Whitechapel, and as an embodiment of social neglect, in a Punch cartoon of 1888
The nature of the Ripper murders and the impoverished lifestyle of the victims[221] drew attention to the poor living conditions in the East End[222] and galvanised public opinion against the overcrowded, insanitary slums.[223] In the two decades after the murders, the worst of the slums were cleared and demolished,[224] but the streets and some buildings survive, and the legend of the Ripper is still promoted by various guided tours of the murder sites and other locations pertaining to the case.[225] For many years, the Ten Bells public house in Commercial Street (which had been frequented by at least one of the canonical Ripper victims) was the focus of such tours.[226]
In the immediate aftermath of the murders and later, "Jack the Ripper became the children's bogey man."[227] Depictions were often phantasmic or monstrous. In the 1920s and 1930s, he was depicted in film dressed in everyday clothes as a man with a hidden secret, preying on his unsuspecting victims; atmosphere and evil were suggested through lighting effects and shadowplay.[228] By the 1960s, the Ripper had become "the symbol of a predatory aristocracy",[228] and was more often portrayed in a top hat dressed as a gentleman. The Establishment as a whole became the villain, with the Ripper acting as a manifestation of upper-class exploitation.[229] The image of the Ripper merged with or borrowed symbols from horror stories, such as Dracula's cloak or Victor Frankenstein's organ harvest.[230] The fictional world of the Ripper can fuse with multiple genres, ranging from Sherlock Holmes to Japanese erotic horror.[231]
Jack the Ripper features in hundreds of works of fiction and works which straddle the boundaries between fact and fiction, including the Ripper letters and a hoax diary: The Diary of Jack the Ripper.[232] The Ripper appears in novels, short stories, poems, comic books, games, songs, plays, operas, television programmes, and films. More than 100 non-fiction works deal exclusively with the Jack the Ripper murders, making this case one of the most written-about in the true-crime genre.[168] The term "ripperology" was coined by Colin Wilson in the 1970s to describe the study of the case by professionals and amateurs.[233][234] The periodicals Ripperana, Ripperologist, and Ripper Notes publish their research.[235]
In 2006, a BBC History magazine poll selected Jack the Ripper as the worst Briton in history.[236][237]
In 2015, the Jack the Ripper Museum opened in east London. It attracted criticism from both Tower Hamlets mayor John Biggs[238] and protestors.[239] Similar protests occurred in 2021 when the second of two "Jack The Chipper" fish and chip shops opened in Greenwich, with some patrons threatening to boycott the premises.[240]
See also
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Notes
The full name of this journalist is believed to be Thomas John Bulling.[200][201]
References
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Rumbelow, p. 14
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Begg, Jack the Ripper: The Facts, p. 177
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Medical report in Coroner's Inquests, no. 135, Corporation of London Records, quoted in Evans and Skinner, pp. 205–207 and Fido, pp. 70–74
Begg, Jack the Ripper: The Facts, p. 171
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e.g. Daily Telegraph, 10 November 1888, quoted in Evans and Skinner, The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook, pp. 339–340
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Macnaghten's notes quoted by Cook, p. 151; Evans and Skinner, The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook, pp. 584–587 and Rumbelow, p. 140
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e.g. Cook, pp. 156–159, 199
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e.g. Evans and Skinner, The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook, pp. 245–252
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See also later contemporary editions of Richard von Krafft-Ebing's Psychopathia Sexualis, quoted in Woods and Baddeley, p. 111
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Whittington-Egan, pp. 91–92
Donald McCormick estimated "probably at least 2000" (quoted in Evans and Skinner, Jack the Ripper: Letters from Hell, p. 180). The Illustrated Police News of 20 October 1888 said that around 700 letters had been investigated by police (quoted in Evans and Skinner, Jack the Ripper: Letters from Hell, p. 199). Over 300 are preserved at the Corporation of London Records Office (Evans and Skinner, Jack the Ripper: Letters from Hell, p. 149).
Begg, Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History, p. 165; Evans and Skinner, Jack the Ripper: Letters from Hell, p. 105; Rumbelow, pp. 105–116
"Letters to Police, Signed "Jack the Ripper," are Practical Jokes". The Yorkshire Herald. 8 October 1888. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
Over 200 are preserved at the Public Record Office (Evans and Skinner, Jack the Ripper: Letters from Hell, pp. 8, 180).
Fido, pp. 6–10; Marriott, Trevor, pp. 219 ff.
Cook, pp. 76–77; Evans and Rumbelow, p. 137; Evans and Skinner, Jack the Ripper: Letters from Hell, pp. 16–18; Woods and Baddeley, pp. 48–49
Cook, pp. 78–79; Marriott, Trevor, p. 221
Cook, p. 79; Evans and Skinner, Jack the Ripper: Letters from Hell, p. 179; Marriott, Trevor, p. 221
Cook, pp. 77–78; Evans and Rumbelow, p. 140; Evans and Skinner, The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook, p. 193; Fido, p. 7
Cook, p. 87; Evans and Skinner, The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook, p. 652
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e.g. Cullen, Tom (1965), Autumn of Terror, London: The Bodley Head, p. 103
Sugden p. 269
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Cook, p. 146; Fido, p. 78
Jack the Ripper 'Letter' Made Public Archived 1 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine, BBC, 19 April 2001, retrieved 2 January 2010
Evans and Skinner, Jack the Ripper: Letters from Hell, pp. 32–33
Letter from Charles Warren to Godfrey Lushington, 10 October 1888, Metropolitan Police Archive MEPO 1/48, quoted in Cook, p. 78; Evans and Rumbelow, p. 140 and Evans and Skinner, Jack the Ripper: Letters from Hell, p. 43
Quoted in Evans and Skinner, Jack the Ripper: Letters from Hell, pp. 41, 52 and Woods and Baddeley, p. 54
Cook, pp. 94–95; Evans and Skinner, Jack the Ripper: Letters From Hell, pp. 45–48; Evans and Skinner, The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook, pp. 624–633; Marriott, Trevor, pp. 219–222; Rumbelow, pp. 121–122
Quoted in Cook, pp. 96–97; Evans and Skinner, Jack the Ripper: Letters from Hell, p. 49; Evans and Skinner, The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook, p. 193; and Marriott, Trevor, p. 254
"A Look at Some of the Known Letter Writers". jack-the-ripper.org. 2 April 2010. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
Westcott, Thomas C. (2 April 2004). "Thomas Bulling and the Myth of the London Journalist". casebook.org. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
Professor Francis E. Camps, August 1966, "More on Jack the Ripper", Crime and Detection, quoted in Evans and Skinner, Jack the Ripper: Letters from Hell, pp. 51–52
Woods and Baddeley, pp. 20, 52
"Education in England: A History". educationengland.org.uk. 1 June 1998. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
Begg, Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History, p. 208
Curtis, L. Perry, Jr. (2001). Jack the Ripper and the London Press. Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-08872-8
"Jack the Ripper". psychologytoday.com. 27 January 2004. Archived from the original on 31 March 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
"Murderers Who Haunt the Screen". Borehamwood & Elstree Times. 30 November 2006. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
"Horror Upon Horror. Whitechapel is Panic-stricken at Another Fiendish Crime. A Fourth Victim of the Maniac". casebook.org. 1 January 2010. Archived from the original on 18 January 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
"John Pizer". casebook.org. 1 January 2010. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
Ignacio Peyro (29 October 2018). "Who Was Jack the Ripper?". nationalgeographic.co.uk. Archived from the original on 31 March 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
Manchester Guardian, 6 September 1888, quoted in Begg, Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History, p. 98
Begg, Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History, p. 214
e.g. Manchester Guardian, 10 September 1888, and Austin Statesman, 5 September 1888, quoted in Begg, Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History, pp. 98–99; The Star, 5 September 1888, quoted in Evans and Rumbelow, p. 80
Leytonstone Express and Independent, 8 September 1888, quoted in Begg, Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History, p. 99
e.g. Marriott, Trevor, p. 251; Rumbelow, p. 49
Report by Inspector Joseph Helson, CID 'J' Division, in the Metropolitan Police archive, MEPO 3/140 ff. 235–238, quoted in Begg, Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History, p. 99 and Evans and Skinner, The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook, p. 24
Evans and Skinner, Jack the Ripper: Letters from Hell, pp. 13, 86; Fido, p. 7
Ackroyd, Peter, "Introduction", in Werner, p. 10; Rivett and Whitehead, p. 11
Marriott, John, "The Imaginative Geography of the Whitechapel murders", in Werner, p. 54
"The Whitechapel Murders". Western Mail. 17 November 1888. Archived from the original on 2 December 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
Begg, Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History, pp. 1–2; Rivett and Whitehead, p. 15
Cook, pp. 139–141; Vaughan, Laura, "Mapping the East End Labyrinth", in Werner, pp. 236–237
Dennis, Richard, "Common Lodgings and 'Furnished Rooms': Housing in 1880s Whitechapel", in Werner, pp. 177–179
Rumbelow, p. xv; Woods and Baddeley, p. 136
Begg, Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History, p. 19
Dew, Walter (1938). I Caught Crippen. London: Blackie and Son. p. 126, quoted in Begg, Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History, p. 198
Bloom, Clive, "Jack the Ripper – A Legacy in Pictures", in Werner, p. 251
Woods and Baddeley, p. 150
Bloom, Clive, "Jack the Ripper – A Legacy in Pictures", in Werner, pp. 252–253
Bloom, Clive, "Jack the Ripper – A Legacy in Pictures", in Werner, pp. 255–260
Begg, Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History, p. 299; Marriott, Trevor, pp. 272–277; Rumbelow, pp. 251–253
Woods and Baddeley, pp. 70, 124
Evans, Stewart P. (April 2003). "Ripperology, A Term Coined By ...", Ripper Notes, copies at Wayback and Casebook Archived 16 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine
Creaton, Heather (April 2003), "Recent Scholarship on Jack the Ripper and the Victorian Media", Reviews in History (333), archived from the original on 28 September 2006, retrieved 20 June 2018
"Jack the Ripper is 'Worst Briton'" Archived 3 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine, 31 January 2006, BBC, retrieved 4 December 2009
Woods and Baddeley, p. 176
Khomami, Nadia (5 August 2015). "Jack the Ripper Museum Architect Says He was 'Duped' Over Change of Plans". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
Brooke, Mike (6 November 2017). "Jack the Ripper Museum Besieged by Women Protesters in Cable Street Again". East London Advertiser. Archived from the original on 21 September 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
Bennett-Ness, Jamie (17 August 2021). "Locals Boycott Greenwich Chippy Named 'Jack the Chipper'". News Shopper. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
Sources
Begg, Paul (2003). Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History. London: Pearson Education. ISBN 0-582-50631-X
Begg, Paul (2004). Jack the Ripper: The Facts. Barnes & Noble Books. ISBN 978-0-760-77121-1
Bell, Neil R. A. (2016). Capturing Jack the Ripper: In the Boots of a Bobby in Victorian England. Stroud: Amberley Publishing. ISBN 978-1-445-62162-3
Cook, Andrew (2009). Jack the Ripper. Stroud, Gloucestershire: Amberley Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84868-327-3
Curtis, Lewis Perry (2001). Jack The Ripper & The London Press. Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-08872-8
Eddleston, John J. (2002). Jack the Ripper: An Encyclopedia. London: Metro Books. ISBN 1-84358-046-2
Evans, Stewart P.; Rumbelow, Donald (2006). Jack the Ripper: Scotland Yard Investigates. Stroud, Gloucestershire: Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0-7509-4228-2
Evans, Stewart P.; Skinner, Keith (2000). The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook: An Illustrated Encyclopedia. London: Constable and Robinson. ISBN 1-84119-225-2
Evans, Stewart P.; Skinner, Keith (2001). Jack the Ripper: Letters from Hell. Stroud, Gloucestershire: Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0-7509-2549-3
Fido, Martin (1987), The Crimes, Detection and Death of Jack the Ripper, London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, ISBN 0-297-79136-2
Gordon, R. Michael (2000). Alias Jack the Ripper: Beyond the Usual Whitechapel Suspects. North Carolina: McFarland Publishing. ISBN 978-0-786-40898-6
Holmes, Ronald M.; Holmes, Stephen T. (2002). Profiling Violent Crimes: An Investigative Tool. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. ISBN 0-7619-2594-5
Honeycombe, Gordon (1982), The Murders of the Black Museum: 1870–1970, London: Bloomsbury Books, ISBN 978-0-863-79040-9
London, Jack (1984). Novels and Social Writings. Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-26213-2
Lynch, Terry; Davies, David (2008). Jack the Ripper: The Whitechapel Murderer. Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions. ISBN 978-1-840-22077-3
Marriott, Trevor (2005). Jack the Ripper: The 21st Century Investigation. London: John Blake. ISBN 1-84454-103-7
Meikle, Denis (2002). Jack the Ripper: The Murders and the Movies. Richmond, Surrey: Reynolds and Hearn Ltd. ISBN 1-903111-32-3
Rivett, Miriam; Whitehead, Mark (2006). Jack the Ripper. Harpenden, Hertfordshire: Pocket Essentials. ISBN 978-1-904048-69-5
Rumbelow, Donald (1990). Jack the Ripper. The Complete Casebook. New York: Berkley Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-425-11869-6
Rumbelow, Donald (2004). The Complete Jack the Ripper. Fully Revised and Updated. London: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-017395-6
Sugden, Philip (2002). The Complete History of Jack the Ripper. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers. ISBN 0-7867-0276-1
Thurgood, Peter (2013). Abberline: The Man Who Hunted Jack the Ripper. Cheltenham: The History Press Ltd. ISBN 978-0-752-48810-3
Waddell, Bill (1993). The Black Museum: New Scotland Yard. London: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 978-0-316-90332-5
Werner, Alex (editor, 2008). Jack the Ripper and the East End. London: Chatto & Windus. ISBN 978-0-7011-8247-2
Whittington-Egan, Richard; Whittington-Egan, Molly (1992). The Murder Almanac. Glasgow: Neil Wilson Publishing. ISBN 978-1-897-78404-4
Whittington-Egan, Richard (2013). Jack the Ripper: The Definitive Casebook. Stroud: Amberley Publishing. ISBN 978-1-445-61768-8
Wilson, Colin; Odell, Robin; Gaute, J. H. H. (1988). Jack the Ripper: Summing up and Verdict. London: Corgi Publishing. ISBN 978-0-552-12858-2
Woods, Paul; Baddeley, Gavin (2009). Saucy Jack: The Elusive Ripper. Hersham, Surrey: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7110-3410-5
External links
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Contemporaneous news article pertaining to the murders committed by Jack the Ripper
1988 centennial investigation into the murders committed by Jack the Ripper compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
2014 news article focusing upon modern geographic profiling techniques used to discover the most likely location Jack the Ripper lived
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Jack the Ripper
Canonical victims
Annie Chapman Catherine Eddowes Mary Jane Kelly Mary Ann Nichols Elizabeth Stride
Police
Frederick Abberline Robert Anderson Walter Andrews Thomas Arnold Walter Dew George Godley Melville Macnaghten Henry Moore Edmund Reid Donald Swanson Charles Warren Adolphus Williamson
Doctors and coroners
Wynne Edwin Baxter Thomas Bond Roderick Macdonald Thomas Horrocks Openshaw George Bagster Phillips
Witnesses
George Hutchinson Joseph Lawende Charles Allen Lechmere Israel Schwartz
Letters and clues
Dear Boss letter Saucy Jacky postcard From Hell letter Openshaw letter Goulston Street graffito
Locations
Buck's Row Dorset Street Flower and Dean Street Hanbury Street Mitre Square Ten Bells
Related
George Lusk Whitechapel Vigilance Committee Conspiracy theories Fiction Suspects Jack the Ripper Museum Whitechapel murders
Category
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Jack the Ripper in fiction
Seminal works
The Lodger Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution
Letters
"Dear Boss" letter "From Hell" letter "Saucy Jacky" postcard
Film
Waxworks (1924) The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927) Pandora's Box (1929) The Lodger (1932) The Lodger (1944) Room to Let (1950) Man in the Attic (1953) Jack the Ripper (1959) Lulu (1962) A Study in Terror (1965) Hands of the Ripper (1971) Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde (1971) The Ruling Class (1972) What the Swedish Butler Saw (1975) Jack the Ripper (1976) Murder by Decree (1979) Time After Time (1979) Jack's Back (1988) Edge of Sanity (1989) Deadly Advice (1994) Ripper (2001) From Hell (2001) Bad Karma (2002) Case Closed: The Phantom of Baker Street (2002) Ripper 2: Letter from Within (2004) The Lodger (2009) Holmes & Watson. Madrid Days (2012) Batman: Gotham by Gaslight (2018)
Parody
Bizarre, Bizarre (1937) The Phantom Raspberry Blower of Old London Town (1976) Amazon Women on the Moon (1987)
Music
"Jack the Ripper" (1963) "The Ripper" (1976) "Killer on the Loose" (1980) The Somatic Defilement (2007) Jack the Ripper vs. Hannibal Lecter (2014)
Stage
Earth Spirit (1895 play) Pandora's Box (1904 play) Lulu (1937 opera) The Lodger (1960 opera) The Ruling Class (1968 play)
Comics
Blood of the Innocent (1985) Gotham by Gaslight (1989) From Hell (1989–98) Wonder Woman: Amazonia (1997) The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume III: Century (2009)
Literature
Sherlock Holmes
The Last Sherlock Holmes Story (1978) The Whitechapel Horrors (1992) Sherlock Holmes: The Unauthorized Biography (2005) Dust and Shadow (2009) The Ripper Legacy (2016)
Short stories
"A Toy for Juliette" (1967) "The Prowler in the City at the Edge of the World" (1967)
Other
A Feast Unknown (1969) Time After Time (1979) Night of the Ripper (1984) Phantom Blood (1987) Naomi's Room (1991) Anno Dracula (1992) A Night in the Lonesome October (1993) Jack the Ripper, Light-Hearted Friend (1996) Matrix (1998) Lost (2001) Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper—Case Closed (2002) Blood and Fog (2003) The Witches of Chiswick (2003) Broken (2006) Darkside (2007) Lifeblood (2007) Dracula the Un-dead (2009) I, Ripper (2015) The Cutthroat (2017)
Television
Series
Jack the Ripper (1973) Jack the Ripper (1988) Sanctuary (2007–11) Whitechapel (2009–13) Ripper Street (2012–17) Time After Time (2017) Case File nº221: Kabukicho (2019–20) Sherlock in Russia (2020) Beforeigners (2019–present)
Episodes
"Wolf in the Fold" (1967) "Comes the Inquisitor" (1995) "Ripper" (1999) "Sanctuary for All" (2008) "The Great British Fake Off" (2020)
Other
Bridge Across Time (1985 TV film)
Video games
Jack the Ripper (1987) The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes (1992) Ripper (1996) Duke Nukem: Zero Hour (1999) Shadow Man (1999) MediEvil 2 (2000) Jack the Ripper (2004) Sherlock Holmes Versus Jack the Ripper (2009) The Ripper (canceled) The Order: 1886 (2015) Assassin's Creed Syndicate: Jack the Ripper (2015) Dance of Death: Du Lac & Fey (2019)
Other
Casebook: Jack the Ripper Blood!: The Life and Future Times of Jack the Ripper
Category
Authority control databases Edit this at Wikidata
International
ISNIVIAFFASTWorldCat
National
GermanyUnited StatesFranceBnF dataAustraliaCzech RepublicNetherlandsPolandIsrael
People
TroveDeutsche BiographieDDB
Other
IdRef
Categories:
Jack the Ripper1888 in London19th-century English criminalsCrimes adapted into filmsEnglish serial killersHistory of the City of LondonHistory of the City of London PoliceHistory of the London Borough of Tower HamletsHistory of the Metropolitan PoliceLondon crime historyMurder in LondonNicknames in crimePeople of the Victorian eraUnidentified British serial killersWhitechapel
1888
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the year 1888. For the album, see 1888 (album). For the EP, see 1888 (EP).
Millennium: 2nd millennium
Centuries:
18th century19th century 20th century
Decades:
1860s1870s1880s 1890s1900s
Years:
1885188618871888 188918901891
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1888 by topic
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1888 in various calendars
Gregorian calendar 1888
MDCCCLXXXVIII
Ab urbe condita 2641
Armenian calendar 1337
ԹՎ ՌՅԼԷ
Assyrian calendar 6638
Baháʼí calendar 44–45
Balinese saka calendar 1809–1810
Bengali calendar 1294–1295
Berber calendar 2838
British Regnal year 51 Vict. 1 – 52 Vict. 1
Buddhist calendar 2432
Burmese calendar 1250
Byzantine calendar 7396–7397
Chinese calendar 丁亥年 (Fire Pig)
4585 or 4378
— to —
戊子年 (Earth Rat)
4586 or 4379
Coptic calendar 1604–1605
Discordian calendar 3054
Ethiopian calendar 1880–1881
Hebrew calendar 5648–5649
Hindu calendars
- Vikram Samvat 1944–1945
- Shaka Samvat 1809–1810
- Kali Yuga 4988–4989
Holocene calendar 11888
Igbo calendar 888–889
Iranian calendar 1266–1267
Islamic calendar 1305–1306
Japanese calendar Meiji 21
(明治２１年)
Javanese calendar 1817–1818
Julian calendar Gregorian minus 12 days
Korean calendar 4221
Minguo calendar 24 before ROC
民前24年
Nanakshahi calendar 420
Thai solar calendar 2430–2431
Tibetan calendar 阴火猪年
(female Fire-Pig)
2014 or 1633 or 861
— to —
阳土鼠年
(male Earth-Rat)
2015 or 1634 or 862
Wikimedia Commons has media related to 1888.
1888 (MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar and a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar, the 1888th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 888th year of the 2nd millennium, the 88th year of the 19th century, and the 9th year of the 1880s decade. As of the start of 1888, the Gregorian calendar was 12 days ahead of the Julian calendar, which remained in localized use until 1923.
Events
January–March
March 11: Great Blizzard of 1888.
January 3 – The great telescope (with an objective lens of 91 cm (36 in) diameter) at Lick Observatory in California is first used.
January 12 – The Schoolhouse Blizzard hits Dakota Territory, the states of Montana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, and Texas, leaving 235 dead, many of them children on their way home from school.
January 13 – The National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C.
January 19 – The Battle of the Grapevine Creek, the last major conflict of the Hatfield-McCoy Feud.
January 21 – The Amateur Athletic Union is founded by William Buckingham Curtis in the United States.
January 26 – The Lawn Tennis Association is founded in England.
February 27 – In West Orange, New Jersey, Thomas Edison meets with Eadweard Muybridge, who proposes a scheme for sound film.
March 8 – The Agriculture College of Utah (later Utah State University) is founded in Logan, Utah.
March 9 – Wilhelm I dies, Frederick III becomes German Emperor and King of Prussia.
March 11 – The Great Blizzard of 1888 begins along the eastern seaboard of the United States, shutting down commerce and killing more than 400.
March 13 – The summit of Ritter Island collapsed resulting in a tsunami and the deaths of an estimated 500 to 3,500 people.[1]
March 13 – De Beers Consolidated Mines Ltd. is founded in Kimberley.
March 15 – The Sikkim Expedition, a British military expedition to expel the Tibetans from northern Sikkim, begins.
March 16 – The foundation stone for a new National Library of Greece is laid in Athens.
March 20 – The first Romani language operetta premieres in Moscow, Russia.
March 23 – A meeting called by William McGregor, to discuss establishment of The Football League, is held in London.
March 25 – Opening of an international Congress for Women's Rights organized by Susan B. Anthony in Washington, D.C., leading to formation of the International Council of Women, a key event in the international women's movement.
April–June
April 3
London prostitute Emma Elizabeth Smith is brutally attacked by two or three men, dying of her injuries the following day, first of the Whitechapel murders, but probably not a victim of Jack the Ripper.
The Brighton Beach Hotel in Coney Island (New York) is moved 520 ft (160 m), using six steam locomotives, by civil engineer B. C. Miller, to save it from ocean storms.
April 6 – The first New Year's Day is observed, of the solar calendar adopted by Siamese King Chulalongkorn, with the 106th anniversary of Bangkok's founding in 1782 as its epoch (reference date).
April 11 – The Concertgebouw orchestra in Amsterdam is inaugurated.
April 13 – Kahisakan (可否茶館), the first coffee shop in Japan, opens in Tokyo[2]
April 16 – The German Empire annexes the island of Nauru.
April 18 – Westminster School is founded in Simsbury, Connecticut.
April 21 – The Texas State Capitol building, completed at a cost of $3 million, opens to the public in Austin.
May 1 – Fort Belknap Indian Reservation is established by the United States Congress.
May 8 – The International Exhibition of Science, Art and Industry in Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow opens (continues to November).
May 10 – Nippon Oil Corporation, predecessor of Eneos, a petroleum and gas energy brand in Japan, is founded in Niigata Prefecture.[3]
May 12 – The North Borneo Chartered Company's territories (including Sabah) become the British protectorate of North Borneo.
May 13 – In Brazil, the Lei Áurea abolishes the last remnants of slavery.
May 26 – The comic novel The Diary of a Nobody by brothers George and Weedon Grossmith begins serialization in Punch (London).[4]
May 28 – In Glasgow (Scotland), Celtic F.C. plays its first official match, winning 5–2 against Rangers F.C.
May 30 – Hong Kong's Peak Tram begins operation.
June 2 – Edward King (bishop of Lincoln) in England is called to account for using ritualistic practices in Anglican worship.[5]
June 3
The Kingdom of Sedang is formed, in modern-day Vietnam.
American writer Ernest Thayer's baseball poem "Casey at the Bat" is first published (under the pen name "Phin") as the last of his humorous contributions to The San Francisco Examiner.
June 14 – The White Rajahs territories become the British protectorate of Sarawak.
June 15 – Wilhelm II becomes German Emperor and King of Prussia; 1888 is the Year of the Three Emperors.
June 19 – In Chicago, the Republican Convention opens at the Auditorium Building. Benjamin Harrison and Levi P. Morton win the nominations for President and Vice President of the United States, respectively.
June 29 – Handel's Israel in Egypt is recorded onto wax cylinder at The Crystal Palace in London, the earliest known recording of classical music.
June 30 – The Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom opens its laboratory, on Plymouth Hoe.
July–September
August 31: Victim found from Jack the Ripper?
July 2–27 – London matchgirls strike of 1888: About 200 workers, mainly teenaged girls, strike following the dismissal of three colleagues from the Bryant and May match factory, precipitated by an article on their working conditions published on June 23 by campaigning journalist Annie Besant, and the workers unionise on July 27.[6]
July 11 – Over 200 miners were killed at a diamond mine in Kimberley, South Africa.[7]
July 15 – According to Japanese government official confirmed report, A large scale eruption and ash smoke hit around Mount Bandai area, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, more than 477 people were killed.[8]
July 25 – Frank Edward McGurrin, a court stenographer from Salt Lake City, Utah, purportedly the only person using touch typing at this time, wins a decisive victory over Louis Traub in a typing contest held in Cincinnati, Ohio. This date can be called the birthday of the touch typing method that is widely used in modern times.
August 1 – Carl Benz is issued with the world's first driving licence by the Grand Duchy of Baden.
August 5 – Bertha Benz arrives in Pforzheim having driven 40 miles (64 km) from Mannheim in a car manufactured by her husband Carl Benz, thus completing the first "long-distance" drive in the history of the automobile.
August 7 – Whitechapel murders: The body of London prostitute Martha Tabram is found, a possible victim of Jack the Ripper.[9]
August 9
A fire destroys the Main Building, the heart of Wells College in Aurora, New York, causing a loss of $130,000.[10]
The Oaths Act permits the oath of allegiance taken to the Sovereign by Members of Parliament (MPs) to be affirmed, rather than sworn to God, thus confirming the ability of atheists to sit in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.
August 10 – Dr Friedrich Hermann Wölfert’s motorised airship successfully completes the world’s first engine-driven flight, from Cannstatt to Kornwestheim in Germany.[11]
August 13 – The Local Government Act, effective from 1889, establishes county councils and county borough councils in England and Wales, redraws some county boundaries, and gives women the vote in local elections. It also declares that "bicycles, tricycles, velocipedes, and other similar machines" be carriages within the meaning of the Highway Acts (which remains the case), and requires that they give audible warning when overtaking "any cart or carriage, or any horse, mule, or other beast of burden, or any foot passenger", a rule abolished in 1930.
August 20 – A mutiny at Dufile, Equatoria, results in the imprisonment of the Emin Pasha.
August 22 – Earliest evidence of a death and injury by a meteorite in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq.
August 24 –The first trams in Tallinn (Reval), horsecars, begin operation.
August 31 – Whitechapel murders: The mutilated body of London prostitute Mary Ann Nichols is found; she is considered the first victim of Jack the Ripper.
September 4
In the United States, George Eastman registers the trademark Kodak, and receives a patent for his camera, which uses roll film.
Mohandas Gandhi embarks on the S.S. Clyde from Bombay for London.
September 6 – Charles Turner becomes the first bowler in cricket to take 250 wickets in an English season – a feat since accomplished only by Tom Richardson (twice), J. T. Hearne, Wilfred Rhodes (twice) and Tich Freeman (six times).
September 8
The Great Herding (Spanish: El Gran Arreo) begins with thousands of sheep being herded from the Argentine outpost of Fortín Conesa to Santa Cruz near the Strait of Magellan.[12]
Whitechapel murders: The mutilated body of London prostitute Annie Chapman is found (considered to be the second victim of Jack the Ripper).
In England, the first six Football League matches are played.[9]
In a letter accepting renomination as President of the United States, Grover Cleveland declares the Chinese "impossible of assimilation with our people and dangerous to our peace and welfare".
September 17 – Las Cruces College (later New Mexico State University) is founded in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
September 27
Whitechapel murders: The 'Dear Boss letter' signed "Jack the Ripper", the first time the name is used, is received by London's Central News Agency.[9]
Stanley Park is officially opened by Vancouver (B.C.) mayor David Oppenheimer.
September 30 – Whitechapel murders: The bodies of London prostitutes Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes, the latter mutilated, are found. They are generally considered Jack the Ripper's third and fourth victims, respectively.
October–December
October 1 – Sofia University officially opens, becoming the first university in liberated Bulgaria.
October 2 – The Whitehall Mystery: Dismembered remains of a woman's body are discovered at three central London locations, one being the construction site of the police headquarters at New Scotland Yard.
October 9 – The Washington Monument officially opens to the general public in Washington, D.C.
October 9: Washington Monument opens.
October 14
Louis Le Prince films the first motion picture: Roundhay Garden Scene in Roundhay, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, two seconds and 18 frames in length (followed by his movie Leeds Bridge and Accordion Player).
Battle of Guté Dili: Seeking to extend Mahdist control over what is now southwestern Ethiopia, governor Khalil al-Khuzani is routed by an alliance of Shewan forces, under Ras Gobana Dacche and Moroda Bekere, ruler of Leqa Naqamte. Only a handful, including Khalil, barely manage to flee the battlefield.
October 25 – St Cuthbert's Society at the University of Durham in England is founded, after a general meeting chaired by the Reverend Hastings Rashdall.
October 30 – The Rudd Concession, a written concession for exclusive mining rights in Matabeleland, Mashonaland and adjoining territories, is granted by King Lobengula of Matabeleland to Charles Rudd, James Rochfort Maguire and Francis Thompson, who are acting on behalf of South African-based politician and businessman Cecil Rhodes, providing a basis for white settlement of Rhodesia.
November 6 – 1888 United States presidential election: Democratic Party incumbent Grover Cleveland wins the popular vote, but loses the Electoral College vote to Republican challenger Benjamin Harrison, therefore losing the election.
November 8 – Joseph Assheton Fincher files a patent in the United Kingdom for the parlour game which he calls "Tiddledy-Winks".
November 9 – Whitechapel murders: The mutilated body of London prostitute Mary Jane Kelly is found. She is considered to be the fifth, and last, of Jack the Ripper's victims. A number of similar murders in England follow, but the police attribute them to copy-cat killers.
November 16 – First signs of famine in Ethiopia, caused by drought combined with early spread of the 1890s African rinderpest epizootic.
November 24 – The first Saint Verhaegen takes place in Brussels.
November 27 – International sorority Delta Delta Delta is founded at Boston University in the United States.
November 29 – The celebration of Thanksgiving (United States) and the first day of Hanukkah coincide.
December 7 – John Boyd Dunlop patents the pneumatic bicycle tyre in the United Kingdom.
December 17 – The Lyric Theatre, London opens.
December 18 – Richard Wetherill and his brother-in-law, Charlie Mason, discover the Indian ruins of Mesa Verde in southwestern Colorado.
December 23 – During a bout of mental illness (and having quarreled with his friend Paul Gauguin), Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh infamously cuts off the lower part of his own left ear, taking it to a brothel, and is removed to the local hospital in Arles.
Date unknown
In Germany, 1888 is known as the Year of the Three Emperors.
In Poland, Schiffers & Co. is founded in Warsaw.[13]
The dolphin Pelorus Jack is first sighted in Cook Strait, New Zealand.
The Camborne School of Mines is founded in Cornwall, England.
John Robert Gregg first publishes Gregg shorthand in the United States.
The Finnish epic Kalevala is published for the first time in the English language, by American linguist John Martin Crawford.
The Baldwin School is founded in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, as "Miss [Florence] Baldwin's School for Girls, Preparatory for Bryn Mawr College".
Letitia Alice Walkington became the first woman in the United Kingdom to receive a degree of Bachelor of Laws, from the Royal University of Ireland at Queen's College, Belfast.
Global pharmaceutical and health care brands are founded in the United States:
G.D. Searle by Gideon Daniel Searle in Omaha, Nebraska.[14]
Abbott Laboratories as Abbott Alkaloidal by Dr. Wallace C. Abbott in Illinois.[15]
Katz's Delicatessen is founded in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
First British rugby union tour of Australia and New Zealand.
Births
January–February
Carlos Quintanilla
Otto Stern
Lotte Lehmann
January 1 – Victor Goldschmidt, Swiss geochemist (d. 1947)
January 8 – Matt Moore, Irish-born American actor (d. 1960)
January 18 – Thomas Sopwith, English aviation pioneer, yachtsman (d. 1989)
January 19 – Millard Harmon, American general (d. 1945)
January 20 – Lead Belly, American folk, blues singer (d. 1949)
January 22 – Carlos Quintanilla, 37th President of Bolivia (d. 1964)
January 23 – Aritomo Gotō, Japanese admiral (d. 1942)
January 24
Vicki Baum, Austrian writer (d. 1960)
Ernst Heinkel, German aircraft designer (d. 1958)
January 29 – Wellington Koo, Chinese statesman (d. 1985)
February 2 – Frederick Lane, Australian swimmer (d. 1969)
February 5 – Bruce Fraser, British admiral (d. 1981)
February 8 – Edith Evans, British actress (d. 1976)
February 11 – John Warren Davis, American educator, college administrator, and civil rights leader (d. 1980)[16]
February 13 – Georgios Papandreou, Prime Minister of Greece (d. 1968)
February 14 – Chandrashekhar Agashe, Indian industrialist (d. 1956)[17]
February 17 – Otto Stern, German physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1969)
February 19
Tom Phillips, British admiral (d. 1941)
Aurora Quezon, First Lady of the Philippines (d. 1949)
February 20 – Georges Bernanos, French writer (d. 1948)
February 25 – John Foster Dulles, United States Secretary of State (d. 1959)
February 27
Lotte Lehmann, German singer (d. 1976)
Arthur Schlesinger Sr., American historian (d. 1965)
March–April
Ilo Wallace
March 4 – Knute Rockne, American football player, coach (d. 1931)
March 5 – Peg Leg Howell, American country blues singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1966)
March 7 – William L. Laurence, American journalist (d. 1977)
March 10
Barry Fitzgerald, Irish actor (d. 1961)
Ilo Wallace, Second Lady of the United States (d. 1981)[18]
March 17– Paul Ramadier, 63rd Prime Minister of France (d. 1961)
March 18– Jerry Dawson, English footballer, Burnley and national team (d. 1970)
March 26 – Elsa Brändström, Swedish nurse (d. 1948)
March 29 – Enea Bossi Sr., Italian-born American aerospace engineer, aviation pioneer (d. 1963)
March 30 – Anna Q. Nilsson, Swedish-American silent film star (d. 1974)
April 1 – Terry de la Mesa Allen Sr., American general (d. 1969)
April 2 – Sir Neville Cardus, British cricket, music writer (d. 1975)
April 3 – Thomas C. Kinkaid, American admiral (d. 1972)
April 4 – Tris Speaker, American professional baseball player, member of the Baseball Hall of Fame (d. 1958)
April 6
Hans Richter, German artist and filmmaker (d. 1976)
Gerhard Ritter, German historian (d. 1967)
April 12 – Carlos Julio Arosemena Tola, 28th president of Ecuador (d. 1952)
April 18 – Duffy Lewis, American Major League Baseball player (d. 1979)
April 26 – Anita Loos, American writer (d. 1981)
April 27 – Florence La Badie, Canadian actress (d. 1917)
May–June
Irving Berlin
David Dougal Williams
May 8 – Maurice Boyau, French World War I fighter ace (d. 1918)
May 9 – Francesco Baracca, Italian World War I fighter ace (d. 1918)
May 10 – Max Steiner, Austrian-American composer (d. 1971)
May 11
Irving Berlin, American composer (d. 1989)
Willis Augustus Lee, American admiral (d. 1945)
May 13 – Inge Lehmann, Danish seismologist, geophysicist (d. 1993)
May 17 – Tich Freeman, English cricketer (d. 1965)
May 18 – William Hood Simpson, American general (d. 1980)
May 23 – Zack Wheat, American Baseball Hall of Famer (d. 1972)
May 25 – Miles Malleson, English actor (d. 1969)
May 28– Kaarel Eenpalu, 7th Prime Minister of Estonia (d. 1942)
May 31 – Jack Holt, American actor (d. 1951)
June – David Dougal Williams, British painter and art teacher (d. 1944)
June 13 – Fernando Pessoa, Portuguese writer (d. 1935)
June 17 – Heinz Guderian, German general (d. 1954)
June 22
Milton Allen, Governor of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla (d. 1981)
Harold Hitz Burton, American politician, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (d. 1964)
June 24 – Gerrit Rietveld, Dutch architect (d. 1964)
June 27 – Antoinette Perry, American stage director for whom the Tony Award is named (d. 1946)
June 29 – Squizzy Taylor, Australian underworld figure (d. 1927)
July–August
Herbert Spencer Gasser
Frits Zernike
July 5 – Herbert Spencer Gasser, American physiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1963)
July 10 – Giorgio de Chirico, Italian painter (d. 1978)
July 16
Percy Kilbride, American actor (d. 1964)
Frits Zernike, Dutch physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1966)
July 17 – Shmuel Yosef Agnon, Israeli writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1970)
July 22 – Selman Waksman, Ukrainian-born American biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1973)
July 23 – Raymond Chandler, American-born novelist (d. 1959)
August 4 – Taher Saifuddin, Indian Bohra spiritual leader (d. 1965)
August 6 – Heinrich Schlusnus, German baritone (d. 1952)
August 9 – Eduard Ritter von Schleich, German fighter ace, air force general (d. 1947)
August 13 – John Logie Baird, Scottish inventor (d. 1946)
August 16 – T. E. Lawrence ("Lawrence of Arabia"), British liaison officer during the Arab Revolt, writer and academic (d. 1935)
August 17 – Monty Woolley, American actor (d. 1963)
August 20 – Tôn Đức Thắng, 2nd president of Vietnam (d. 1980)
August 25 – Inayatullah Khan Mashriqi, Pakistani scholar, politician (d. 1963)
August 28 – Evadne Price, Australian-British writer, actress and astrologer (d. 1985)
August 29 – Gunichi Mikawa, Japanese admiral (d. 1981)
September–October
Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.
Maurice Chevalier
T. S. Eliot
September 5 – Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Indian philosopher, politician and 2nd President of India (d. 1975)
September 6
Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., American politician (d. 1969)
Zeng Junchen, Chinese drug baron (d. 1964)
September 8 – Ida McNeil, American broadcaster and designer of the flag of South Dakota (d. 1974)[19]
September 12 – Maurice Chevalier, French singer and actor (d. 1972)
September 16
Frans Eemil Sillanpää, Finnish writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1964)
W. O. Bentley, English engineer, entrepreneur (d. 1971)
September 17 – Michiyo Tsujimura, Japanese agricultural scientist (d. 1969)[20]
September 18 – Grey Owl, British conservationist, impostor, writer (d. 1938)
September 20 – John Painter, American supercentenarian, world's oldest man between 1999 and 2001 (d. 2001)
September 26
J. Frank Dobie, American folklorist, journalist (d. 1964)
T. S. Eliot, American-born British poet, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1965)
September 28 – Seán Lester, Irish diplomat (d. 1959)
October 4 – Friedrich Olbricht, German general (d. 1944)
October 6 – Roland Garros, French pilot (killed in action 1918)
October 7
Renya Mutaguchi, Japanese general (d. 1966)[21]
Henry A. Wallace, 33rd Vice President of the United States (d. 1965)[22]
October 8 – Ernst Kretschmer, German psychiatrist (d. 1964)
October 9 – Nikolai Bukharin, Russian Bolshevik and Soviet politician (d. 1938)
October 14 – Katherine Mansfield, New Zealand fiction writer (d. 1923)
October 16
Eugene O'Neill, American playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1953)
Paul Popenoe, American eugenicist (d. 1979)
Mikhail Kaganovich, Soviet politician (d. 1941)
October 17 – Paul Bernays, Swiss mathematician (d. 1977)
October 24 – Carlo Bergamini, Italian admiral (d. 1943)
October 25 – Lester Cuneo, American actor (d. 1925)
October 30 – Alan Goodrich Kirk, American admiral (d. 1963)
October 31 – Hubert Wilkins, Australian explorer of the Arctic (d. 1958)
November–December
C. V. Raman
Harpo Marx
Gladys Cooper
F. W. Murnau
November 1 – Viliami Tungī Mailefihi, 7th Premier of Tonga (d. 1941)
November 7
Nestor Makhno, Ukrainian anarcho-communist revolutionary (d. 1934)
C. V. Raman, Indian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1970)
November 9 – Jean Monnet, French political economist, diplomat and a founding father of the European Union (d. 1979)
November 15
José Raúl Capablanca, Cuban World chess champion (1921–1927) (d. 1942)
Harald Sverdrup, Norwegian scientist (d. 1957)
November 23 – Harpo Marx, American comedian (d. 1964)
November 24
Dale Carnegie, American writer, lecturer (d. 1955)
Cathleen Nesbitt, British actress (d. 1982)
November 29 – Oswald Rayner, British MI6 agent (d. 1961)
November 30 – Ralph Hartley, American electronics researcher, inventor (d. 1970)
December 3 – Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog, Polish-born Chief Rabbi of Ireland and Israel (d. 1959)
December 4
Alexander I of Yugoslavia (d. 1934)
Donald B. Beary, American admiral (d. 1966)
December 6 – Will Hay, British actor, comedian (d. 1949)
December 7
Joyce Cary, Northern Irish author (d. 1957)
Jinichi Kusaka, Japanese admiral (d. 1972)
December 16 – Alphonse Juin, French general, Marshal of France (d. 1967)
December 18
Dame Gladys Cooper, English actress (d. 1971)
Robert Moses, American civil engineer, public works director, highway and bridge builder (d. 1981)
December 19 – Fritz Reiner, Hungarian conductor (d. 1963)
December 22 – Theodore Stark Wilkinson, American admiral (d. 1946)
December 25 – Bonita Wa Wa Calachaw Nuñez, American painter (d. 1972)
December 28 – F. W. Murnau, German film director (d. 1931)
Date unknown
Ibrahim Hashem, 3-time prime minister of Jordan (d. 1958)
Deaths
January–March
Wilhelm I
January 7 – Golam Ali Chowdhury, Bengali landlord and philanthropist (b. 1824)[23]
January 19 – Anton de Bary, German biologist (b. 1831)
January 20 – William Pitt Ballinger, Texas lawyer, southern statesman (b. 1825)
January 29 – Edward Lear, British artist, writer (b. 1812)
January 31 – John Bosco, Italian priest, youth worker, educator and founder of the Salesian Society (b. 1815)
February 3 – Sir Henry Maine, British jurist (b. 1822)
February 5 – Anton Mauve, Dutch painter (b. 1838)
February 9 – Augusto Riboty, Italian admiral and politician (b. 1816)[24]
February 22 – Anna Kingsford, British women's rights activist (b. 1846)
February 24 – Seth Kinman, American hunter, settler (b. 1815)
March 6
Louisa May Alcott, American novelist (b. 1832)[25]
Josif Pančić, Serbian botanist (b. 1814)
March 9 – William I, German Emperor, King of Prussia (b. 1797)
March 12 – Henry Bergh, founder of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (b. 1813)
March 16 – Hippolyte Carnot, French statesman (b. 1801)
March 23 – Morrison Waite, Chief Justice of the United States (b. 1816)
March 27 – Francesco Faà di Bruno, Italian mathematician (b. 1825)
March 29 – Charles-Valentin Alkan, French composer, pianist (b. 1813)
April–June
Frederick Miller
Ascanio Sobrero
Frederick III
April 4 – Emma Elizabeth Smith, Whitechapel Murders victim (b. 1843)
April 14 – Emil Czyrniański, Polish chemist (b. 1824)
April 15 – Matthew Arnold, English poet (b. 1822)
April 17 – Ephraim George Squier, American archaeologist, newspaper editor (b. 1821)
April 19 – Thomas Russell Crampton, English engineer (b. 1816)
May 6 – Abraham Joseph Ash, American rabbi (b. c. 1813)[26]
May 11 – Frederick Miller, German-born American brewer and businessman (b. 1824)
May 15 – Edwin Hamilton Davis, American archaeologist, physician (b. 1811)
May 19 – Julius Rockwell, United States politician (b. 1805)
May 26 – Ascanio Sobrero, Italian chemist (b. 1812)
June 7 – Edmond Le Bœuf, French general, Marshal of France (b. 1809)
June 8 – Sir Duncan Cameron, British army general (b. 1808)
June 15 – Frederick III, German Emperor, King of Prussia (b. 1831)
June 23 – Edmund Gurney, British psychologist (b. 1847)
July–September
Paul Langerhans
John Pemberton
July 1 – Maiden of Ludmir, Jewish religious leader (b. 1805)
July 4 – Theodor Storm, German writer (b. 1817)
July 9 – Jan Brand, 4th president of the Orange Free State (b. 1823)
July 20 – Paul Langerhans, German pathologist, biologist (b. 1847)
August 5 – Philip Sheridan, American general (b. 1831)
August 7 – Martha Tabram, possible first victim of Jack the Ripper (b. 1849)
August 9 – Charles Cros, French poet (b. 1842)
August 16 – John Pemberton, American pharmacist, founder of Coca-Cola (b. 1831)
August 20 – Henry Richard, Welsh peace campaigner (b. 1812)
August 23 – Philip Henry Gosse, British scientist (b. 1810)
August 24 – Rudolf Clausius, German physicist, contributor to thermodynamics (b. 1822)
August 31 – Mary Ann Nichols, first confirmed victim of Jack the Ripper (b. 1845)
September 6 – John Lester Wallack, American theater impresario (b. 1820)
September 8 – Annie Chapman, victim of Jack the Ripper (b. 1841)
September 11 – Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, Argentine politician, writer, and father of education (b. 1811)
September 23 – François Achille Bazaine, French general (b. 1811)
September 24 – Karl von Prantl, German philosopher (b. 1820)
September 30
Catherine Eddowes, victim of Jack the Ripper (b. 1842)
Elizabeth Stride, victim of Jack the Ripper (b. 1843)
October–December
Carl Zeiss
Caroline Howard Gilman
October 16
Horatio Spafford, American author of the hymn It Is Well With My Soul (b. 1828)
John Wentworth, Mayor of Chicago (b. 1815)
October 26 – William Thomas Hamilton, American politician (b. 1820)
November 1 – Nikolay Przhevalsky, Russian explorer (b. 1839)
November 9 – Mary Jane Kelly, fifth and final confirmed victim of Jack the Ripper (b. 1863)
November 10 – George Bingham, 3rd Earl of Lucan, British army officer and aristocrat (b. 1800)
November 11 – Pedro Ñancúpel, Chilean pirate active in the fjords and channels of Patagonia. He was executed.[27]
November 13 – José María Díaz, Spanish romanticist playwright and journalist (b. 1813)
November 17 – Dora d'Istria, Romanian/Albanian writer and nationalist (b. 1828)
November 24 – Cicero Price, American commodore (b. 1805)
December 2 – Namık Kemal, Turkish patriotic poet, social reformer (b. 1840)
December 3 – Carl Zeiss, German optician, founder of Carl Zeiss AG (b. 1816)
December 10 – William E. Le Roy, American admiral (b. 1818)
December 20 – Rose Mylett, Whitechapel murders victim (b. 1859)
December 24 – Mikhail Loris-Melikov, Russian statesman, general (b. 1826)
December 31
Samson Raphael Hirsch, German rabbi (b. 1808)
John Westcott, American surveyor and politician (b. 1807)
Date unknown
Caroline Howard Gilman, American author (b. 1794)
References
Paris, R.; Switzer, A.D.; Belousova, M. (2014). "Volcanic tsunami: a review of source mechanisms, past events and hazards in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea)". Natural Hazards. 70 (1): 447–440. Bibcode:2014NatHa..70..447P. doi:10.1007/s11069-013-0822-8. S2CID 73610567.
"コーヒーの歴史と文化伝播の旅「倉敷珈琲物語」-可否茶館-日本最初の本格的珈琲店".
Coumbe, Albert Thompson (1924). Petroleum in Japan. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 10.
"The Diary of a Nobody". Punch, or the London Charivari. 94: 241. May 26, 1888.
Newton, John A. (2004). "King, Edward (1829–1910)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/34319. Retrieved October 12, 2012. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
"The Match Workers Strike Fund Register". Trades Union Congress Library at the London Metropolitan University. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
"The Kimberley Diamond-mine Disaster". The Cornishman. No. 524. July 19, 1888. p. 7.
佐藤（2005b）; 北原（1995a）pp.162-165、米地（2006）pp.122-123.
Penguin Pocket On This Day. Penguin Reference Library. 2006. ISBN 0-14-102715-0.
"Wells College Destroyed" (PDF). The New York Times. August 10, 1888. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022.
"The first engine-driven flight". Daimler. Archived from the original on May 9, 2016. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
Guzmán, Yuyú (March 3, 2007). "Rincón gaucho. Un arreo que extendió la frontera ganadera". La Nación. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
Nikogosyan, David N. "Hollow Ware Marks of Warsaw Silver Plate Factories Operated in the Russian Empire". www.ascasonline.org. ASSOCIATION OF SMALL COLLECTORS OF ANTIQUE SILVER. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
"Searle family". Forbes. 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
Burrell, Brandon (2013). Abbott Laboratories: Provisioning a Vision. Tallahassee: Florida State University.
West Virginia Archives and History (2019). "John Warren Davis". West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History. Archived from the original on February 29, 2020. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
Ranade 1974, p. 61.
"Wallace, Ilo Browne, 1888-1981". SNAC. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
"Dakota Images: Ida Anding McNeil" (PDF). South Dakota History. 11 (2). South Dakota State Historical Society. 1981. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
SA NEWS (September 18, 2021). "Google Doodle on Michiyo Tsujimura: Synopsis of Michiyo Tsujimura's Life". Retrieved September 12, 2023.
Budge, Kent G. "Mutaguchi Renya (1888-1966)". The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
"WALLACE, Henry Agard". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
"Privy Council Appeal No. 90 of 1922, from Bengal Appeal No. 27 of 1919", Case Mine, December 5, 1994, Karimunnessa Khatun and others v. Mahomed Fazlul Karim and others
Mariano Gabriele, Augusto Riboty, Ufficio Storico della Marina Militare, 1999 (in Italian).
"Louisa May Alcott | Biography, Childhood, Family, Books, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
Public Domain Cyrus Adler and Judah David Eisenstein (1901–1906). "ASH, ABRAHAM JOSEPH". In Singer, Isidore; et al. (eds.). The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls.
Cárdenas Álvarez, Renato (January 17, 2005). "La historia del pirata chilote Pedro Ñancúpel" (in Spanish). El Llanquihue. Retrieved January 10, 2019. Cuando es capturado en Melinka ya era una leyenda porque había evadido la persecución.
Bibliography
Ranade, Sadashiv Bhaskar (1974). Cittapāvana Kauśika Gotrī Āgāśe-Kula-vr̥ttānta [The Agashe Family Genealogy belonging to the Chitpavan Kaushik Gotra] (Kulavruttanta) (in Marathi) (1st ed.). Pune: University of Michigan. LCCN 74903020. OCLC 600048059.
Further reading and year books
1888 Annual Cyclopedia (1889) highly detailed coverage of "Political, Military, and Ecclesiastical Affairs; Public Documents; Biography, Statistics, Commerce, Finance, Literature, Science, Agriculture, and Mechanical Industry" for year 1888; massive compilation of facts and primary documents; worldwide coverage; 831 pp
Categories: 1888Leap years in the Gregorian calendar
Cartography
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Cartogram.
"Cartographer" and "Cartographist" redirect here. For other uses, see Cartographer (disambiguation). For the song, see Shrines (Purity Ring album).
A medieval depiction of the Ecumene (1482, Johannes Schnitzer, engraver), constructed after the coordinates in Ptolemy's Geography and using his second map projection. The translation into Latin and dissemination of Geography in Europe, in the beginning of the 15th century, marked the rebirth of scientific cartography, after more than a millennium of stagnation.
Cartography (/kɑːrˈtɒɡrəfi/; from Ancient Greek: χάρτης chartēs, 'papyrus, sheet of paper, map'; and γράφειν graphein, 'write') is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an imagined reality) can be modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively.
The fundamental objectives of traditional cartography are to:
Set the map's agenda and select traits of the object to be mapped. This is the concern of map editing. Traits may be physical, such as roads or land masses, or may be abstract, such as toponyms or political boundaries.
Represent the terrain of the mapped object on flat media. This is the concern of map projections.
Eliminate the mapped object's characteristics that are irrelevant to the map's purpose. This is the concern of generalization.
Reduce the complexity of the characteristics that will be mapped. This is also the concern of generalization.
Orchestrate the elements of the map to best convey its message to its audience. This is the concern of map design.
Modern cartography constitutes many theoretical and practical foundations of geographic information systems (GIS) and geographic information science (GISc).
History
Main articles: History of cartography and List of cartographers
See also: Surveying § History, Cadastre § History, and Topographic mapping § History
Ancient times
Valcamonica rock art (I), Paspardo r. 29, topographic composition, 4th millennium BCE
What is the earliest known map is a matter of some debate, both because the term "map" is not well-defined and because some artifacts that might be maps might actually be something else. A wall painting that might depict the ancient Anatolian city of Çatalhöyük (previously known as Catal Huyuk or Çatal Hüyük) has been dated to the late 7th millennium BCE.[1][2] Among the prehistoric alpine rock carvings of Mount Bego (France) and Valcamonica (Italy), dated to the 4th millennium BCE, geometric patterns consisting of dotted rectangles and lines are widely interpreted[3][4] in archaeological literature as depicting cultivated plots.[5] Other known maps of the ancient world include the Minoan "House of the Admiral" wall painting from c. 1600 BCE, showing a seaside community in an oblique perspective, and an engraved map of the holy Babylonian city of Nippur, from the Kassite period (14th – 12th centuries BCE).[6] The oldest surviving world maps are from 9th century BCE Babylonia.[7] One shows Babylon on the Euphrates, surrounded by Assyria, Urartu[8] and several cities, all, in turn, surrounded by a "bitter river" (Oceanus).[9] Another depicts Babylon as being north of the center of the world.[7]
The Bedolina Map and its tracing, 6th–4th century BCE
The ancient Greeks and Romans created maps from the time of Anaximander in the 6th century BCE.[10] In the 2nd century CE, Ptolemy wrote his treatise on cartography, Geographia.[11] This contained Ptolemy's world map – the world then known to Western society (Ecumene). As early as the 8th century, Arab scholars were translating the works of the Greek geographers into Arabic.[12] Roads were essential in the Roman world, motivating the creation of maps, called itinerarium, that portrayed the world as experienced via the roads. The Tabula Peutingeriana is the only surviving example.
A 14th-century Byzantine map of the British Isles from a manuscript of Ptolemy's Geography, using Greek numerals for its graticule: 52–63°N of the equator and 6–33°E from Ptolemy's Prime Meridian at the Fortunate Isles.
In ancient China, geographical literature dates to the 5th century BCE. The oldest extant Chinese maps come from the State of Qin, dated back to the 4th century BCE, during the Warring States period. In the book Xin Yi Xiang Fa Yao, published in 1092 by the Chinese scientist Su Song, a star map on the equidistant cylindrical projection.[13][14] Although this method of charting seems to have existed in China even before this publication and scientist, the greatest significance of the star maps by Su Song is that they represent the oldest existent star maps in printed form.
Early forms of cartography of India included depictions of the pole star and surrounding constellations.[15] These charts may have been used for navigation.[15]
Middle Ages and Renaissance
Copy (1472) of St. Isidore's TO map of the world.
Mappae mundi ('maps of the world') are the medieval European maps of the world. About 1,100 of these are known to have survived: of these, some 900 are found illustrating manuscripts, and the remainder exist as stand-alone documents.[16]
The Tabula Rogeriana, drawn by Muhammad al-Idrisi for Roger II of Sicily in 1154. South is at the top.
The Arab geographer Muhammad al-Idrisi produced his medieval atlas Tabula Rogeriana (Book of Roger) in 1154. By combining the knowledge of Africa, the Indian Ocean, Europe, and the Far East (which he learned through contemporary accounts from Arab merchants and explorers) with the information he inherited from the classical geographers, he was able to write detailed descriptions of a multitude of countries. Along with the substantial text he had written, he created a world map influenced mostly by the Ptolemaic conception of the world, but with significant influence from multiple Arab geographers. It remained the most accurate world map for the next three centuries.[17][18] The map was divided into seven climatic zones, with detailed descriptions of each zone. As part of this work, a smaller, circular map depicting the south on top and Arabia in the center was made. Al-Idrisi also made an estimate of the circumference of the world, accurate to within 10%.[19]
Europa regina in Sebastian Münster's "Cosmographia", 1570
In the Age of Discovery, from the 15th century to the 17th century, European cartographers both copied earlier maps (some of which had been passed down for centuries) and drew their own based on explorers' observations and new surveying techniques. The invention of the magnetic compass, telescope and sextant enabled increasing accuracy. In 1492, Martin Behaim, a German cartographer and advisor to the king John II of Portugal, made the oldest extant globe of the Earth.[20]
In 1507, Martin Waldseemüller produced a globular world map and a large 12-panel world wall map (Universalis Cosmographia) bearing the first use of the name "America." Portuguese cartographer Diogo Ribero was the author of the first known planisphere with a graduated Equator (1527). Italian cartographer Battista Agnese produced at least 71 manuscript atlases of sea charts. Johannes Werner refined and promoted the Werner projection. This was an equal-area, heart-shaped world map projection (generally called a cordiform projection) that was used in the 16th and 17th centuries. Over time, other iterations of this map type arose; most notable are the sinusoidal projection and the Bonne projection. The Werner projection places its standard parallel at the North Pole; a sinusoidal projection places its standard parallel at the equator; and the Bonne projection is intermediate between the two.[21][22]
In 1569, mapmaker Gerardus Mercator first published a map based on his Mercator projection, which uses equally-spaced parallel vertical lines of longitude and parallel latitude lines spaced farther apart as they get farther away from the equator. By this construction, courses of constant bearing are conveniently represented as straight lines for navigation. The same property limits its value as a general-purpose world map because regions are shown as increasingly larger than they actually are the further from the equator they are. Mercator is also credited as the first to use the word "atlas" to describe a collection of maps. In the later years of his life, Mercator resolved to create his Atlas, a book filled with many maps of different regions of the world, as well as a chronological history of the world from the Earth's creation by God until 1568. He was unable to complete it to his satisfaction before he died. Still, some additions were made to the Atlas after his death, and new editions were published after his death.[23][24]
In 1570, the Brabantian cartographer Abraham Ortelius, strongly encouraged by Gillis Hooftman, created the first true modern atlas, Theatrum Orbis Terrarum.[25] In a rare move, Ortelius credited mapmakers who contributed to the atlas, the list of which grew to 183 individuals by 1603.[26]
In the Renaissance, maps were used to impress viewers and establish the owner's reputation as sophisticated, educated, and worldly. Because of this, towards the end of the Renaissance, maps were displayed with equal importance of painting, sculptures, and other pieces of art.[27] In the sixteenth century, maps were becoming increasingly available to consumers through the introduction of printmaking, with about 10% of Venetian homes having some sort of map by the late 1500s.
There were three main functions of maps in the Renaissance:[28]
General descriptions of the world
Navigation and wayfinding
Land surveying and property management
In medieval times, written directions of how to get somewhere were more common than the use of maps. With the Renaissance, cartography began to be seen as a metaphor for power.[28] Political leaders could lay claim to territories through the use of maps, and this was greatly aided by the religious and colonial expansion of Europe. The Holy Land and other religious places were the most commonly mapped during the Renaissance.
In the late 1400s to the late 1500s, Rome, Florence, and Venice dominated map-making and trade. It started in Florence in the mid-to late 1400s. Map trade quickly shifted to Rome and Venice but then was overtaken by atlas makers in the late 16th century.[29] Map publishing in Venice was completed with humanities and book publishing in mind, rather than just informational use.
Printing technology
There were two main printmaking technologies in the Renaissance: woodcut and copper-plate intaglio, referring to the medium used to transfer the image onto paper.
In woodcut, the map image is created as a relief chiseled from medium-grain hardwood. The areas intended to be printed are inked and pressed against the sheet. Being raised from the rest of the block, the map lines cause indentations in the paper that can often be felt on the back of the map. There are advantages to using relief to make maps. For one, a printmaker doesn't need a press because the maps could be developed as rubbings. Woodblock is durable enough to be used many times before defects appear. Existing printing presses can be used to create the prints rather than having to create a new one. On the other hand, it is hard to achieve fine detail with the relief technique. Inconsistencies in linework are more apparent in woodcut than in intaglio. To improve quality in the late fifteenth century, a style of relief craftsmanship developed using fine chisels to carve the wood, rather than the more commonly used knife.
In intaglio, lines are engraved into workable metals, typically copper but sometimes brass. The engraver spreads a thin sheet of wax over the metal plate and uses ink to draw the details. Then, the engraver traces the lines with a stylus to etch them into the plate beneath.[30] The engraver can also use styli to prick holes along the drawn lines, trace along them with colored chalk, and then engrave the map. Lines going in the same direction are carved at the same time, and then the plate is turned to carve lines going in a different direction. To print from the finished plate, ink is spread over the metal surface and scraped off such that it remains only in the etched channels. Then the plate is pressed forcibly against the paper so that the ink in the channels is transferred to the paper. The pressing is so forceful that it leaves a "plate mark" around the border of the map at the edge of the plate, within which the paper is depressed compared to the margins.[31] Copper and other metals were expensive at the time, so the plate was often reused for new maps or melted down for other purposes.[31]
Whether woodcut or intaglio, the printed map is hung out to dry. Once dry, it is usually placed in another press to flatten the paper. Any type of paper that was available at the time could be used to print the map, but thicker paper was more durable.
Both relief and intaglio were used about equally by the end of the fifteenth century.
Lettering
Lettering in mapmaking is important for denoting information. Fine lettering is difficult in woodcut, where it often turned out square and blocky, contrary to the stylized, rounded writing style popular in Italy at the time.[31] To improve quality, mapmakers developed fine chisels to carve the relief. Intaglio lettering did not suffer the troubles of a coarse medium and so was able to express the looping cursive that came to be known as cancellaresca.[31] There were custom-made reverse punches that were also used in metal engraving alongside freehand lettering.[30]
Color
Main article: Map coloring
The first use of color in map-making cannot be narrowed down to one reason. There are arguments that color started as a way to indicate information on the map, with aesthetics coming second. There are also arguments that color was first used on maps for aesthetics but then evolved into conveying information.[31] Either way, many maps of the Renaissance left the publisher without being colored, a practice that continued all the way into the 1800s. However, most publishers accepted orders from their patrons to have their maps or atlases colored if they wished. Because all coloring was done by hand, the patron could request simple, cheap color, or more expensive, elaborate color, even going so far as silver or gold gilding. The simplest coloring was merely outlines, such as of borders and along rivers. Wash color meant painting regions with inks or watercolors. Limning meant adding silver and gold leaf to the map to illuminate lettering, heraldic arms, or other decorative elements.
Early modern period
See also: Early modern Iberian (Spanish and Portuguese) cartography and Early modern Netherlandish (Dutch and Flemish) cartography
The early modern period saw the convergence of cartographical techniques across Eurasia and the exchange of mercantile mapping techniques via the Indian Ocean.[32]
In the early seventeenth century, the Selden map was created by a Chinese cartographer. Historians have put its date of creation around 1620, but there is debate in this regard. This map's significance draws from historical misconceptions of East Asian cartography, the main one being that East Asians did not do cartography until Europeans arrived. The map's depiction of trading routes, a compass rose, and scale bar points to the culmination of many map-making techniques incorporated into Chinese mercantile cartography.[33]
In 1689, representatives of the Russian tsar and Qing Dynasty met near the border town of Nerchinsk, which was near the disputed border of the two powers, in eastern Siberia.[34] The two parties, with the Qing negotiation party bringing Jesuits as intermediaries, managed to work a treaty which placed the Amur River as the border between the Eurasian powers, and opened up trading relations between the two. This treaty's significance draws from the interaction between the two sides, and the intermediaries who were drawn from a wide variety of nationalities.
Age of Enlightenment
Double hemisphere map by Hendrik Hondius, 1630
Maps of the Enlightenment period practically universally used copper plate intaglio, having abandoned the fragile, coarse woodcut technology. Use of map projections evolved, with the double hemisphere being very common and Mercator's prestigious navigational projection gradually making more appearances.
Due to the paucity of information and the immense difficulty of surveying during the period, mapmakers frequently plagiarized material without giving credit to the original cartographer. For example, a famous map of North America known as the "Beaver Map" was published in 1715 by Herman Moll. This map is a close reproduction of a 1698 work by Nicolas de Fer. De Fer, in turn, had copied images that were first printed in books by Louis Hennepin, published in 1697, and François Du Creux, in 1664. By the late 18th century, mapmakers often credited the original publisher with something along the lines of, "After [the original cartographer]" in the map's title or cartouche.[35]
Modern period
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A pre-Mercator nautical chart of 1571, from Portuguese cartographer Fernão Vaz Dourado (c. 1520 – c. 1580). It belongs to the so-called plane chart model, where observed latitudes and magnetic directions are plotted directly into the plane, with a constant scale, as if the Earth were a plane (Portuguese National Archives of Torre do Tombo, Lisbon).
Mapping can be done with GPS and laser rangefinder directly in the field. Image shows mapping of forest structure (position of trees, dead wood and canopy).
A stylized map inspired by Renaissance cartographic traditions, created using GIS technology and complemented by a hand-crafted linocut[36].
In cartography, technology has continually changed in order to meet the demands of new generations of mapmakers and map users. The first maps were produced manually, with brushes and parchment; so they varied in quality and were limited in distribution. The advent of magnetic devices, such as the compass and much later, magnetic storage devices, allowed for the creation of far more accurate maps and the ability to store and manipulate them digitally.
Advances in mechanical devices such as the printing press, quadrant, and vernier allowed the mass production of maps and the creation of accurate reproductions from more accurate data. Hartmann Schedel was one of the first cartographers to use the printing press to make maps more widely available. Optical technology, such as the telescope, sextant, and other devices that use telescopes, allowed accurate land surveys and allowed mapmakers and navigators to find their latitude by measuring angles to the North Star at night or the Sun at noon.
Advances in photochemical technology, such as the lithographic and photochemical processes, make possible maps with fine details, which do not distort in shape and which resist moisture and wear. This also eliminated the need for engraving, which further speeded up map production.[37]
In the 20th century, aerial photography, satellite imagery, and remote sensing provided efficient, precise methods for mapping physical features, such as coastlines, roads, buildings, watersheds, and topography. The United States Geological Survey has devised multiple new map projections, notably the Space Oblique Mercator for interpreting satellite ground tracks for mapping the surface. The use of satellites and space telescopes now allows researchers to map other planets and moons in outer space.[38] Advances in electronic technology ushered in another revolution in cartography: ready availability of computers and peripherals such as monitors, plotters, printers, scanners (remote and document) and analytic stereo plotters, along with computer programs for visualization, image processing, spatial analysis, and database management, have democratized and greatly expanded the making of maps. The ability to superimpose spatially located variables onto existing maps has created new uses for maps and new industries to explore and exploit these potentials. See also digital raster graphic.
In the early years of the new millennium, three key technological advances transformed cartography:[39] the removal of Selective Availability in the Global Positioning System (GPS) in May 2000, which improved locational accuracy for consumer-grade GPS receivers to within a few metres; the invention of OpenStreetMap in 2004, a global digital counter-map that allowed anyone to contribute and use new spatial data without complex licensing agreements; and the launch of Google Earth in 2005 as a development of the virtual globe EarthViewer 3D (2004), which revolutionised accessibility of accurate world maps, as well as access to satellite and aerial imagery. These advances brought more accuracy to geographical and location-based data and widened the range of applications for cartography, for example in the development of satnav devices.
Today most commercial-quality maps are made using software of three main types: CAD, GIS and specialized illustration software. Spatial information can be stored in a database, from which it can be extracted on demand. These tools lead to increasingly dynamic, interactive maps that can be manipulated digitally.
On the other hand, we can observe a reverse trend. In contemporary times, there is a resurgence of interest in the most beautiful periods of cartography, with various maps being created using, for example, Renaissance-style aesthetics. We encounter imitators or continuators of Renaissance traditions that merge the realms of science and art. Among them are figures such as Luther Phillips (1891–1960) and Ruth Rhoads Lepper Gardner (1905–2011),[40] who still operated using traditional cartographic methods, as well as creators utilizing modern developments based on GIS solutions[41][42] and those employing techniques that combine advanced GIS/CAD methods with traditional artistic forms.[43]
Field-rugged computers, GPS, and laser rangefinders make it possible to create maps directly from measurements made on site.
Deconstruction
There are technical and cultural aspects to producing maps. In this sense, maps can sometimes be said to be biased. The study of bias, influence, and agenda in making a map is what comprise a map's deconstruction. A central tenet of deconstructionism is that maps have power. Other assertions are that maps are inherently biased and that we search for metaphor and rhetoric in maps.[44]
It is claimed that the Europeans promoted an "epistemological" understanding of the map as early as the 17th century.[44] An example of this understanding is that "[European reproduction of terrain on maps] reality can be expressed in mathematical terms; that systematic observation and measurement offer the only route to cartographic truth…".[44]
A common belief is that science heads in a direction of progress, and thus leads to more accurate representations of maps. In this belief, European maps must be superior to others, which necessarily employed different map-making skills. "There was a 'not cartography' land where lurked an army of inaccurate, heretical, subjective, valuative, and ideologically distorted images. Cartographers developed a 'sense of the other' in relation to nonconforming maps."[44]
Depictions of Africa are a common target of deconstructionism.[45] According to deconstructionist models, cartography was used for strategic purposes associated with imperialism and as instruments and representations of power[46] during the conquest of Africa. The depiction of Africa and the low latitudes in general on the Mercator projection has been interpreted as imperialistic and as symbolic of subjugation due to the diminished proportions of those regions compared to higher latitudes where the European powers were concentrated.[47]
Maps furthered imperialism and colonization of Africa in practical ways by showing basic information like roads, terrain, natural resources, settlements, and communities. Through this, maps made European commerce in Africa possible by showing potential commercial routes and made natural resource extraction possible by depicting locations of resources. Such maps also enabled military conquests and made them more efficient, and imperial nations further used them to put their conquests on display. These same maps were then used to cement territorial claims, such as at the Berlin Conference of 1884–1885.[46]
Before 1749, maps of the African continent had African kingdoms drawn with assumed or contrived boundaries, with unknown or unexplored areas having drawings of animals, imaginary physical geographic features, and descriptive texts. In 1748, Jean B. B. d'Anville created the first map of the African continent that had blank spaces to represent the unknown territory.[46]
Map types
See also: Map § Types
General vs. thematic cartography
Small section of an orienteering map
Topographic map of Easter Island
Relief map Sierra Nevada
In understanding basic maps, the field of cartography can be divided into two general categories: general cartography and thematic cartography. General cartography involves those maps that are constructed for a general audience and thus contain a variety of features. General maps exhibit many reference and location systems and often are produced in a series. For example, the 1:24,000 scale topographic maps of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) are a standard as compared to the 1:50,000 scale Canadian maps. The government of the UK produces the classic 1:50,000 (replacing the older 1 inch to 1 mile) "Ordnance Survey" maps of the entire UK and with a range of correlated larger- and smaller-scale maps of great detail. Many private mapping companies have also produced thematic map series.
Thematic cartography involves maps of specific geographic themes, oriented toward specific audiences. A couple of examples might be a dot map showing corn production in Indiana or a shaded area map of Ohio counties, divided into numerical choropleth classes. As the volume of geographic data has exploded over the last century, thematic cartography has become increasingly useful and necessary to interpret spatial, cultural and social data.
A third type of map is known as an "orienteering," or special purpose map. This type of map falls somewhere between thematic and general maps. They combine general map elements with thematic attributes in order to design a map with a specific audience in mind. Oftentimes, the type of audience an orienteering map is made for is in a particular industry or occupation. An example of this kind of map would be a municipal utility map.[48]
Topographic vs. topological
A topographic map is primarily concerned with the topographic description of a place, including (especially in the 20th and 21st centuries) the use of contour lines showing elevation. Terrain or relief can be shown in a variety of ways (see Cartographic relief depiction). In the present era, one of the most widespread and advanced methods used to form topographic maps is to use computer software to generate digital elevation models which show shaded relief. Before such software existed, cartographers had to draw shaded relief by hand. One cartographer who is respected as a master of hand-drawn shaded relief is the Swiss professor Eduard Imhof whose efforts in hill shading were so influential that his method became used around the world despite it being so labor-intensive.[49][50]
A topological map is a very general type of map, the kind one might sketch on a napkin. It often disregards scale and detail in the interest of clarity of communicating specific route or relational information. Beck's London Underground map is an iconic example. Although the most widely used map of "The Tube," it preserves little of reality: it varies scale constantly and abruptly, it straightens curved tracks, and it contorts directions. The only topography on it is the River Thames, letting the reader know whether a station is north or south of the river. That and the topology of station order and interchanges between train lines are all that is left of the geographic space.[51] Yet those are all a typical passenger wishes to know, so the map fulfills its purpose.[52]
Map design
Main article: Cartographic design
Illustrated map
Modern technology, including advances in printing, the advent of geographic information systems and graphics software, and the Internet, has vastly simplified the process of map creation and increased the palette of design options available to cartographers. This has led to a decreased focus on production skill, and an increased focus on quality design, the attempt to craft maps that are both aesthetically pleasing and practically useful for their intended purposes.
Map purpose and audience
A map has a purpose and an audience. Its purpose may be as broad as teaching the major physical and political features of the entire world, or as narrow as convincing a neighbor to move a fence. The audience may be as broad as the general public or as narrow as a single person. Mapmakers use design principles to guide them in constructing a map that is effective for its purpose and audience.
Cartographic process
The cartographic process
The cartographic process spans many stages, starting from conceiving the need for a map and extending all the way through its consumption by an audience. Conception begins with a real or imagined environment. As the cartographer gathers information about the subject, they consider how that information is structured and how that structure should inform the map's design. Next, the cartographers experiment with generalization, symbolization, typography, and other map elements to find ways to portray the information so that the map reader can interpret the map as intended. Guided by these experiments, the cartographer settles on a design and creates the map, whether in physical or electronic form. Once finished, the map is delivered to its audience. The map reader interprets the symbols and patterns on the map to draw conclusions and perhaps to take action. By the spatial perspectives they provide, maps help shape how we view the world.[53]
Aspects of map design
Designing a map involves bringing together a number of elements and making a large number of decisions. The elements of design fall into several broad topics, each of which has its own theory, its own research agenda, and its own best practices. That said, there are synergistic effects between these elements, meaning that the overall design process is not just working on each element one at a time, but an iterative feedback process of adjusting each to achieve the desired gestalt.
Areal distortion caused by Mercator projection
Map projections: The foundation of the map is the plane on which it rests (whether paper or screen), but projections are required to flatten the surface of the Earth or other celestial bodies. While all projections distort the surface, cartographers strategically control how and where distortion occurs[54] For example, the popular Mercator projection does not distort angles on the surface, but it makes regions near the poles appear larger than they are.[38]
Generalization: All maps must be drawn at a smaller scale than reality, requiring that the information included on a map be a very small sample of the wealth of information about a place. Generalization is the process of adjusting the level of detail in geographic information to be appropriate for the scale and purpose of a map, through procedures such as selection, simplification, and classification.
Symbology: Any map visually represents the location and properties of geographic phenomena using map symbols, graphical depictions composed of several visual variables, such as size, shape, color, and pattern.
Composition: As all of the symbols are brought together, their interactions have major effects on map reading, such as grouping and visual hierarchy.
Typography or labeling: Text serves a number of purposes on the map, especially aiding the recognition of features, but labels must be designed and positioned well to be effective.[55]
Layout: The map image must be placed on the page (whether paper, web, or other media), along with related elements, such as the title, legend, additional maps, text, images, and so on. Each of these elements have their own design considerations, as does their integration, which largely follows the principles of graphic design.
Map type-specific design: Different kinds of maps, especially thematic maps, have their own design needs and best practices.
Deliberate cartographic errors
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Further information: Cartographic propaganda, Cartographic censorship, and Trap street
Some maps contain deliberate errors or distortions, either as propaganda or as a "watermark" to help the copyright owner identify infringement if the error appears in competitors' maps. The latter often come in the form of nonexistent, misnamed, or misspelled "trap streets".[56] Other names and forms for this are paper towns, fictitious entries, and copyright easter eggs.[57]
Another motive for deliberate errors is cartographic "vandalism": a mapmaker wishing to leave their mark on the work. Mount Richard, for example, was a fictitious peak on the Rocky Mountains' continental divide that appeared on a Boulder County, Colorado map in the early 1970s. It is believed to be the work of draftsman Richard Ciacci. The fiction was not discovered until two years later.
Sandy Island in New Caledonia is an example of a fictitious location that stubbornly survives, reappearing on new maps copied from older maps while being deleted from other new editions.
With the emergence of the internet and Web mapping, technologies allow for the creation and distribution of maps by people without proper cartographic training are readily available. This has led to maps that ignore cartographic conventions and are potentially misleading.[58]
Professional and learned societies
Main category: Cartography organizations
Professional and learned societies include:
International Cartographic Association (ICA), the world body for mapping and GIScience professionals, as well as the ICA member organizations
British Cartographic Society (BCS) a registered charity in the UK dedicated to exploring and developing the world of maps
Society of Cartographers supports in the UK the practising cartographer and encourages and maintains a high standard of cartographic illustration
Cartography and Geographic Information Society (CaGIS), promotes in the U.S. research, education, and practice to improve the understanding, creation, analysis, and use of maps and geographic information. The society serves as a forum for the exchange of original concepts, techniques, approaches, and experiences by those who design, implement, and use cartography, geographical information systems, and related geospatial technologies.
North American Cartographic Information Society (NACIS), A North American-based cartography society that is aimed at improving communication, coordination and cooperation among the producers, disseminators, curators, and users of cartographic information. Their members are located worldwide and the meetings are on an annual basis
Canadian Cartographic Association (CCA)
Academic journals
See also the categories Geography journals and Remote sensing journals
Journals related to cartography, as well as GIS, GISc, include:
International Journal of Cartography
The Cartographic Journal
Cartographica
Cartography and Geographic Information Science
Cartographic Perspectives
KN - Journal of Cartography and Geographic Information
Journal of Maps
Journal of Geovisualization and Spatial Analysis
Transactions in GIS
Journal of Spatial Science
Geocarto International
GIScience & Remote Sensing
International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation
International Journal of Digital Earth
Geoinformatica
ISPRS International Journal of Geo-information
Journal of Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Geoinformation Science
Geo-spatial Information Science
ACM Transactions on Spatial Algorithms and Systems
Imago Mundi
Revista Cartográfica
Terrae Incognitae
See also
Main article: Outline of cartography
Animated mapping – Application of animation to add a temporal component to a map displaying change
Cartogram – Map distorting size to show another value
Terrain cartography, also known as Cartographic relief depiction – Representation of surface shape on maps
City map – large-scale thematic map of a city
Counter-mapping – Mapping by communities to contest state maps
Cartouche – Oval enclosing hieroglyphs of a royal name in Ancient Egypt
Critical cartography – Mapping practices and methods of analysis grounded in critical theory
Fantasy map – Study and creation of maps of imagined places or events
Figure-ground in map design – Focus of attention on features in a map
Geoinformatics – Application of information science methods in geography and geosciences
Geovisualization – Visualization of geospatial data
Geo warping – Adjustment of geo-referenced radar video data to be consistent with a geographical projection
History of cartography – Evolution of the art and science of mapmaking
History of Cartography Project – Publishing project in the Department of Geography at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
How to Lie with Maps – 1991 book by Mark Monmonier
List of cartographers
Locator map – Map showing the location of a geographic area in context
OpenStreetMap – Collaborative project to create a free editable map of the world
Pictorial map – Map that uses pictures to represent features
Planetary cartography – Cartography of solid objects outside of the Earth
Seafloor mapping – Study of underwater depth of lake or ocean floors
Scribing (cartography) – system for producing lines for cartographic map compilations
Toponymy – Study of place names
World map – Map of most or all of the surface of the Earth
Map layout – Arrangement of map elements on a page
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Perdue, Peter C. (2010). "Boundaries and Trade in the Early Modern World: Negotiations at Nerchinsk and Beijing". Eighteenth-Century Studies. 43 (3): 341–356. doi:10.1353/ecs.0.0187. ISSN 1086-315X. S2CID 159638846.
"Map Imitation" in Detecting the Truth: Fakes, Forgeries and Trickery Archived 2018-10-24 at the Wayback Machine, a virtual museum exhibition at Library and Archives Canada
Juśkiewicz, Włodzimierz; Jaszewski, Jakub; Brykała, Dariusz; Piotrowski, Robert; Alexander, K. M.; Juśkiewicz, Kacper B. (2025-12-31). "A new and extensive geographical description of supernatural phenomena in Polish and German Pomerania (POMERANIÆ POLONICÆ ET GERMANICÆ PHÆNOMENA SUPERNATURALIA NOVA ET EMPLA DESCRIPTIO GEOGRAPHICA), 1:720,000". Journal of Maps. doi:10.1080/17445647.2024.2434015 – via Taylor & Francis.
Lopes, David; Machado, Graciela (2023-01-13). "The use of 19th - century Cartography Printing Processes in Contemporary Printmaking". IMPACT Printmaking Journal: 24–24. doi:10.54632/22.7.IMPJ2. ISSN 2732-5490.
Snyder, John (1987). "Map projections: A Working Manual". United States Geological Survey. Professional Paper. doi:10.3133/pp1395. hdl:2027/mdp.39015034659410. Archived from the original on 2011-05-17. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
Kent, Alexander (2014). "A Profession Less Ordinary? Reflections on the Life, Death and Resurrection of Cartography". The Bulletin of the Society of Cartographers. 48 (1, 2): 7–16. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
Meader, Benjamin (2023-12-21). "Drawing Maine: The Pictorial Maps of the Phillips Brothers". Cartographic Perspectives (102): 63–71. doi:10.14714/CP102.1877. ISSN 1048-9053.
Davison, Warren (2018-12-10). "ArcGIS Pro project containing all the resources you'll need to 'historify' and 'antiquify' your brand new maps". Historical Map Effects. Retrieved 2025-01-03.
Buckley, Aileen; Barnes, David; Richards, Jaynya (2007-03-01). "Achieving Historical Map Effects with Modern GIS". Cartographic Perspectives (56): 63–72. doi:10.14714/CP56.312. ISSN 1048-9053.
Juśkiewicz, Włodzimierz; Jaszewski, Jakub; Brykała, Dariusz; Piotrowski, Robert; Alexander, K.M.; Juśkiewicz, Kacper B. (2025-12-31). "Supernatural beings of Pomerania: postmodern mapping of folkloristic sources". Journal of Maps. 21 (1): 1–15. doi:10.1080/17445647.2024.2434015 – via Taylor & Francis.
Harley, J. B. (1992). "Harley, J. B. (1989). "Deconstructing the Map". Cartographica, Vol. 26, No. 2. pp 1-5". Passages. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-24.
Stone, Jeffrey C. (1988). "Imperialism, Colonialism and Cartography". Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, N.S. 13. Pp 57.
Bassett, J. T. (1994). "Cartography and Empire Building in the Nineteenth-Century West Africa". Geographical Review. 84 (3): 316–335. Bibcode:1994GeoRv..84..316B. doi:10.2307/215456. JSTOR 215456.
Monmonier, Mark (2004). Rhumb Lines and Map Wars: A Social History of the Mercator Projection. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 152. (Thorough treatment of the social history of the Mercator projection and Gall–Peters projections.)
Dutton, John. "Cartography and Visualization Part I: Types of Maps". Pennsylvania State University E-Education. Archived from the original on 2018-09-11.
Kennelly, Patrick (2006). "A Uniform Sky Illumination Model to Enhance Shading of Terrain and Urban Areas". Cartography and Geographic Information Science. 33 (1): 21–36. Bibcode:2006CGISc..33...21K. doi:10.1559/152304006777323118. S2CID 12196808.
Ormeling, F.J. (1986-12-31). "Eduard Imhof (1895–1986)". International Cartographic Association. Archived from the original on 2018-09-04. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
Ovenden, Mark (2007). Transit Maps of the World. New York, New York: Penguin Books. pp. 22, 60, 131, 132, 135. ISBN 978-0-14-311265-5.
Devlin, Keith (2002). The Millennium Problems. New York, New York: Basic Books. pp. 162–163. ISBN 978-0-465-01730-0.
"3.1 The Cartographic Process | GEOG 160: Mapping our Changing World". www.e-education.psu.edu. Archived from the original on 2019-12-14. Retrieved 2019-12-14.
Lambert, Nicolas; Zanin, Christine (2020-05-10). Practical Handbook of Thematic Cartography: Principles, Methods, and Applications (1 ed.). CRC Press. pp. 19–27. doi:10.1201/9780429291968. ISBN 978-0-429-29196-8. S2CID 219413999. Archived from the original on 2023-12-22. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
Jill Saligoe-Simmel,"Using Text on Maps: Typography in Cartography" Archived 2018-12-20 at the Wayback Machine
Monmonier, Mark (1996). How to Lie with Maps (2nd ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 51. ISBN 978-0-226-53421-3.
"Openstreetmap.org Copyright Easter Eggs". Archived from the original on 2019-02-19. Retrieved 2018-12-06.
Adams, Aaron; Xiang, Chen; Weidong, Li; Zhang, Chuanrong (May 2020). "The disguised pandemic: The importance of data normalization in COVID-19 web mapping". Public Health. 183 (3): 36–37. doi:10.1016/j.puhe.2020.04.034. PMC 7203028. PMID 32416476.
Bibliography
Ovenden, Mark (2007). Transit Maps of the World. New York, New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-311265-5.
Further reading
Mapmaking
MacEachren, A.M. (1994). Some Truth with Maps: A Primer on Symbolization & Design. University Park: The Pennsylvania State University. ISBN 978-0-89291-214-8.
Monmonier, Mark (1993). Mapping It Out. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-53417-6.
Kraak, Menno-Jan; Ormeling, Ferjan (2002). Cartography: Visualization of Spatial Data. Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0-13-088890-7.
Peterson, Michael P. (1995). Interactive and Animated Cartography. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0-13-079104-7.
Slocum, T. (2003). Thematic Cartography and Geographic Visualization. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0-13-035123-4.
History
Ehrenberg, Ralph E. (October 11, 2005). Mapping the World: An Illustrated History of Cartography. National Geographic. p. 256. ISBN 978-0-7922-6525-2.
J. B. Harley; David Woodward, eds. (1987). The History of Cartography. Vol. 1: Cartography in Prehistoric, Ancient, and Medieval Europe and the Mediterranean. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-31633-8.
J. B. Harley; David Woodward, eds. (1992). The History of Cartography. Vol. 2, Book 1: Cartography in the Traditional Islamic and South Asian Societies. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-31635-2.
J. B. Harley; David Woodward, eds. (1994). The History of Cartography. Vol. 2, Book 2: Cartography in the Traditional East and Southeast Asian Societies. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-31637-6.
David Woodward; G. Malcolm Lewis, eds. (1998). The History of Cartography. Vol. 2, Book 3: Cartography in the Traditional African, American, Arctic, Australian, and Pacific Societies. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-90728-4.
David Woodward, ed. (2007). The History of Cartography. Vol. 3: Cartography in the European Renaissance. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-90733-8.
Mark Monmonier, ed. (2015). The History of Cartography. Vol. 6: Cartography in the Twentieth Century. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-53469-5.
Matthew Edney; Mary S. Pedley (eds.). The History of Cartography. Vol. 4: Cartography in the European Enlightenment. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-31633-8.
Roger J. P. Kain; et al. (eds.). The History of Cartography. Vol. 5: Cartography in the Nineteenth Century. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press.
Meanings
Monmonier, Mark (1991). How to Lie with Maps. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-53421-3.
Wood, Denis (1992). The Power of Maps. New York/London: The Guilford Press. ISBN 978-0-89862-493-9.
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Antique Maps by Carl Moreland and David Bannister – complete text of the book, with information both on mapmaking and on mapmakers, including short biographies of many cartographers (archived 2 February 2007)
Concise Bibliography of the History of Cartography Archived 2011-10-26 at the Wayback Machine, Newberry Library
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The All-Time Worst People in History, Ranked
Ranker Community
Ranker Community
Updated February 3, 2025
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870 items
The All-Time Worst People in History, Ranked
Ranked By
3.1M
votes
366.7K
voters
Voting Rules
Horrible, real (not fictional) people who have committed historical crimes. No celebrities (actors, TV personalities, musicians, athletes) or politicians you disagree with.
When discussing the worst people in history, it's a somber reflection on the depths of human evil. From tyrants to serial killers, these figures have left indelible marks on the world through their heinous actions. While the term "worst" might be subjective, there's no denying the immense impact these individuals have had on countless lives and historical events.
Consider Adolf Hitler, the man behind the atrocities of the Holocaust and the driving force of World War II. His actions led to the suffering and death of millions. Then there's Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the architect of the September 11 attacks, whose plans caused one of the most devastating terror attacks in modern history. Dennis Rader, infamously known as the BTK Killer, haunted Wichita, Kansas for decades with his gruesome murders, embodying the kind of evil only seen in horror films.
Curious to know where these terrible people rank among their peers? Scroll through our list and cast your vote on who you believe are the most evil individuals to have ever lived. Engage with this eye-opening compilation and help shape the understanding of bad people in history who have, unfortunately, left their dark legacies behind.
Photo: Wikimedia CommonsWikimedia Commons
Most divisive: 'Kalaignar' Karunanithy
Over 366.7K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The All-Time Worst People in History, Ranked
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Adolf Hitler
1
155,284 votes
Agree or Disagree?
Adolf Hitler
Dec. at 56 (1889-1945)
Adolf Hitler orchestrated some of the most horrific atrocities in history, making him a definitive candidate for one of the most evil people of all time. As the dictator of Nazi Germany, he masterminded the Holocaust, resulting in the genocide of six million Jews and millions of others. His aggressive militarism triggered World War II, leading to unprecedented death and destruction. Hitler's reign of terror and ruthless ideology left an indelible scar on humanity.
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
2
7,968 votes
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
Dec. at 39 (1966-2006)
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the founder of al-Qaeda in Iraq, is infamous for pioneering extreme methods of violence and terrorism. His brutal tactics, including bombings, beheadings, and targeting civilians, escalated the violence during the Iraq War and deepened sectarian divides. Al-Zarqawi's ruthless approach not only resulted in countless deaths but also inspired a generation of terrorists, influencing groups like ISIS to continue his legacy of terror and destruction.
Uday Hussein
3
4,223 votes
Uday Hussein
Dec. at 39 (1964-2003)
Uday Hussein, the eldest son of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, earned a notorious reputation for his extreme cruelty and sadistic behavior. Known for torturing and murdering his own citizens, Uday's reign of terror included innumerable acts of violence, including against women, athletes, and perceived political enemies. His excessive indulgence in power, combined with unchecked brutality, cemented his legacy as one of history's most evil figures, contributing to the climate of fear and oppression in Iraq.
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Khalid Sheikh Mohammed
4
8,714 votes
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed
Age: 60
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is widely regarded as one of the most evil individuals in history due to his central role as the mastermind behind the September 11 attacks. As a high-ranking member of al-Qaeda, he meticulously planned the devastating assault that claimed nearly 3,000 lives and forever altered global politics and security. His actions not only showcased a terrifying level of malevolence but also underscored the profound impact of organized terrorism on the world stage.
Jihadi John
5
5,711 votes
Jihadi John
Jihadi John, the alias of Mohammed Emwazi, shocked the world with his brutal beheading videos as a member of ISIS. Known for his cold-blooded executions of journalists, aid workers, and other captives, Emwazi became a symbol of the group's savagery. His calculated and publicized acts of violence were intended to spread terror globally, amplifying the fear and horror associated with ISIS. Jihadi John's gruesome actions and propaganda cement his legacy as a particularly evil figure.
Mohamed Atta
6
5,476 votes
Mohamed Atta
Dec. at 33 (1968-2001)
Mohamed Atta, the ringleader of the 9/11 hijackers, played a pivotal role in orchestrating one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in history. Leading the team that executed the tragic events of September 11, 2001, Atta's actions resulted in the deaths of nearly 3,000 people and sent shockwaves around the world. His meticulous planning and willingness to sacrifice innocent lives for a radical cause cement his legacy as one of history's most evil individuals.
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Abubakar Shekau
7
4,560 votes
Abubakar Shekau
Abubakar Shekau, the leader of Boko Haram, is notorious for his relentless campaign of violence in Nigeria and neighboring countries. Under his command, Boko Haram has committed mass kidnappings, including the abduction of 276 schoolgirls in Chibok, widespread bombings, and countless killings. Shekau's reign has terrorized civilians, destabilized regions, and displaced millions, earning him a place among history's most evil figures due to his unyielding brutality and disregard for human life.
Dennis Rader - The BTK Killer
8
4,732 votes
Dennis Rader - The BTK Killer
Age: 79
Dennis Rader, infamously known as the BTK Killer (Bind, Torture, Kill), horrified the world with his series of brutal murders in Kansas between 1974 and 1991. His sadistic approach involved methodically torturing and killing his victims, often taunting law enforcement with letters that detailed his horrific acts. Rader's dual life as a seemingly ordinary family man and a calculating serial killer added a twisted layer of deceit, solidifying his place among history's most evil individuals.
Mullah Omar
9
4,051 votes
Mullah Omar
Age: 66
Mullah Omar, the reclusive leader of the Taliban, orchestrated a brutal regime in Afghanistan marked by severe human rights abuses. Under his rule, Taliban forces imposed extreme interpretations of Islamic law, leading to public executions, amputations, and systemic oppression of women. His support for terrorist groups, including harboring Osama bin Laden, directly facilitated the rise of global terrorism. Mullah Omar's leadership fostered a climate of fear and repression, cementing his legacy as a profoundly evil figure.
Josef Fritzl
10
2,046 votes
Josef Fritzl
Age: 89
Josef Fritzl, an Austrian engineer, shocked the world when it was revealed he had imprisoned his daughter in a secret basement for 24 years, fathering seven children with her through repeated rapes. His horrific actions confined her to unimaginable suffering and isolation, showcasing a deeply depraved mind. Fritzl's ability to lead a double life while inflicting such profound trauma on his family cements his legacy as one of the most evil individuals in history.
Daniel Camargo Barbosa
11
1,913 votes
Daniel Camargo Barbosa
Dec. at 64 (1930-1994)
Daniel Camargo Barbosa, a Colombian serial killer, left an indelible mark of horror by murdering up to 150 young girls across Colombia and Ecuador during the 1970s and 1980s. His gruesome methods included luring his victims with promises of gifts, then brutally assaulting and killing them. Camargo's calculated and remorseless approach, combined with the sheer number of his victims, has cemented his reputation as one of history's most evil individuals.
Abu Khattab Al-kurdi
12
2,177 votes
Abu Khattab Al-kurdi
Abu Khattab Al-Kurdi, a key ISIS figure, was notorious for his involvement in brutal terrorist operations and mass atrocities. His command included perpetrating widespread violence, including bombings, executions, and abductions aimed at instilling fear and chaos. Al-Kurdi's ruthless tactics, targeting civilians and opposition alike, played a significant role in the devastation across war-torn regions, earning him a reputation as one of the most malevolent individuals in recent history. His legacy is stained with cruelty and destruction.
Ayman al-Zawahiri
13
5,307 votes
Ayman al-Zawahiri
Age: 73
Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaeda's leader after Osama bin Laden, is notorious for his role in global terrorism. A key architect behind numerous attacks, including 9/11, al-Zawahiri's actions have led to the deaths of thousands and widespread fear. His ideological influence helped sustain and expand al-Qaeda's reach, promoting a legacy of violence and extremism. His commitment to causing mass destruction and destabilizing nations cements his place as one of the most evil figures in modern history.
Abu Omar Al-baghdadi
14
2,162 votes
Abu Omar Al-baghdadi
Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, the original leader of the Islamic State of Iraq, laid the groundwork for what would become ISIS. Under his brutal reign, the group carried out horrific acts of violence, including bombings, beheadings, and mass executions. His leadership significantly contributed to the widespread terror, instability, and suffering in the region. By fostering an environment of extreme radicalism and savagery, al-Baghdadi's actions have marked him as one of the most evil figures in contemporary history.
Jeffrey Epstein
15
2,126 votes
Jeffrey Epstein
Age: 72
Jeffrey Epstein, the financier and convicted sex offender, orchestrated a massive sex trafficking ring involving underage girls. Using his wealth and connections, Epstein manipulated, abused, and exploited countless young victims over decades. His actions not only caused immense psychological and physical harm but also highlighted systemic issues of power and corruption. Epstein’s ability to evade justice for so long and the horrifying scope of his crimes make him one of the most evil individuals in recent history.
Gary Ridgway - The Green River Killer
16
3,651 votes
Gary Ridgway - The Green River Killer
Age: 75
Gary Ridgway, known as the Green River Killer, is one of the most prolific serial killers in American history. He confessed to murdering 71 women in the 1980s and 1990s, often targeting vulnerable individuals like sex workers and runaways. Ridgway's calculated cruelty involved luring victims, strangling them, and disposing of their bodies in remote locations. His remorseless nature and the sheer number of his heinous acts have cemented his legacy as one of history's most evil individuals.
Abu Ali Al-anbari
17
2,583 votes
Abu Ali Al-anbari
Abu Ali al-Anbari, a senior ISIS leader, played a key role in orchestrating the group's brutal campaigns in Syria and Iraq. Known for his involvement in mass executions, ethnic cleansing, and the use of extreme violence against civilians, al-Anbari's actions contributed significantly to ISIS's reign of terror. His strategic planning and ruthless enforcement of ISIS's radical ideology left countless communities devastated, marking him as one of the most heinous figures in modern history.
Elias Abuelazam
18
1,477 votes
Elias Abuelazam
Age: 48
Elias Abuelazam, known as the "Flint Serial Stabber," is infamous for a series of brutal stabbings across multiple states in 2010, primarily targeting African American men. His spree resulted in the deaths of five individuals and the serious injuries of many others. Abuelazam's indiscriminate, racially motivated violence created widespread fear and chaos. His cold-blooded attacks and the racial hatred fueling them mark him as one of the most malevolent figures in recent history.
Osama Bin Laden
19
107,906 votes
Osama Bin Laden
Dec. at 54 (1957-2011)
Osama bin Laden, born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 1957, was the founder of the extremist group Al-Qaeda, an organization that orchestrated some of the most significant terrorist activities in history, including the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. The son of a billionaire construction magnate, Bin Laden's privileged upbringing sharply contrasted with his later life as a fugitive. His early education included studies in economics and business administration at King Abdulaziz University, but it was during this time that he also began to develop radical Islamic beliefs. Bin Laden's transformation from wealthy businessman to infamous terrorist is largely attributed to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Deeply affected by the plight of the Muslim Afghan people, he funded fighters resisting the Soviet occupation and later joined their ranks himself. This experience solidified his militant outlook, leading him to establish Al-Qaeda in the late 1980s, an organization that sought to unite jihadists worldwide and create a single Islamic political leadership. The 1990s marked a period of escalated violence under Bin Laden's leadership, culminating in the devastating 9/11 attacks, which resulted in nearly 3,000 deaths. Bin Laden's actions led to his being labelled as the top target of the U.S., sparking a manhunt that lasted for nearly a decade. Ultimately, he was located in Pakistan and killed by U.S. Navy SEALs in May 2011. Despite his death, Osama bin Laden's legacy continues to influence global terrorism and international relations, his life serving as a stark embodiment of extremism and violence.
Jack the Ripper
20
9,028 votes
Jack the Ripper
Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer generally believed to have been active in the largely impoverished areas in and around the Whitechapel district of London in 1888. In both the criminal case files and contemporary journalistic accounts, the killer was called the Whitechapel Murderer and Leather Apron. Attacks ascribed to Jack the Ripper typically involved female prostitutes who lived and worked in the slums of the East End of London whose throats were cut prior to abdominal mutilations. The removal of internal organs from at least three of the victims led to proposals that their killer had some anatomical or surgical knowledge. Rumours that the murders were connected intensified in September and October 1888, and letters were received by media outlets and Scotland Yard from a writer or writers purporting to be the murderer. The name "Jack the Ripper" originated in a letter written by someone claiming to be the murderer that was disseminated in the media. The letter is widely believed to have been a hoax and may have been written by journalists in an attempt to heighten interest in the story and increase their newspapers' circulation. The "From Hell" letter received by George Lusk of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee came with half of a preserved human kidney, purportedly taken from one of the victims. The public came increasingly to believe in a single serial killer known as "Jack the Ripper", mainly because of the extraordinarily brutal nature of the murders, and because of media treatment of the events. Extensive newspaper coverage bestowed widespread and enduring international notoriety on the Ripper, and the legend solidified. A police investigation into a series of eleven brutal killings in Whitechapel up to 1891 was unable to connect all the killings conclusively to the murders of 1888. Five victims—Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly—are known as the "canonical five" and their murders between 31 August and 9 November 1888 are often considered the most likely to be linked. The murders were never solved, and the legends surrounding them became a combination of genuine historical research, folklore, and pseudohistory. The term "ripperology" was coined to describe the study and analysis of the Ripper cases. There are now over one hundred hypotheses about the Ripper's identity, and the murders have inspired many works of fiction.
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Ed Gein
21
4,221 votes
Ed Gein
Dec. at 77 (1906-1984)
Edward Theodore Gein (; August 27, 1906 – July 26, 1984), also known as the Butcher of Plainfield or the Plainfield Ghoul, was an American murderer and body snatcher. His crimes, committed around his hometown of Plainfield, Wisconsin, gathered widespread notoriety after authorities discovered Gein had exhumed corpses from local graveyards and fashioned trophies and keepsakes from their bones and skin. Gein confessed to killing two women; tavern owner Mary Hogan in 1954, and a Plainfield hardware store owner, Bernice Worden, in 1957. Gein was initially found unfit to stand trial and confined to a mental health facility. In 1968, Gein was found guilty but legally insane of the murder of Worden, and was remanded to a psychiatric institution. He died at Mendota Mental Health Institute of cancer of the liver and respiratory failure, on July 26, 1984, age 77. He is buried next to his family in the Plainfield Cemetery, in a now-unmarked grave.
David Berkowitz
22
1,756 votes
David Berkowitz
Age: 71
David Richard Berkowitz (born Richard David Falco; June 1, 1953), also known as the Son of Sam and the .44 Caliber Killer, is an American serial killer who pleaded guilty to eight separate shooting attacks that began in New York City during the summer of 1976. Using a .44 caliber Bulldog revolver, he killed six people and wounded seven others by July 1977. As the number of victims increased, Berkowitz eluded the biggest police manhunt in the history of New York City while leaving letters that mocked the police and promised further crimes, which were highly publicized by the press. The killing spree terrorized New Yorkers and achieved worldwide notoriety. On the night of August 10, 1977, Berkowitz was taken into custody by New York City police homicide detectives in front of his Yonkers apartment building, and he was subsequently indicted for eight shooting incidents. He confessed to all of them, and initially claimed to have been obeying the orders of a demon manifested in the form of a dog named "Harvey" which belonged to his neighbor "Sam". Despite his explanation, Berkowitz was found mentally competent to stand trial. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was incarcerated in state prison. He subsequently admitted that the dog-and-devil story was a hoax. In the course of further police investigations, Berkowitz was also implicated in many unsolved arsons in the city. Intense coverage of the case by the media lent a kind of celebrity status to Berkowitz, and some observers noted that he seemed to enjoy it. In response, the New York State legislature enacted new legal statutes known popularly as "Son of Sam laws", designed to keep criminals from profiting financially from the publicity created by their crimes. The statutes have remained law in New York in spite of various legal challenges, and similar laws have been enacted in several other states. Berkowitz has been incarcerated since his arrest and is serving six consecutive life sentences. During the mid-1990s, he amended his confession to claim that he had been a member of a violent Satanic cult that orchestrated the incidents as ritual murder. A few law enforcement authorities have said that his claims might be credible, but he remains the only person ever charged with the shootings. A new investigation of the murders began in 1996 but was suspended indefinitely after inconclusive findings.
Zodiac Killer
23
7,420 votes
Zodiac Killer
Zodiac Killer is the pseudonym of an unidentified serial killer who operated in Northern California from at least the late 1960s to the early 1970s. The Zodiac murdered victims in Benicia, Vallejo, Lake Berryessa, and San Francisco between December 1968 and October 1969. Four men and three women between the ages of 16 and 29 were targeted, with two of the men surviving attempted murder. The Zodiac himself claimed up to 37 victims. The killer originated the name "Zodiac" in a series of taunting letters sent to the local Bay Area press. These letters included four cryptograms (or ciphers). Of the four cryptograms sent, only one has been definitively solved.Suspects have been named by law enforcement and amateur investigators, but no conclusive evidence has surfaced. The San Francisco Police Department marked the case "inactive" in April 2004, but re-opened it at some point prior to March 2007. The case also remains open in the city of Vallejo, as well as in Napa County and Solano County. The California Department of Justice has maintained an open case file on the Zodiac murders since 1969.
Richard Ramirez - The Night Stalker
24
5,018 votes
Richard Ramirez - The Night Stalker
Dec. at 53 (1960-2013)
Richard Ramirez, infamously known as "The Night Stalker," terrorized California during the mid-1980s with a series of brutal home invasions, murders, sexual assaults, and robberies. His random, sadistic acts of violence left a trail of fear and devastation, targeting men, women, and children alike. Ramirez’s lack of remorse and his satanic rituals further highlighted his malevolent nature. His reign of terror and sheer brutality have solidified his legacy as one of the most evil figures in history.
Abu Muslim Al-turkmani
25
1,430 votes
Abu Muslim Al-turkmani
Fadel Ahmed Abdullah al-Hiyali (died 18 August 2015), better known by his noms de guerre Abu Muslim al-Turkmani, Haji Mutazz, or Abu Mutaz al-Qurashi, was the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) governor for territories held by the organization in Iraq. He was considered the ISIL second-in-command (along with his counterpart Abu Ali al-Anbari, who held a similar position in Syria); he played a political role of overseeing the local councils and a military role that includes directing operations against opponents of ISIL. His names were also spelt Fadhil Ahmad al-Hayali, and Hajji Mutazz.
26
1,286 votes
Ramadan Abdel Rehim Mansour
Age: 45
Ramadan Abdel Rehim Mansour (Arabic: رمضان عبدالرحيم منصور; c. 1980 – 2010), also known as "al-Tourbini" (التوربيني), was an Egyptian street gang leader and serial killer who raped and murdered at least 32 children in the course of seven years, throughout several locations in Egypt including Cairo, Alexandria, Qalyoubeya and Beni Sueif. All of his victims were 10 to 14 years old, most of them boys. Mansour was arrested in 2006 along with his six accomplices, and subsequently sentenced to death.
27
2,249 votes
Mu'awiyeh Ibn Abu Sufyan
Dec. at 78 (602-680)
Mu'awiya Ibn Abu Sufyan, the founder of the Umayyad Caliphate, is often criticized for his ruthless pursuit of power and divisive actions in early Islamic history. Known for his role in the First Fitna, a significant civil war, he used deceit and force to establish his rule, leading to deep political and religious divisions. His brutal tactics, including targeting opponents and suppressing dissent, have marked him as a controversial and polarizing figure in history.
28
1,467 votes
Abu Anas al-Shami
Dec. at 35 (1969-2004)
Omar Yusef Juma'a (Arabic: عمر يوسف جمعة), known as Abu Anas al-Shami (Arabic: أبو أنس الشامي), was a senior leader in the Jama'at al-Tawhid wal Jihad militant group during the Iraq War.
29
3,149 votes
Sani Abacha
Dec. at 54 (1943-1998)
Sani Abacha (pronunciation ; 20 September 1943 – 8 June 1998) was a Nigerian Army officer and dictator who served as the de facto President of Nigeria from 1993 until his death in 1998. He is also the first Nigerian soldier to attain the rank of a full star General without skipping a single rank.While he is largely accredited for his economic reforms and achievements, after he died allegations surrounding his administration use of government funds marred the unprecedented growth rates and indices recorded by his administration. He is seen as the most enigmatic leader the country has ever had. Sani is very popular the Northern region of Nigeria, especially Kano State, Borno State, Kaduna State and Sokoto State, many still decorate their vehicles with his posters and praise him for the various establishments he laid around the country and for bringing back security to the region. Further south of the country, there is still a disdain for the late military ruler. This can be attributed to the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa after being found guilty, in a controversial trial, of killing four Ogoni leaders.
30
4,875 votes
Rudolf Höss
Dec. at 46 (1900-1947)
Rudolf Franz Ferdinand Höss (also Höß, Hoeß or Hoess; 25 November 1901 – 16 April 1947) was a German SS functionary during the Nazi era who was later judged to be a war criminal. He was the longest-serving commandant of Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp. He tested and implemented various methods to accelerate Hitler's plan to systematically exterminate the Jewish population of Nazi-occupied Europe, known as the "Final Solution". On the initiative of one of his subordinates, Karl Fritzsch, Höss introduced pesticide Zyklon B containing hydrogen cyanide into the killing process.Höss joined the Nazi Party in 1922 and the SS in 1934. From 4 May 1940 to November 1943, and again from 8 May 1944 to 18 January 1945, he was in charge of Auschwitz, where more than a million people were killed before the defeat of Germany. He was hanged in 1947 following a trial before the Polish Supreme National Tribunal. During his imprisonment, at the request of the Polish authorities, he wrote his memoirs, released in English under the title Commandant of Auschwitz: The Autobiography of Rudolf Hoess.
Abu Omar al-Kurdi
31
1,297 votes
Abu Omar al-Kurdi
Age: 57
Abu Omar al-Kurdi, real name Sami Muhammad Ali Said al-Jaaf, was a top bombmaker for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's organization in Iraq, Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad. He was captured in January 2005. Was executed in September 2007. According to US and Iraqi officials, al-Kurdi was a veteran of training camps in Afghanistan and became a chief bombmaker of Zarqawi's group in 2003. Reportedly, al-Kurdi was able to assemble his bombs using hundreds of rockets and explosives another operative, Ammar al-Zubaydi, had stolen from Iraqi warehouses early in the war. When he was captured in a January 15, 2005, raid in Baghdad, officials said he was responsible for making 75% of the car bombs in Iraq from August 2003, and he was said to confess to 32 of them. Among these were: the Jordanian embassy bombing, the bombing of U.N. Headquarters, the killing of Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim, the bombing of the Italian base in Nasiriyah, and the bombing which killed Izzedin Salim, head of the Iraqi Governing Council. Officials said that al-Kurdi was planning attacks against polling centers during the January 30, 2005 elections.
Shirō Ishii
32
9,127 votes
Shirō Ishii
Dec. at 67 (1892-1959)
Surgeon General Shirō Ishii (石井 四郎, Ishii Shirō, [iɕiː ɕiɾoː]; June 25, 1892 – October 9, 1959) was a Japanese microbiologist and army medical officer who served as the director of Unit 731, a biological warfare unit of the Imperial Japanese Army. Ishii led the development and application of biological weapons at Unit 731 in Manchukuo during the Second Sino-Japanese War from 1937 to 1945, including the bubonic plague attacks on the Chinese cities of Changde and Ningbo, and the planned attack against the United States in the Operation Cherry Blossoms at Night. Ishii and Unit 731 engaged in forced human experimentation on civilians and prisoners of war that resulted in the death of over 10,000 people, and were responsible for some of the most notorious war crimes of Imperial Japan. Ishii and Unit 731 were granted immunity in the International Military Tribunal for the Far East by the United States in exchange for information and research for the U.S. biological warfare program.
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Gertrude Baniszewski
33
3,336 votes
Gertrude Baniszewski
Dec. at 60 (1929-1990)
The murder of Sylvia Likens was a child murder which occurred in Indianapolis, Indiana in October 1965. Likens, a 16-year-old girl, was held captive and subjected to increasing levels of child abuse, neglect, humiliation, and torture committed over a period of almost three months by her caregiver, Gertrude Baniszewski, many of Baniszewski's children, and several other neighborhood children before ultimately succumbing to her injuries on October 26. Baniszewski; her oldest daughter, Paula; her son, John; and two neighborhood youths, Coy Hubbard and Richard Hobbs, were all tried and convicted in May 1966 of neglecting, torturing, and murdering Sylvia, with counsels at the defendants' trial describing the case as the "most diabolical" ever to be presented before a court or jury and Sylvia having been subjected to acts of "degradation that you wouldn't commit on a dog" prior to her death.The torture and murder of Sylvia Likens is widely regarded by Indiana citizens as the worst crime ever committed in their state and has been described by a senior investigator in the Indianapolis Police Department as the "most sadistic" case he had ever investigated in the 35 years he served with the Indianapolis police.
Shamil Basayev
34
2,490 votes
Shamil Basayev
Dec. at 41 (1965-2006)
Shamil Salmanovich Basayev (Chechen: Шамиль Басаев, Russian: Шамиль Салманович Басаев; 14 January 1965 – 10 July 2006) was a leader of the Chechen movement. Starting as a field commander in the Transcaucasus, Basayev led guerrilla campaigns against Russian forces for years, as well as launching mass-hostage takings of civilians, with his goal being the withdrawal of Russian soldiers from Chechnya. Beginning in 2003, Basayev used the nom de guerre and title of "Emir Abdallah Shamil Abu-Idris". In 1997–1998 he also served as vice-Prime minister of Chechnya in Maskhadov's government. Basayev was considered by some to be the undisputed leader of the radical wing of the Chechen insurgency. He ordered the Beslan school massacre and was responsible for numerous terrorists attacks on security forces in and around Chechnya and the 2002 Moscow theater hostage crisis. ABC News described him as "one of the most-wanted terrorists in the world."Basayev was killed by an explosion on 10 July 2006. Controversy still surrounds who is responsible for his death, Russian FSB authorities took responsibility for the assassination while the Chechen separatists claiming he died in an accidental explosion.
Ramzi Mohammed
35
1,544 votes
Ramzi Mohammed
Age: 43
Ramzi Mohammed (Arabic: رمزي محمد) (born 18 August 1981) is a Somali national convicted of involvement in the attempted London bombing of 21 July 2005. Ramzi is currently serving a minimum of 40 years for conspiracy to murder on the Oval Underground station train. He was arrested sharing an apartment with Muktar Said Ibrahim on 29 July 2005, amid allegations that he was the so-called 'bus bomber'. During the arrest, which reportedly culminated in Ramzi and Ibrahim standing near-naked on their balcony to avoid tear gas that police had used, Ramzi is reported to have repeatedly shouted "I have rights, I have rights!" to the media covering the event.Later, it was discovered that Ramzi had tried to have the local imam at Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre in North Kensington removed over religious disagreements. Together with his brother Whabi Mohammad, Ramzi used to set up a table with Islamic literature at local football games.
Genrikh Lyushkov
36
1,298 votes
Genrikh Lyushkov
Dec. at 45 (1900-1945)
Genrikh Lyushkov, a former officer in the Soviet intelligence apparatus, was known for his involvement in oppressive regimes and executions. His participation in the purge campaigns during the Stalin era marked him as a figure of terror within Soviet political history.
Abu Izzadeen
37
1,138 votes
Abu Izzadeen
Age: 49
Abu Izzadeen (Arabic: أبو عز الدين, Abū ‘Izz ad-Dīn, born Trevor Richard Brooks, (born 18 April 1975), is a British spokesman for Al Ghurabaa, a British Muslim organisation banned under the Terrorism Act 2006 for the glorification of terrorism. He was convicted on charges of terrorist fund-raising and inciting terrorism overseas on 17 April 2008, and sentenced to four and a half years in jail. He was released in May 2009, after serving three and a half years, including time on remand. In January 2016, he was sentenced to 2 years imprisonment for breaching the Terrorism Act by leaving the UK illegally.
Yasuhiko Asaka
38
1,680 votes
Yasuhiko Asaka
Dec. at 93 (1887-1981)
General Prince Yasuhiko Asaka (朝香宮鳩彦王, Asaka-no-miya Yasuhiko-ō, 20 October 1887 – 12 April 1981) was the founder of a collateral branch of the Japanese imperial family and a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Army. Son-in-law of Emperor Meiji and uncle by marriage of Emperor Hirohito, Prince Asaka was commander of Japanese forces in the final assault on Nanjing, then the capital city of Nationalist China, in December 1937. He was a perpetrator of the Nanking massacre in 1937 but was never charged.
Mikhail Sergeevich Kedrov
39
2,150 votes
Mikhail Sergeevich Kedrov
Dec. at 63 (1878-1941)
Mikhail Sergeevich Kedrov was an influential Cheka officer during the early years of the Soviet Union. His role in the enforcement of political repressions under Stalin's regime made him a key perpetrator of the brutal purges and state-sponsored violence that characterized the era.
Susan Smith
40
3,014 votes
Susan Smith
Age: 53
Susan Leigh Vaughan Smith (born September 26, 1971) is an American convict who was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after serving 30 years for murdering her two children, three-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alexander.The case gained international attention because of Smith's false claim that a Black-American man had kidnapped her sons during a carjacking. Her defense attorneys, David Bruck and Judy Clarke, called expert witnesses to testify that she suffered from mental health issues that impaired her judgment when she committed the crimes.According to the South Carolina Department of Corrections, Smith will be eligible for parole on November 4, 2024, after serving a minimum of 30 years. She is incarcerated at the Leath Correctional Institution near Greenwood, South Carolina.
Joel Rifkin
41
2,264 votes
Joel Rifkin
Age: 66
Joel David Rifkin (born January 20, 1959) is an American serial killer. In 1994, he was sentenced to 203 years in prison for the murders of nine women between 1989 and 1993. He is believed to have killed up to 17 victims between 1989 and 1993 in New York City and on Long Island, New York. Although he often hired sex workers in Brooklyn and Manhattan, he lived in East Meadow, a suburban hamlet on Long Island.
Edward Grey
42
613 votes
Edward Grey
Age: 76
Edward Grey remains a controversial historical figure, often criticized for his actions and policies during a tumultuous period. His contributions to the international landscape evoke debates and polarizing opinions on his legacy and impact.
Miyuki Ishikawa
43
3,093 votes
Miyuki Ishikawa
Age: 128
Miyuki Ishikawa (石川 ミユキ, Ishikawa Miyuki, born 1897, date of death unknown) was a Japanese midwife and serial killer who is believed to have murdered many infants with the aid of several accomplices throughout the 1940s. It is estimated that her victims numbered between 85 and 169, however the general estimate is 103. When she was finally apprehended, the Tokyo High Court's four-year sentence she received was remarkably light considering that Miyuki's actions resulted in a death toll so high that it remains unrivaled by any other serial killer in Japan. According to a report of Children's Rainbow Center, writer Kenji Yamamoto (山本健治, Yamamoto Kenji) referred to the incident as unbelievable and unbearable.
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
44
21,874 votes
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
Age: 54
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi or Abu Du'a, alternatively called Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi al-Husseini al-Qurashi and known to his supporters as Amir al-Mu'minin or Caliph Ibrahim, is the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, an Islamic extremist group in western Iraq and Syria, self-styled as the "Islamic State". It is believed that he has been proclaimed by his followers to be a Caliph. On 4 October 2011, the U.S. State Department listed al-Baghdadi as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and announced a reward of up to US$10 million for information leading to his capture or death. Only the leader of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, merits a larger reward.
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Pol Pot
45
85,612 votes
Pol Pot
Dec. at 72 (1925-1998)
Pol Pot (born Saloth Sâr; 19 May 1925 – 15 April 1998) was a Cambodian politician who led Cambodia as the Prime Minister of Democratic Kampuchea between 1976 to 1979. Ideologically a Marxist–Leninist and Khmer nationalist, he led the Khmer Rouge group from 1963 until 1997 and served as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Kampuchea from 1963 to 1981. Born to a prosperous farmer in Prek Sbauv, French Cambodia, Pol Pot was educated at some of Cambodia's elite schools. In the 1940s, he moved to Paris, France, where he joined the French Communist Party and adopted Marxism–Leninism, particularly as it was presented in the writings of Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong. Returning to Cambodia in 1953, he joined the Marxist–Leninist Khmer Việt Minh organisation in its guerrilla war against King Norodom Sihanouk's newly independent government. Following the Khmer Việt Minh's 1954 retreat into Marxist–Leninist controlled North Vietnam, Pol Pot returned to Phnom Penh, working as a teacher while remaining a central member of Cambodia's Marxist–Leninist movement. In 1959, he helped convert the movement into the Kampuchean Labour Party, later renamed the Communist Party of Kampuchea. In 1960, Pol Pot took control as party secretary. To avoid state repression, he relocated to a Việt Cộng jungle encampment in 1962 before visiting Hanoi and Beijing, backing China amid the Sino-Soviet split. In 1968, he re-launched the war against Cambodia's government. Aided by the North Vietnamese military, Pol Pot's forces advanced and controlled all of Cambodia by 1975. Pol Pot reformed Cambodia as a new, one-party state called Democratic Kampuchea. Seeking to create an agrarian socialist society, his government forcibly relocated the urban population to the countryside to work on collective farms. Those regarded as enemies of the new government were killed. These mass killings, coupled with malnutrition, strenuous working conditions and poor medical care, killed between 1.5 and 2 million people, approximately a quarter of Cambodia's population, a period later termed the Cambodian genocide. Marxist–Leninists unhappy with Pol Pot's government encouraged Vietnamese intervention. After Pol Pot attacked several Vietnamese villages, the Vietnamese invaded Cambodia in December 1978, toppling Pol Pot's government in 1979. The Vietnamese installed a rival Marxist–Leninist faction opposed to Pol Pot and renamed the country the People's Republic of Kampuchea. Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge retreated to a jungle base near the Thai border. Until 1993, they remained part of a coalition internationally recognized as Cambodia's legitimate government. The Ta Mok faction placed Pol Pot under house arrest, where he died in 1998, possibly from suicide. For Pol Pot's supporters, he was an advocate of socialism who championed Cambodian sovereignty in the face of Vietnamese imperialism. He received Chinese support as a bulwark against Soviet Union influence in the region. Conversely, he has been internationally denounced for his role in the Cambodian genocide, regarded as a totalitarian dictator guilty of crimes against humanity.
Josef Mengele
46
39,436 votes
Josef Mengele
Dec. at 67 (1911-1979)
Josef Mengele ([ˈjoːzɛf ˈmɛŋələ] (listen); 16 March 1911 – 7 February 1979), also known as the Angel of Death (German: Todesengel) and the White Angel (German: der Weisse Engel or Weißer Engel), was a German Schutzstaffel (SS) officer and physician in Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II. He performed deadly human experiments on prisoners and was a member of the team of doctors who selected victims to be killed in the gas chambers. Arrivals that were judged able to work were admitted into the camp, while those deemed unsuitable for labor were sent to the gas chambers to be killed. With Red Army troops sweeping through Poland, Mengele was transferred 280 kilometers (170 mi) from Auschwitz to the Gross-Rosen concentration camp on 17 January 1945, just ten days before the arrival of the Soviet forces at Auschwitz. After the war, he fled to South America where he evaded capture for the rest of his life. Before the war, Mengele had received doctorates in anthropology and medicine, and began a career as a researcher. He joined the Nazi Party in 1937 and the SS in 1938. He was assigned as a battalion medical officer at the start of World War II, then transferred to the Nazi concentration camps service in early 1943 and assigned to Auschwitz, where he saw the opportunity to conduct genetic research on human subjects. His subsequent experiments focused primarily on twins, with little regard for the health or safety of the victims.Mengele sailed to Argentina in July 1949, assisted by a network of former SS members. He initially lived in and around Buenos Aires, then fled to Paraguay in 1959 and Brazil in 1960, while being sought by West Germany, Israel, and Nazi hunters such as Simon Wiesenthal who wanted to bring him to trial. Mengele eluded capture in spite of extradition requests by the West German government and clandestine operations by the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad. He drowned in 1979 after suffering a stroke while swimming off the Brazilian coast, and was buried under the false name Wolfgang Gerhard. Mengele's remains were disinterred and positively identified by forensic examination in 1985.
Edward Bernays
47
764 votes
Edward Bernays
Dec. at 103 (1891-1995)
Edward Louis Bernays (; German: [bɛɐ̯ˈnaɪs]; November 22, 1891 − March 9, 1995) was an Austrian-American pioneer in the field of public relations and propaganda, referred to in his obituary as "the father of public relations". Bernays was named one of the 100 most influential Americans of the 20th century by Life. He was the subject of a full length biography by Larry Tye called The Father of Spin (1999) and later an award-winning 2002 documentary for the BBC by Adam Curtis called The Century of the Self. His best-known campaigns include a 1929 effort to promote female smoking by branding cigarettes as feminist "Torches of Freedom" and his work for the United Fruit Company connected with the CIA-orchestrated overthrow of the democratically elected Guatemalan government in 1954. He worked for dozens of major American corporations including Procter & Gamble and General Electric, and for government agencies, politicians, and non-profit organizations. Of his many books, Crystallizing Public Opinion (1923) and Propaganda (1928) gained special attention as early efforts to define and theorize the field of public relations. Citing works of writers such as Gustave Le Bon, Wilfred Trotter, Walter Lippmann, and his own double uncle Sigmund Freud, he described the masses as irrational and subject to herd instinct—and outlined how skilled practitioners could use crowd psychology and psychoanalysis to control them in desirable ways.
Paul Kagame
48
2,240 votes
Paul Kagame
Age: 67
Paul Kagame (; born 23 October 1957) is a Rwandan politician and former military leader. He is currently the President of Rwanda, having taken office in 2000 when his predecessor, Pasteur Bizimungu, resigned. Kagame previously commanded the rebel force that ended the 1994 Rwandan genocide. He was considered Rwanda's de facto leader when he served as Vice President and Minister of Defence from 1994 to 2000. He was re-elected in August 2017 with an official result of nearly 99% in an election criticized for numerous irregularities. He has been described as the "most impressive" and "among the most repressive" African leaders.Kagame was born to a Tutsi family in southern Rwanda. When he was two years old, the Rwandan Revolution ended centuries of Tutsi political dominance; his family fled to Uganda, where he spent the rest of his childhood. In the 1980s, Kagame fought in Yoweri Museveni's rebel army, becoming a senior Ugandan army officer after Museveni's military victories carried him to the Ugandan presidency. Kagame joined the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), which invaded Rwanda in 1990. RPF leader Fred Rwigyema died early in the war and Kagame took control. By 1993, the RPF controlled significant territory in Rwanda and a ceasefire was negotiated. The assassination of Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana set off the genocide, in which Hutu extremists killed an estimated 500,000 to 1,000,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutu. Kagame resumed the civil war, and ended the genocide with a military victory. During his vice presidency, Kagame controlled the national army and maintained law and order, while other officials began rebuilding the country. Many RPF soldiers carried out retribution killings. Kagame said he did not support these killings but failed to stop them. A small number of these soldiers were later put on trial. Hutu refugee camps formed in Zaire and other countries. These camps were given food and medical aid by several western governments and aid agencies. The RPF attacked the camps in 1996, forcing many refugees to return home, but insurgents continued to attack Rwanda. The attack on the refugee camps killed an estimated 200,000 people. As part of the invasion, Kagame sponsored two controversial rebel wars in Zaire. The Rwandan- and Ugandan-backed rebels won the first war (1996–97), installing Laurent-Désiré Kabila as president in place of dictator Mobutu and renaming the country as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The second war was launched in 1998 against Kabila, and later his son Joseph, following the DRC government's expulsion of Rwandan and Ugandan military forces from the country. The war escalated into a conflict that lasted until a 2003 peace deal and ceasefire. As president, Kagame has prioritized national development, launching a programme to develop Rwanda as a middle-income country by 2020 (Vision 2020). As of 2013, the country is developing strongly on key indicators, including health care and education; annual growth between 2004 and 2010 averaged 8% per year. Kagame has had mostly good relations with the East African Community and the United States; his relations with France were poor until 2009. Relations with the DRC remain tense despite the 2003 ceasefire; human rights groups and a leaked United Nations report allege Rwandan support for two insurgencies in the country, a charge Kagame denies. Several countries suspended aid payments in 2012 following these allegations. Kagame is popular in Rwanda and with some foreign observers; human rights groups accuse him of political repression. He won an election in 2003, under a new constitution adopted that year, and was elected for a second term in 2010. Kagame was elected again in 2017, and due to yet another change in the constitution, he could potentially be President until 2034. His role in the assassination of exiled political opponents has been controversial.
Jim Jones
49
20,997 votes
Jim Jones
Dec. at 47 (1931-1978)
James Warren Jones (May 13, 1931 – November 18, 1978) was an American civil rights preacher, faith healer, and cult leader who conspired with his inner circle to direct a mass suicide and mass murder of his followers in his jungle commune at Jonestown, Guyana. He launched the Peoples Temple in Indiana during the 1950s. Rev. Jones was officially ordained in 1956 by the Independent Assemblies of God and in 1964 by the Disciples of Christ. He moved his congregation to California in 1965 and gained notoriety with its activities in San Francisco in the 1970s. He then left the United States, bringing many members to a Guyana jungle commune. In 1978, media reports surfaced of human rights abuses in the Peoples Temple in Jonestown. U.S. Representative Leo Ryan led a delegation to the commune to investigate. Ryan and others were murdered by gunfire while boarding a return flight with some former cult members who had wished to leave. Jones then ordered and likely coerced a mass suicide by 918 commune members, 304 of them children, almost all by cyanide-poisoned Flavor Aid.
Ilse Koch
50
4,147 votes
Ilse Koch
Dec. at 60 (1906-1967)
Ilse Koch (22 September 1906 – 1 September 1967) was the wife of Karl-Otto Koch, commandant of the Nazi concentration camps Buchenwald (1937–1941) and Majdanek (1941–1943). In 1947, she became one of the first prominent Nazis tried by the U.S. military. After the trial received worldwide media attention, survivor accounts of her actions resulted in other authors describing her abuse of prisoners as sadistic, and the image of her as "the concentration camp murderess" was current in post-war German society.She was accused of taking souvenirs from the skin of murdered inmates with distinctive tattoos, although those claims were rejected at both of her trials. She was known as "The Witch of Buchenwald" (Die Hexe von Buchenwald) by the inmates because of her cruelty and lasciviousness toward prisoners. In English, she is referred to as: "The Beast of Buchenwald", "Queen of Buchenwald", "Red Witch of Buchenwald", "Butcher Widow", and, more commonly, "The Bitch of Buchenwald".
Abul Djabar
51
2,086 votes
Abul Djabar
Abul Djabar, a notorious and elusive figure, carried out heinous acts that instigated fear and left a mark on history. His actions, characterized by unrelenting violence and terror, have cemented his place among infamous individuals in modern times.
Adam Lanza
52
1,076 votes
Adam Lanza
Dec. at 20 (1992-2012)
Adam Lanza was the perpetrator of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting which occurred on December 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut, United States.
Noel Ignatiev
53
713 votes
Noel Ignatiev
Age: 85
Noel Ignatiev (; born December 27, 1940) is an American author and historian. He is best known for his work on race and social class and for his call to abolish "whiteness". Ignatiev was the co-founder of the New Abolitionist Society and co-editor of the journal Race Traitor, which promoted the idea that "treason to whiteness is loyalty to humanity". He also wrote a book on antebellum northern xenophobia against Irish immigrants, How the Irish Became White. His publisher billed him as "one of America's leading and most controversial historians".
Luis Garavito
54
3,331 votes
Luis Garavito
Age: 68
Luis Alfredo Garavito Cubillos (born January 25, 1957), also known as La Bestia ("The Beast") or Tribilín (named after the Disney character "Goofy") is a Colombian rapist and serial killer. In 1999, he admitted to the rape, torture and murder of 138 children and teenagers. His victims, based on the locations of skeletons listed on maps that Garavito drew in prison, could exceed 300; Garavito continues to confess to more murders. He has been described by local media as "the world's worst serial killer." The Guinness Book of World Records lists another Colombian, Pedro Alonso López, known here as ''the Monster of the Andes,'' as the largest-scale serial killer of modern times; however, in terms of the number of confirmed victims Garavito tops the list followed by López. The judicial body ruled that all Garavito's sentences total 1,853 years and nine days in jail.
Ariel Castro
55
766 votes
Ariel Castro
Dec. at 53 (1960-2013)
Ariel Castro has been charged with kidnapping and rape for allegedly abducting Amanda Berry, Georgina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight.
Mohammed Bijeh
56
724 votes
Mohammed Bijeh
Dec. at 30 (1975-2005)
Mohammed Bijeh (Persian: محمد بيجه; February 7, 1982 – March 16, 2005) was an Iranian serial killer. He confessed in court to raping and killing 16 young boys between March and September 2004, and was sentenced to 100 lashes followed by execution. All the boys were between 8 and 15 years old. Additionally, he killed two adults. The murder of children around Tehran was recognized as the largest criminal case in Iran for the last 71 years, and has strongly influenced public opinion in the country.
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John Wayne Gacy
57
11,375 votes
John Wayne Gacy
Dec. at 52 (1942-1994)
John Wayne Gacy (March 17, 1942 – May 10, 1994) was an American serial killer who raped, tortured and murdered at least 33 teenage boys and young men between 1972 and 1978 in Cook County, Illinois (a part of metropolitan Chicago). All of Gacy's known murders were committed inside his Norwood Park ranch house. His victims were typically induced to his address by force or deception, and all except one of his victims were murdered by either asphyxiation or strangulation with a makeshift garrote, as his first victim was stabbed to death. Gacy buried 26 of his victims in the crawl space of his home. Three other victims were buried elsewhere on his property, while the bodies of his last four known victims were discarded in the Des Plaines River. Convicted of 33 murders, Gacy was sentenced to death on March 13, 1980 for 12 of those murders. He spent 14 years on death row before he was executed by lethal injection at Stateville Correctional Center on May 10, 1994. Gacy became known as the "Killer Clown" because of his charitable services at fund-raising events, parades, and children's parties where he would dress as "Pogo the Clown" or "Patches the Clown", characters that he had created.
Pedro López
58
4,390 votes
Pedro López
Age: 76
Pedro Alonso López (born 8 October 1948) is a Colombian serial killer, who was sentenced for killing 110 girls, but who claims to have raped and killed more than 300 girls across Colombia, Peru and Ecuador. Aside from uncited local accounts, López's crimes first received international attention from an interview conducted by Ron Laytner, a longtime freelance photojournalist who reported interviewing López in his Ambato prison cell in 1980. Laytner's interviews were widely published, first in the Chicago Tribune on Sunday, 13 July 1980, then in the Toronto Sun and The Sacramento Bee on 21 July 1980, and over the years in many other North American papers and foreign publications, including the National Enquirer. Apart from Laytner's account and two brief Associated Press wire reports, the story was published in The World's Most Infamous Murders by Boar and Blundell, and has found its way into many serial murder anthologies, both in print and online. According to Laytner's story, López became known as the Monster of the Andes in 1980, when he led police to 53 graves in Ecuador. The victims were all girls 9 –12 years of age. In 1983, he was found guilty of the murder of 110 girls in Ecuador. He further confessed to an additional 240 murders in Peru and Colombia. An A&E Biography documentary reports that he was released from an Ecuadorian prison on 31 August 1994, then rearrested as an illegal immigrant and handed over to Colombian authorities, who charged him with a 20-year-old murder. He was declared insane and held in the psychiatric wing of a Bogotá hospital. In 1998, he was declared sane and released on $50 bail, subject to certain conditions. He later absconded. The same documentary says that Interpol released an advisory for his rearrest by Colombian authorities over a fresh murder in 2002.
Joseph Stalin
59
146,960 votes
Joseph Stalin
Dec. at 74 (1878-1953)
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; 18 December [O.S. 6] 1878 – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet politician who led the Soviet Union from the mid–1920s until 1953 as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1922–1952) and Premier (1941–1953). Initially presiding over a collective leadership as first among equals, by the 1930s he was the country's de facto dictator. A communist ideologically committed to the Leninist interpretation of Marxism, Stalin formalised these ideas as Marxism–Leninism, while his own policies are known as Stalinism. Born to a poor family in Gori in the Russian Empire (now Georgia), Stalin joined the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party as a youth. He edited the party's newspaper, Pravda, and raised funds for Vladimir Lenin's Bolshevik faction via robberies, kidnappings, and protection rackets. Repeatedly arrested, he underwent several internal exiles. After the Bolsheviks seized power during the 1917 October Revolution and created a one-party state under Lenin's newly renamed Communist Party, Stalin joined its governing Politburo. Serving in the Russian Civil War before overseeing the Soviet Union's establishment in 1922, Stalin assumed leadership over the country following Lenin's 1924 death. Under Stalin, "Socialism in One Country" became a central tenet of the party's dogma. Through the Five-Year Plans, the country underwent agricultural collectivisation and rapid industrialisation, creating a centralised command economy. This led to significant disruptions in food production that contributed to the famine of 1932–33. To eradicate accused "enemies of the working class", Stalin instituted the "Great Purge", in which over a million were imprisoned and at least 700,000 executed between 1934 and 1939. By 1937, he had complete personal control over the party and state. Stalin's government promoted Marxism–Leninism abroad through the Communist International and supported European anti-fascist movements during the 1930s, particularly in the Spanish Civil War. In 1939, it signed a non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany, resulting in the Soviet invasion of Poland. Germany ended the pact by invading the Soviet Union in 1941. Despite initial setbacks, the Soviet Red Army repelled the German incursion and captured Berlin in 1945, ending World War II in Europe. The Soviets annexed the Baltic states and helped establish Soviet-aligned governments throughout Central and Eastern Europe, China, and North Korea. The Soviet Union and the United States emerged from the war as global superpowers. Tensions arose between the Soviet-backed Eastern Bloc and U.S.-backed Western Bloc which became known as the Cold War. Stalin led his country through the post-war reconstruction, during which it developed a nuclear weapon in 1949. In these years, the country experienced another major famine and an anti-semitic campaign peaking in the doctors' plot. Stalin died in 1953 and was eventually succeeded by Nikita Khrushchev, who denounced his predecessor and initiated the de-Stalinisation of Soviet society. Widely considered one of the 20th century's most significant figures, Stalin was the subject of a pervasive personality cult within the international Marxist–Leninist movement which revered him as a champion of the working class and socialism. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Stalin has retained popularity in Russia and Georgia as a victorious wartime leader who established the Soviet Union as a major world power. Conversely, his totalitarian government has been widely condemned for overseeing mass repressions, ethnic cleansing, deportations, hundreds of thousands of executions, and famines which killed millions.
Delphine LaLaurie
60
4,980 votes
Delphine LaLaurie
Dec. at 67 (1775-1842)
Marie Delphine Macarty or MacCarthy (March 19, 1787 – December 7, 1849), more commonly known as Madame Blanque, until her third marriage, when she became known as Madame LaLaurie, was a New Orleans Creole socialite and serial killer who tortured and murdered slaves in her household. Born during the Spanish colonial period, Delphine Macarty married three times in Louisiana, and was twice widowed. She maintained her position in New Orleans society until April 10, 1834, when rescuers responded to a fire at her Royal Street mansion. They discovered bound slaves in her attic who showed evidence of cruel, violent abuse over a long period. LaLaurie's house was subsequently sacked by an outraged mob of New Orleans citizens. She escaped to France with her family.The mansion traditionally held to be LaLaurie's is a landmark in the French Quarter, in part because of its history and for its architectural significance. However, her house was burned by the mob, and the "LaLaurie Mansion" at 1140 Royal Street was in fact rebuilt after her departure from New Orleans.
61
2,692 votes
Yang Xinhai
Dec. at 35 (1968-2004)
Yang Xinhai (Chinese: 杨新海; 29 July 1968 – 14 February 2004), also known as Yang Zhiya, and Yang Liu, was a Chinese serial killer who confessed to committing 67 murders and 23 rapes between 1999 and 2003, and was sentenced to death and executed for 67. He was dubbed the "Monster Killer" by the media. He is the most prolific known serial killer China has seen since the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949.
62
1,503 votes
Yakov Agranov
Dec. at 44 (1893-1938)
Yakov Saulovich Agranov (Russian: Я́ков Сау́лович Агра́нов) (born Yankel Samuilovich Sorenson; 1893 – 1938) was the first chief of Soviet Main Directorate of State Security and a deputy of NKVD chief Genrikh Yagoda. He is known as one of main organizers of Soviet political repressions and Stalinist show trials in 1920s and 1930s. He fabricated the "Tagantsev conspiracy" case and Moscow trials, including Trial of the Twenty One and Industrial Party Trial, as well as mass arrests and executions in Saint Petersburg during Stalin's Great Purge.
63
67,865 votes
Idi Amin
Dec. at 78 (1925-2003)
Idi Amin Dada Oumee (; c. 1925 – 16 August 2003) was a Ugandan military officer who served as the President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Popularly known as the "Butcher of Uganda," he is considered one of the most brutal despots in world history.Amin was born either in Koboko or Kampala to a Kakwa father and Lugbara mother. In 1946, he joined the King's African Rifles (KAR) of the British Colonial Army as a cook. He rose to the rank of lieutenant, taking part in British actions against Somali rebels in the Shifta War and then the Mau Mau rebels in Kenya. Uganda gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1962, and Amin remained in the armed forces, rising to the position of major and being appointed Commander of the Army in 1965. He became aware that Ugandan President Milton Obote was planning to arrest him for misappropriating army funds, so he launched a military coup in 1971 and declared himself President. During his years in power, Amin shifted from being a pro-western ruler enjoying considerable support from Israel to being backed by Libya's Muammar Gaddafi, Zaire's Mobutu Sese Seko, the Soviet Union, and East Germany. In 1975, Amin became the chairman of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), a Pan-Africanist group designed to promote solidarity among African states. Uganda was a member of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights from 1977 to 1979. The UK broke diplomatic relations with Uganda in 1977, and Amin declared that he had defeated the British and added "CBE" to his title for "Conqueror of the British Empire". Radio Uganda then announced his entire title: "His Excellency President for Life, Field Marshal Alhaji Dr. Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, CBE".As Amin's rule progressed into the late 1970s, there was increased unrest against his persecution of certain ethnic groups and political dissidents, along with Uganda's very poor international standing due to Amin's support for the terrorist hijackers in Operation Entebbe. He then attempted to annex Tanzania's Kagera Region in 1978, so Tanzanian president Julius Nyerere had his troops invade Uganda; they captured Kampala on 11 April 1979 and ousted Amin from power. Amin then went into exile, first in Libya and then in Saudi Arabia, where he lived until his death on 16 August 2003. Amin's rule was characterized by rampant human rights abuses, political repression, ethnic persecution, extrajudicial killings, nepotism, corruption, and gross economic mismanagement. International observers and human rights groups estimate that between 100,000 and 500,000 people were killed under his regime.
64
2,226 votes
Théoneste Bagosora
Age: 83
Colonel Théoneste Bagosora (born 16 August 1941) is a former Rwandan military officer. He is chiefly known for his key role in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, for which he has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). In 2011, the sentence was reduced to 35 years' imprisonment on appeal. He will be imprisoned until age 89.
65
2,983 votes
Matvei Berman
Dec. at 40 (1898-1939)
Matvei Davidovich Berman (Russian: Матвей Давыдович Берман; April 10, 1898 – March 7, 1939) was a Soviet intelligence officer and head of the GULAG Soviet prison camp system from 1932 to 1937.
66
810 votes
Jimmy Savile
Dec. at 84 (1926-2011)
Sir James Wilson Vincent Savile OBE KCSG (; 31 October 1926 – 29 October 2011) was an English DJ, television and radio personality who hosted BBC shows including Top of the Pops and Jim'll Fix It. He raised an estimated £40 million for charities and, during his lifetime, was widely praised for his personal qualities and as a fund-raiser. After his death, hundreds of allegations of sexual abuse were made against him, leading the police to conclude that Savile had been a predatory sex offender—possibly one of Britain's most prolific. There had been allegations during his lifetime, but they were dismissed and accusers ignored or disbelieved; Savile took legal action against some accusers. Savile worked in coal mines as a teenager, reportedly sustaining spinal injuries at the age of 14, and was a Bevin Boy during the Second World War. He began a career playing records in, and later managing, dance halls, and was said to have been the first disc jockey to use twin turntables to keep music in constant play. His media career started as a disc jockey at Radio Luxembourg in 1958 and on Tyne Tees Television in 1960, and he developed a reputation for eccentricity and flamboyance. At the BBC, he presented the first edition of Top of the Pops in 1964 and broadcast on Radio 1 from 1968. From 1975 until 1994, he presented Jim'll Fix It, a popular television programme in which he arranged for the wishes of viewers, mainly children, to come true. During his lifetime, he was noted for fund-raising and supporting charities and hospitals, in particular Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury, Leeds General Infirmary and Broadmoor Hospital in Berkshire. In 2009 he was described by The Guardian as a "prodigious philanthropist" and was honoured for his charity work. He was awarded the OBE in 1971 and was knighted in 1990. In 2006 he introduced the last edition of Top of the Pops. In October 2012, almost a year after his death, an ITV documentary examined claims of sexual abuse by Savile and led to extensive media coverage and a substantial and rapidly growing body of witness statements and sexual abuse claims, including accusations against public bodies for covering up or failure of duty. Scotland Yard launched a criminal investigation into allegations of child sex abuse by Savile spanning six decades, describing him as a "predatory sex offender", and later stated that they were pursuing more than 400 lines of inquiry based on the testimony of 300 potential victims via 14 police forces across the UK. By late October 2012, the scandal had resulted in inquiries or reviews at the BBC, within the National Health Service, the Crown Prosecution Service, and the Department of Health. In June 2014, investigations into Savile's activities in 28 NHS hospitals, including Leeds General Infirmary and Broadmoor psychiatric hospital, concluded that he had sexually assaulted staff and patients aged between five and 75 over several decades.In January 2013, a joint report by the NSPCC and Metropolitan Police, Giving Victims a Voice, stated that 450 people had made complaints against Savile, with the period of alleged abuse stretching from 1955 to 2009 and the ages of the complainants at the time of the assaults ranging from 8 to 47. The suspected victims included 28 children aged under 10, including 10 boys aged as young as 8. A further 63 were girls aged between 13 and 16 and nearly three-quarters of his alleged victims were under 18. Some 214 criminal offences were recorded, with 34 rapes having been reported across 28 police forces.
Kim Jong-un
67
22,469 votes
Kim Jong-un
Age: 42
Kim Jong-un (officially transcribed Kim Jong Un; Korean: 김정은; Korean pronunciation: [kim.dzɔŋ.ɯn]; born 8 January 1983 or 1984) is a North Korean politician. He is currently the incumbent Supreme Leader of North Korea since 2011 and Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea since 2012. Kim is the second child of Kim Jong-il (1941–2011), the country's second leader from 1994 to 2011, and Ko Yong-hui (1952–2004). He is the grandson of Kim Il-sung, who was the founder and first leader of North Korea from 1948 to 1994. Kim is the first North Korean leader who was born after the country's founding, and is also the second youngest currently-serving head of government in the world.From late 2010, Kim Jong-un was viewed as heir apparent to the leadership of the DPRK, and following the elder Kim's death, North Korean state television announced him as the "Great Successor". Kim holds the titles of Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea (as First Secretary between 2012 and 2016), Chairman of the Central Military Commission, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission, commander-in-chief (as SAC chairman), and member of the Presidium of the Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea, the highest decision-making body in North Korea. Kim was promoted to the rank of Marshal of North Korea in the Korean People's Army on 18 July 2012, consolidating his position as the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. North Korean state media often refers to him as Marshal Kim Jong-un, "the Marshal" or "Dear Respected."Forbes magazine ranked Kim as the 46th most powerful person in the world in 2013 and the third highest amongst Koreans after Ban Ki-moon and Lee Kun-hee. On 12 December 2013, Kim ordered the execution of his uncle Jang Song-thaek for "treachery". Kim is widely believed to have ordered the assassination of his half-brother, Kim Jong-nam, in Malaysia in February 2017.In 2018, Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in met twice in Panmunjom on the border between North and South, and once in Pyongyang. On 12 June 2018, Kim and US President Donald Trump met for a summit in Singapore, the first-ever talks held between a North Korean leader and a sitting US President, to discuss the North Korean nuclear program. A follow-up meeting in Hanoi in February 2019 ended abruptly without an agreement. On 25 April 2019, Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin held their first summit in Vladivostok, Russia. On 30 June 2019, Kim met with both South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Trump at the Korean Demilitarized Zone.
Albert Fish
68
10,528 votes
Albert Fish
Dec. at 65 (1870-1936)
Hamilton Howard "Albert" Fish (May 19, 1870 – January 16, 1936) was an American serial killer, child rapist and cannibal. He was also known as the Gray Man, the Werewolf of Wysteria, the Brooklyn Vampire, the Moon Maniac, and The Boogey Man. Fish once boasted that he "had children in every state", and at one time stated his number of victims was about 100. However, it is not known whether he was referring to rapes or cannibalization, nor is it known if the statement was truthful. Fish was a suspect in at least five murders during his lifetime. Fish confessed to three murders that police were able to trace to a known homicide, and he confessed to stabbing at least two other people. He was put on trial for the kidnapping and murder of Grace Budd, and was convicted and executed by electric chair. His crimes were dramatized in the 2007 film The Gray Man, starring Patrick Bauchau as Fish.
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Al Gore#14
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300#4
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#6. All Quiet on the Western Front moved down on The Best Movies About Ancient & Historical Wars
Jefferey Dahmer
69
18,331 votes
Jefferey Dahmer
Dec. at 34 (1960-1994)
Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer (; May 21, 1960 – November 28, 1994), also known as the Milwaukee Cannibal or the Milwaukee Monster, was an American serial killer and sex offender who committed the rape, murder, and dismemberment of 17 men and boys from 1978 to 1991. Many of his later murders involved necrophilia, cannibalism, and the permanent preservation of body parts—typically all or part of the skeleton.Although he was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, schizotypal personality disorder, and a psychotic disorder, Dahmer was found to be legally sane at his trial. He was convicted of 15 of the 16 murders he had committed in Wisconsin, and was sentenced to 15 terms of life imprisonment on February 15, 1992. He was later sentenced to a 16th term of life imprisonment for an additional homicide committed in Ohio in 1978. On November 28, 1994, Dahmer was beaten to death by Christopher Scarver, a fellow inmate at the Columbia Correctional Institution.
Robert Hansen
70
1,370 votes
Robert Hansen
Dec. at 75 (1939-2014)
Robert Christian Hansen (February 15, 1939 – August 21, 2014), known in the media as the "Butcher Baker", was an American serial killer. Between 1971 and 1983, Hansen abducted, raped, and murdered at least 17 women in and around Anchorage, Alaska; he hunted many of them down in the wilderness with a Ruger Mini-14 and a knife. He was arrested and convicted in 1983, and was sentenced to 461 years and a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
Serhiy Tkach
71
323 votes
Serhiy Tkach
Age: 72
Serhiy Fedorovich Tkach (Ukrainian: Сергій Федорович Ткач, Russian: Серге́й Фёдорович Ткач; September 15, 1952 – November 4, 2018) was a Soviet and later Ukrainian serial killer, convicted for the killing of 37 women and girls in Ukraine from 1980 to 2005.
Ted Bundy
72
21,312 votes
Ted Bundy
Dec. at 42 (1946-1989)
Theodore Robert Bundy (born Theodore Robert Cowell; November 24, 1946 – January 24, 1989) was an American serial killer and necrophile who kidnapped, raped, and murdered numerous young women and girls during the 1970s and possibly earlier. After more than a decade of denials, before his execution in 1989 he confessed to 30 homicides that he committed in seven states between 1974 and 1978. The true number of victims is unknown and possibly higher. Many of Bundy's young female victims regarded him as handsome and charismatic, traits that he exploited to win their trust. He would typically approach them in public places, feigning injury or disability, or impersonating an authority figure, before overpowering and assaulting them in secluded locations. He sometimes revisited his secondary crime scenes, grooming and performing sexual acts with the decomposing corpses until putrefaction and destruction by wild animals made any further interactions impossible. He decapitated at least 12 victims and kept some of the severed heads as mementos in his apartment. On a few occasions, he broke into dwellings at night and bludgeoned his victims as they slept. In 1975, Bundy was jailed for the first time when he was incarcerated in Utah for aggravated kidnapping and attempted criminal assault. He then became a suspect in a progressively longer list of unsolved homicides in several states. Facing murder charges in Colorado, he engineered two dramatic escapes and committed further assaults in Florida, including three murders, before his ultimate recapture in 1978. For the Florida homicides, he received three death sentences in two separate trials. Bundy was executed in the electric chair at Florida State Prison on January 24, 1989.Biographer Ann Rule, who had previously worked with Bundy, described him as "a sadistic sociopath who took pleasure from another human's pain and the control he had over his victims, to the point of death, and even after." He once called himself "the most cold-hearted son of a bitch you'll ever meet." Attorney Polly Nelson, a member of his last defense team, wrote he was "the very definition of heartless evil."
Salvatore La Barbera
73
552 votes
Salvatore La Barbera
Dec. at 40 (1922-1963)
Salvatore La Barbera (Italian: [salvaˈtoːre la barˈbɛːra]; April 20, 1922 – January 17, 1963) was a Sicilian mafioso. Together with his brother Angelo La Barbera he ruled the Mafia family of Palermo Centro. Salvatore La Barbera sat on the first Sicilian Mafia Commission that was set up in 1958 as the capo mandamento for Mafia families of Borgo Vecchio, Porta Nuova and Palermo Centro. La Barbera disappeared during the First Mafia War, a victim of the lupara bianca, never to be seen again. The Palermo police suspected that Salvatore Greco "Ciaschiteddu" and his cousin Salvatore Greco "The Engineer" had arranged a deal whereby Tommaso Buscetta betrayed his former friend, killed him and disposed of his body in the furnaces of his glass factory. Buscetta claims to know nothing about the disappearance.
Jon Venables
74
2,111 votes
Jon Venables
Age: 42
Jon Venables was only ten years old when he and Robert Thompson abducted, tortured and murdered two-year old boy, James Patrick Bulger.
Mao Zedong
75
76,058 votes
Mao Zedong
Dec. at 82 (1893-1976)
Mao Zedong (; December 26, 1893 – September 9, 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who became the founding father of the People's Republic of China (PRC), which he ruled as the Chairman of the Communist Party of China from its establishment in 1949 until his death in 1976. Idelogically a Marxist, his theories, military strategies, and political policies are collectively known as Maoism. Mao was the son of a prosperous peasant in Shaoshan, Hunan. He had a Chinese nationalist and an anti-imperialist outlook early in his life, and was particularly influenced by the events of the Xinhai Revolution of 1911 and May Fourth Movement of 1919. He later adopted Marxism–Leninism while working at Peking University, and became a founding member of the Communist Party of China (CPC), leading the Autumn Harvest Uprising in 1927. During the Chinese Civil War between the Kuomintang (KMT) and the CPC, Mao helped to found the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, led the Jiangxi Soviet's radical land policies, and ultimately became head of the CPC during the Long March. Although the CPC temporarily allied with the KMT under the United Front during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945), China's civil war resumed after Japan's surrender and in 1949 Mao's forces defeated the Nationalist government, which withdrew to Taiwan. On October 1, 1949, Mao proclaimed the foundation of the PRC, a single-party state controlled by the CPC. In the following years he solidified his control through land reforms and through a psychological victory in the Korean War, as well as through campaigns against landlords, people he termed "counter-revolutionaries", and other perceived enemies of the state. In 1957, he launched a campaign known as the Great Leap Forward that aimed to rapidly transform China's economy from agrarian to industrial. This campaign led to the deadliest famine in history and the deaths of 20–45 million people between 1958 and 1962. In 1966, Mao initiated the Cultural Revolution, a program to remove "counter-revolutionary" elements in Chinese society which lasted 10 years and was marked by violent class struggle, widespread destruction of cultural artifacts, and an unprecedented elevation of Mao's cult of personality. The program is now officially regarded as a "severe setback" for the PRC. In 1972, Mao welcomed U.S. President Richard Nixon in Beijing, signalling the start of a policy of opening China to the world. After years of ill health, Mao suffered a series of heart attacks in 1976 and died at the age of 82. He was succeeded as paramount leader by Party Chairman Hua Guofeng, who was quickly sidelined and replaced by Deng Xiaoping. A controversial figure, Mao is regarded as one of the most important and influential individuals in modern world history. He is also known as a political intellect, theorist, military strategist, poet, and visionary. Supporters credit him with driving imperialism out of China, modernising the nation and building it into a world power, promoting the status of women, improving education and health care, as well as increasing life expectancy as China's population grew from around 550 million to over 900 million under his leadership. Conversely, his regime has been called autocratic and totalitarian, and condemned for bringing about mass repression and destroying religious and cultural artifacts and sites. It was additionally responsible for vast numbers of deaths with estimates ranging from 30 to 70 million victims through starvation, prison labour and mass executions.
Nicolae Ceaușescu
76
2,494 votes
Nicolae Ceaușescu
Dec. at 71 (1918-1989)
Nicolae Ceaușescu (, Romanian: [nikoˈla.e tʃe̯a.uˈʃesku] (listen); 26 January 1918 – 25 December 1989) was a Romanian communist politician and leader. He was the General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989 and hence the second and last Communist leader of Romania. He was also the country's head of state from 1967, serving as President of the State Council and from 1974 concurrently as President of the Republic until his overthrow and execution in the Romanian Revolution in December 1989, part of a series of anti-Communist and anti-Soviet Union uprisings in Eastern Europe that year. Born in 1918 in Scornicești, Olt County, Ceaușescu was a member of the Romanian Communist youth movement. Ceaușescu rose up through the ranks of Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej's Socialist government and, upon Gheorghiu-Dej's death in 1965, he succeeded to the leadership of the Romanian Communist Party as General Secretary.Upon his rise to power, he eased press censorship and openly condemned the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in his speech on 21 August 1968, which resulted in a surge in popularity. However, the resulting period of stability was very brief as his government very soon became severely totalitarian and was considered the most repressive in the Eastern Bloc at the time. His secret police, the Securitate, was responsible for mass surveillance as well as severe repression and human rights abuses within the country and he suppressed and controlled the media and press, implementing methods that were among the harshest, most restrictive and brutal in the world. Economic mismanagement due to failed oil ventures during the 1970s led to skyrocketing foreign debts for Romania. In 1982, he exported much of the country's agricultural and industrial production in an effort to repay them. The shortages that followed drastically lowered living standards, leading to heavy rationing of food, water, oil, heat, electricity, medicine and other necessities. His cult of personality experienced unprecedented elevation, followed by extensive nepotism and the intense deterioration of foreign relations, even with the Soviet Union. As anti-government protesters demonstrated in Timișoara in December 1989, he perceived the demonstrations as a political threat and ordered military forces to open fire on 17 December, causing many deaths and injuries. The revelation that Ceaușescu was responsible resulted in a massive spread of rioting and civil unrest across the country. The demonstrations, which reached Bucharest, became known as the Romanian Revolution—the only violent overthrow of a communist government in the turn of the Revolutions of 1989. Ceaușescu and his wife Elena fled the capital in a helicopter, but they were captured by the military after the armed forces changed sides. After being tried and convicted of economic sabotage and genocide, they were immediately executed by firing squad on 25 December and Ceaușescu was succeeded as President by Ion Iliescu, who had played a major part in the revolution. Capital punishment was abolished shortly thereafter.
Wesley Allan Dodd
77
393 votes
Wesley Allan Dodd
Dec. at 31 (1961-1993)
Westley Allan Dodd (July 3, 1961 – January 5, 1993), was an American serial killer and convicted sex offender. In 1989, he sexually assaulted and murdered three young boys in Vancouver, Washington. He was arrested later that year after a failed attempt to abduct a six-year-old boy at a movie theater. Dodd wrote detailed accounts of his murders in a diary which was found by police. After pleading guilty to the charges of murder, he received the death penalty. After refusing an automatic appeal, his execution by hanging on January 5, 1993 was the first legal hanging in the United States since 1965.
Kim Jong-il
78
66,093 votes
Kim Jong-il
Dec. at 70 (1941-2011)
Kim Jong-il (officially transcribed Kim Jong Il; Korean: 김정일; Korean pronunciation: [kim.dzɔŋ.il]; 16 February 1941 or 1942 – 17 December 2011) was the second leader of North Korea. He ruled from the death of his father Kim Il-sung, the first leader of North Korea, in 1994 until his own death in 2011. He was an unelected dictator and was often accused of human rights violations.In the early 1980s, Kim had become the heir apparent for the leadership of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and assumed important posts in the party and army organs. Kim succeeded his father and DPRK founder, Kim Il-sung, following the elder Kim's death in 1994. Kim was the General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), WPK Presidium, Chairman of the National Defence Commission (NDC) of North Korea and the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army (KPA), the fourth-largest standing army in the world. During Kim's rule, the country suffered famine and had a poor human rights record. Kim involved his country in state terrorism and strengthened the role of the military by his Songun ("military-first") politics. Kim's rule also saw tentative economic reforms, including the opening of the Kaesong Industrial Park in 2003. In April 2009, North Korea's constitution was amended to refer to him and his successors as the "supreme leader of the DPRK".The most common colloquial title given to Kim was "Dear Leader" to distinguish him from his father Kim Il-sung, the "Great Leader". Following Kim's failure to appear at important public events in 2008, foreign observers assumed that Kim had either fallen seriously ill or died. On 19 December 2011, the North Korean government announced that he had died two days earlier, whereupon his third son, Kim Jong-un, was promoted to a senior position in the ruling WPK and succeeded him. After his death, Kim was designated the "Eternal General Secretary" of the WPK and the "Eternal Chairman of the National Defence Commission", in keeping with the tradition of establishing eternal posts for the dead members of the Kim dynasty.
James Earl Ray
79
2,884 votes
James Earl Ray
Dec. at 70 (1928-1998)
James Earl Ray (March 10, 1928 – April 23, 1998) was an American fugitive and felon convicted of assassinating Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee. Ray was convicted on his 41st birthday after entering a guilty plea to forgo a jury trial. Had he been found guilty by jury trial, he would have been eligible for the death penalty.
Mikhail Frinovsky
80
1,139 votes
Mikhail Frinovsky
Dec. at 42 (1898-1940)
Chief of the NKVD, responsible for several persecutions before and during the Great Purge. In 1940 executed by that Purge.
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Heinrich Himmler
81
51,298 votes
Heinrich Himmler
Dec. at 44 (1900-1945)
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (German: [ˈhaɪnʁɪç ˈluːɪtˌpɔlt ˈhɪmlɐ] (listen); 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was Reichsführer of the Schutzstaffel (Protection Squadron; SS), and a leading member of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) of Germany. Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and a main architect of the Holocaust. As a member of a reserve battalion during World War I, Himmler did not see active service. He studied agronomy in university, and joined the Nazi Party in 1923 and the SS in 1925. In 1929, he was appointed Reichsführer-SS by Adolf Hitler. Over the next 16 years, he developed the SS from a mere 290-man battalion into a million-strong paramilitary group, and, following Hitler's orders, set up and controlled the Nazi concentration camps. He was known for good organisational skills and for selecting highly competent subordinates, such as Reinhard Heydrich in 1931. From 1943 onwards, he was both Chief of German Police and Minister of the Interior, overseeing all internal and external police and security forces, including the Gestapo (Secret State Police). Himmler had a lifelong interest in occultism, interpreting Germanic neopagan and Völkisch beliefs to promote the racial policy of Nazi Germany, and incorporating esoteric symbolism and rituals into the SS. On Hitler's behalf, Himmler formed the Einsatzgruppen and built extermination camps. As facilitator and overseer of the concentration camps, Himmler directed the killing of some six million Jews, between 200,000 and 500,000 Romani people, and other victims; the total number of civilians killed by the regime is estimated at eleven to fourteen million people. Most of them were Polish and Soviet citizens. Late in World War II, Hitler briefly appointed him a military commander and later Commander of the Replacement (Home) Army and General Plenipotentiary for the administration of the entire Third Reich (Generalbevollmächtigter für die Verwaltung). Specifically, he was given command of the Army Group Upper Rhine and the Army Group Vistula; he failed to achieve his assigned objectives and Hitler replaced him in these posts. Realising the war was lost, Himmler attempted to open peace talks with the western Allies without Hitler's knowledge, shortly before the end of the war. Hearing of this, Hitler dismissed him from all his posts in April 1945 and ordered his arrest. Himmler attempted to go into hiding, but was detained and then arrested by British forces once his identity became known. While in British custody, he committed suicide on 23 May 1945.
George Friedman
82
560 votes
George Friedman
George Friedman (Hungarian: Friedman György, born February 1, 1949) is a Hungarian-born U.S. geopolitical forecaster, and strategist on international affairs. He is the founder and chairman of Geopolitical Futures, an online publication that analyzes and forecasts the course of global events. Prior to founding Geopolitical Futures, he was chairman of Stratfor, the private intelligence publishing and consulting firm he founded in 1996. Friedman resigned from Stratfor in May 2015.
Józef Beck
83
362 votes
Józef Beck
Dec. at 49 (1894-1944)
Józef Beck (Polish: [ˈjuzɛf ˈbɛk] (listen); 4 October 1894 – 5 June 1944) was a Polish statesman who served the Second Republic of Poland as a diplomat and military officer, and was a close associate of Józef Piłsudski. Beck is most famous for being Polish foreign minister in the 1930s, when he largely set Polish foreign policy. He tried to fulfill Piłsudski's dream of making Poland the leader of a regional coalition, but he was widely disliked and distrusted by other governments, which often refused to cooperate with him. He was involved in territorial disputes with Lithuania and Czechoslovakia. With his nation caught between two large, hostile powers—Germany and the Soviet Union—Beck sometimes pursued accommodation with them and sometimes defied them, trying to take advantage of their mutual antagonism. As this proved unsuccessful, he formed an alliance with Great Britain and France, but despite mutual agreements, they would not provide effective assistance to Poland. In 1939, when Germany invaded Poland, Beck and the rest of his government evacuated to Romania.
Muhammad bin Qasim
84
1,126 votes
Muhammad bin Qasim
Dec. at 19 (695-715)
‘Imād ad-Dīn Muḥammad bin Qāsim ath-Thaqafī (Arabic: عماد الدين محمد بن القاسم الثقفي; c. 695 – 715) was an Umayyad general who conquered the Sindh till Multan from Raja Dahir along the Indus River and then controlled for a short period of 4 years for the Umayyad Caliphate.
Mary Ann Cotton
85
4,283 votes
Mary Ann Cotton
Dec. at 40 (1832-1873)
Mary Ann Cotton (née Robson; 31 October 1832 – 24 March 1873) was an English serial killer, convicted of, and hanged for, the murder by poisoning of her stepson Charles Edward Cotton. It is likely that she murdered three of her four husbands, apparently in order to collect on their insurance policies, and many others. She may have murdered as many as 21 people, including 11 of her 13 children. She chiefly used arsenic poisoning, causing gastric pain and rapid decline of health.
Omar Abdel-rahman
86
1,015 votes
Omar Abdel-rahman
Age: 86
Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman (Arabic: عمر عبد الرحمن, Umar 'Abdu r-Raḥman; 3 May 1938 – 18 February 2017), commonly known in the United States as "The Blind Sheikh", was a blind Egyptian Muslim leader who served a life sentence at the Federal Medical Center, Butner in Butner, North Carolina, United States. Formerly a resident of New York City, Abdel-Rahman and nine others were convicted of seditious conspiracy. His prosecution grew out of investigations of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Abdel-Rahman was the leader of Al-Jama'a al-Islamiyya (also known as "The Islamic Group"), a militant Islamist movement in Egypt that is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and Egyptian governments. The group was responsible for many acts of violence, including the November 1997 Luxor massacre, in which 58 foreign tourists and four Egyptians were killed.
Jane Toppan
87
3,352 votes
Jane Toppan
Dec. at 81 (1857-1938)
Jane Toppan (August 17, 1854 – October 29, 1938), born Honora Kelley, was an American serial killer, nicknamed "Jolly Jane". After her arrest in 1901, she confessed to 31 murders. She is quoted as saying that her ambition was "to have killed more people—helpless people—than any other man or woman who ever lived".
Timothy McVeigh
88
7,052 votes
Timothy McVeigh
Dec. at 33 (1968-2001)
Timothy James McVeigh (April 23, 1968 – June 11, 2001) was an American domestic terrorist who perpetrated the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people and injured over 680 others. The bombing was the deadliest act of terrorism in the United States prior to the September 11 attacks, and remains the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in United States history. A Gulf War veteran, McVeigh sought revenge against the federal government for the 1993 Waco siege that ended in the deaths of 86 people, many of whom were children, exactly two years before the bombing, as well as the 1992 Ruby Ridge incident and American foreign policy. He hoped to inspire a revolution against the federal government, and defended the bombing as a legitimate tactic against what he saw as a tyrannical government. He was arrested shortly after the bombing and indicted on 160 state offenses and 11 federal offenses, including the use of a weapon of mass destruction. He was found guilty on all counts in 1997 and sentenced to death.McVeigh was executed by lethal injection on June 11, 2001 at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana. His execution was carried out in a considerably shorter time than most inmates awaiting the death penalty, as most convicts on death row in the United States spend an average of 15 years there. Terry Nichols and Michael Fortier were also convicted as conspirators in the plot. Nichols was sentenced to eight life terms for the deaths of eight federal agents, and to 161 life terms without parole by the state of Oklahoma for the deaths of the others. Fortier was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment and has since been released.
Abu Omar Al-shishani
89
1,078 votes
Abu Omar Al-shishani
Michel Friedman
90
773 votes
Michel Friedman
Age: 68
Michel Friedman (German pronunciation: [miˈʃɛl ˈfʁiːtman]; born 25 February 1956 in Paris) is a German lawyer, former CDU politician and talk show host. From 2000 to 2003 Friedman was vice president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, and president of the European Jewish Congress from 2001 to 2003. From 1998 to 2003 he had his own show on German television. Since 2004 he has been hosting a weekly talk show on N24 called Studio Friedman. Friedman is a lawyer by profession and studied law and philosophy.
Edward VII
91
526 votes
Edward VII
Dec. at 68 (1841-1910)
Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Edward was related to royalty throughout Europe. He was heir apparent to the British throne and held the title of Prince of Wales for longer than any of his predecessors. He was heir presumptive to the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha until he renounced his right to the duchy before his marriage. During the long reign of his mother, he was largely excluded from political power, and came to personify the fashionable, leisured elite. He travelled throughout Britain performing ceremonial public duties, and represented Britain on visits abroad. His tours of North America in 1860 and the Indian subcontinent in 1875 were popular successes, but despite public approval his reputation as a playboy prince soured his relationship with his mother. As king, Edward played a role in the modernisation of the British Home Fleet and the reorganisation of the British Army after the Second Boer War. He reinstituted traditional ceremonies as public displays and broadened the range of people with whom royalty socialised. He fostered good relations between Britain and other European countries, especially France, for which he was popularly called "Peacemaker", but his relationship with his nephew, the German Emperor Wilhelm II, was poor. The Edwardian era, which covered Edward's reign and was named after him, coincided with the start of a new century and heralded significant changes in technology and society, including steam turbine propulsion and the rise of socialism. He died in 1910 in the midst of a constitutional crisis that was resolved the following year by the Parliament Act 1911, which restricted the power of the unelected House of Lords.
Nikolai Yezhov
92
2,647 votes
Nikolai Yezhov
Dec. at 44 (1895-1940)
Nikolai Ivanovich Yezhov (Russian: Никола́й Ива́нович Ежо́в, tr. IPA, IPA: [nʲɪkɐˈɫaj jɪˈʐof]; May 1, 1895 – February 4, 1940) was a Soviet secret police official under Joseph Stalin who was head of the NKVD from 1936 to 1938, during the most active period of the Great Purge. Having presided over mass arrests and executions during the Great Purge, Yezhov eventually fell from Stalin's favour and power. He was arrested, confessed to a range of anti-Soviet activity, later claiming he was tortured into making these confessions, and was executed in 1940.
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Muhammad bin Tughluq
93
1,315 votes
Muhammad bin Tughluq
Dec. at 51 (1300-1351)
Muhammad bin Tughluq (also Prince Fakhr Malik, Jauna Khan, Ulugh Khan; died 20 March 1351) was the Sultan of Delhi from 1325 to 1351. He was the eldest son of Ghiyas -ud -Din -Tughlaq, the Turko-Indian founder of the Tughluq dynasty. He was born in New Delhi. His wife was the daughter of the Raja of Dipalpur. Ghiyas-ud-din sent the young Muhammad to the Deccan to campaign against king Prataparudra of the Kakatiya dynasty whose capital was at Warangal in 1321 and 1323. Muhammad ascended to the Delhi throne upon his father's death in 1325. He was interested in medicine and was skilled in several languages — Persian, Arabic, Turkish and Sanskrit. Ibn Battuta, the famous traveler and jurist from Morocco, was a guest at his court and wrote about his suzerainty in his book. From his accession to the throne in 1325 until his death in 1351, Muhammad contended with 22 rebellions, pursuing his policies, consistently and ruthlessly.
Fred West
94
1,817 votes
Fred West
Dec. at 53 (1941-1995)
Frederick Walter Stephen West (29 September 1941 – 1 January 1995) was an English serial killer who committed at least 12 murders between 1967 and 1987 in Gloucestershire, the majority with his second wife, Rosemary West. All the victims were young women. At least eight of these murders involved the Wests' sexual gratification and included rape, bondage, torture and mutilation; the victims' dismembered bodies were typically buried in the cellar or garden of the Wests' Cromwell Street home in Gloucester, which became known as the "House of Horrors". Fred also committed at least two murders on his own, and Rose murdered Fred's stepdaughter, Charmaine. The couple were apprehended and charged in 1994. Fred West fatally asphyxiated himself while on remand at HM Prison Birmingham on 1 January 1995, at which time he and Rose were jointly charged with nine murders, and he with three further murders. In November 1995, Rose was convicted of ten murders and sentenced to ten life terms with a whole life order.
Darya Nikolayevna Saltykova
95
3,066 votes
Darya Nikolayevna Saltykova
Dec. at 71 (1730-1801)
Not to be confused with Darya Petrovna Saltykova. Darya Nikolayevna Saltykova (Russian: Да́рья Никола́евна Салтыко́ва; née Ivanova, Ивано́ва; March 22, 1730 – December 27, 1801), commonly known as Saltychikha (Russian: Салтычи́ха, IPA: [səltɨˈt͡ɕixə]), was a Russian noblewoman, sadist, and serial killer from Moscow, who became notorious for torturing and killing more than one hundred of her serfs, mostly women and girls. Saltykova has been compared to the earlier Hungarian "Blood Countess", Elizabeth Báthory, who committed similar crimes in her castle against servant girls and local serfs.
Ratko Mladić
96
1,878 votes
Ratko Mladić
Age: 82
Ratko Mladić (Serbian Cyrillic: Ратко Младић, pronounced [râtko mlǎːdit͡ɕ]; born 12 March 1942) is a Bosnian Serb convicted war criminal and former military commander who led the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) as a general during the Yugoslav Wars. He was later found guilty of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). On 31 May 2011, Mladić was extradited to The Hague, where he was processed at the detention center that holds suspects for the ICTY. His trial formally began in The Hague on 16 May 2012 and was concluded on 22 November 2017 finding him guilty and sentencing him to life in prison. A long-time member of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, Mladić began his career in the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) in 1965. He came to prominence in the Yugoslav Wars, initially as a high-ranking officer of the Yugoslav People's Army and subsequently as the Chief of the General Staff of the Army of Republika Srpska in the Bosnian War of 1992–95. He has been referred to by certain media outlets as the "Butcher of Bosnia". In July 1996 the Trial Chamber of the ICTY, proceeding in the absence of Mladić under the ICTY's Rule 61, confirmed all counts of the original indictments, finding there were reasonable grounds to believe he had committed the alleged crimes, and issued an international arrest warrant. The Serbian and United States' governments offered €5 million for information leading to Mladić's capture and arrest. Mladić nevertheless managed to remain at large for nearly sixteen years, initially sheltered by Serbian and Bosnian Serb security forces and later by family. On 26 May 2011, he was arrested in Lazarevo, Serbia. His capture was considered to be one of the pre-conditions for Serbia being awarded candidate status for European Union membership. On 22 November 2017, he was sentenced to life in prison by the ICTY after being found guilty of 10 charges, one of genocide, five of crimes against humanity and four of violations of the laws or customs of war. He was cleared of one count of genocide. As the top military officer with command responsibility, Mladić was deemed by the ICTY to be responsible for both the siege of Sarajevo and the Srebrenica massacre.
Miranda Barbour
97
1,941 votes
Miranda Barbour
Miranda Barbour gained notoriety for her alleged involvement in a series of violent crimes. Her claims of committing multiple murders shocked the public and earned her a notorious reputation, enveloping her actions in mystery and infamy within criminal history.
Angelo La Barbera
98
363 votes
Angelo La Barbera
Dec. at 51 (1924-1975)
Angelo La Barbera (Italian: [ˈandʒelo la barˈbɛːra]; July 3, 1924 – October 28, 1975) was a powerful member of the Sicilian Mafia. Together with his brother Salvatore La Barbera he ruled the Mafia family of Palermo Centro. Salvatore La Barbera sat on the first Sicilian Mafia Commission that was set up in 1958 as the capo mandamento for Mafia families of Borgo Vecchio, Porta Nuova and Palermo Centro. Gaia Servadio, an English/Italian journalist who wrote a biography on Angelo La Barbera, described him as the symbol of the quick, clever gangster. The new post-war mafioso who in the end became the victim of the many politicians he himself had built. He represented the proletariat who tried to become mafioso, middle class, and ultimately did not succeed.
Kermit Gosnell
99
7,243 votes
Kermit Gosnell
Age: 84
Kermit Barron Gosnell (born February 9, 1941) is an American physician and former abortion provider who was convicted of murdering three infants who were born alive during attempted abortion procedures; he was also convicted of involuntary manslaughter of one woman during an abortion procedure.Gosnell owned and operated the Women's Medical Society clinic in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and he was a prolific prescriber of OxyContin. In 2011, Gosnell and various co-defendant employees were charged with eight counts of murder, 24 felony counts of performing illegal abortions beyond the state of Pennsylvania's 24-week time limit, and 227 misdemeanor counts of violating the 24-hour informed consent law. The murder charges related to an adult patient, Karnamaya Mongar, who died following an abortion procedure, and seven newborns said to have been killed by having their spinal cords severed with scissors after being born alive during attempted abortions. In May 2013, Gosnell was convicted of first degree murder in the deaths of three of the infants and involuntary manslaughter in the death of Karnamaya Mongar. Gosnell was also convicted of 21 felony counts of illegal late-term abortion, and 211 counts of violating the 24-hour informed consent law. After his conviction, Gosnell waived his right to appeal in exchange for an agreement by prosecutors not to seek the death penalty. He was sentenced instead to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Delfina and María de Jesús González
100
3,147 votes
Delfina and María de Jesús González
Delfina and María de Jesús González (known as Las Poquianchis) were two sisters from the north-central Mexican state of Guanajuato. From the 1950s until the mid-1960s, the sisters ran "Rancho El Ángel"', the locus of their largescale prostitution ring and the site of at least ninety-one murders. Guinness World Records called them the "most prolific murder partnership".
Benito Mussolini
101
38,117 votes
Benito Mussolini
Dec. at 61 (1883-1945)
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (, also US: , Italian: [beˈniːto mussoˈliːni]; 29 July 1883 – 28 April 1945) was Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Italy from the fascists' takeover of state power in 1922 until 1943, and Duce from 1919 to his execution in 1945 during the Italian civil war. As dictator of Italy and founder of fascism, Mussolini inspired several totalitarian rulers such as Adolf Hitler.A journalist and politician, Mussolini had been a leading member of the National Directorate of the Italian Socialist Party (PSI) from 1910 to 1914, but was expelled from the PSI for advocating military intervention in World War I, in opposition to the party's stance on neutrality. Mussolini served in the Royal Italian Army during the war until he was wounded and discharged in 1917. Mussolini denounced the PSI, his views now centering on nationalism instead of socialism and later founded the fascist movement which came to oppose egalitarianism and class conflict, instead advocating "revolutionary nationalism" transcending class lines. Following the March on Rome in October 1922, Mussolini became the youngest Italian Prime Minister up to that date. After removing all political opposition through his secret police and outlawing labor strikes, Mussolini and his followers consolidated their power through a series of laws that transformed the nation into a one-party dictatorship. Within five years, Mussolini had established dictatorial authority by both legal and extraordinary means and aspired to create a totalitarian state. In 1929, Mussolini signed the Lateran Treaty with the Vatican, ending decades of struggle between the Italian state and the Papacy, and recognized the independence of Vatican City. Mussolini's foreign policy aimed to expand the sphere of influence of Italian fascism. In 1923, he began the "Pacification of Libya" and ordered the bombing of Corfu in retaliation for the murder of an Italian general. In 1936, Mussolini formed Italian East Africa (AOI) by merging Eritrea, Somalia and Ethiopia following the Abyssinian crisis and the Second Italo–Ethiopian War. In 1939, Italian forces occupied Albania. Between 1936 and 1939, Mussolini ordered the successful Italian military intervention in Spain in favor of Francisco Franco during the Spanish civil war. At the same time, Mussolini's Italy tried to avoid the outbreak of a second global war and took part in the Stresa front, the Lytton Report, the Treaty of Lausanne, the Four-Power Pact and the Munich Agreement. However, Italy distanced Britain and France by forming the axis powers with Germany and Japan. Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939, resulting in declarations of war by France and the UK and the start of World War II. On 10 June 1940—with the Fall of France imminent—Italy officially entered the war and occupied parts of south-east France, Corsica and Tunisia. Mussolini planned to concentrate Italian forces on a major offensive against the British Empire in Africa and the Middle East, while expecting the collapse of the UK in the European theatre. The Italians invaded Egypt, bombed Mandatory Palestine, and occupied British Somaliland with initial success. However, the British government refused to accept proposals for a peace that would involve accepting Axis victories in Eastern and Western Europe; plans for an invasion of the UK did not proceed and the war continued. In October 1940, Mussolini sent Italian forces into Greece, starting the Greco-Italian War. The British air force prevented the Italian invasion and allowed the Greeks to push the Italians back to Albania.The Balkan campaign was significantly prolonged until the definition of the Axis occupation of Greece and Yugoslavia. Furthermore, the German invasion of the Soviet Union and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour forced Mussolini to send an Italian army in Russia and declare war on the United States. Mussolini was aware that Italy, whose resources were reduced by the campaigns of the 1930s, was not ready for a long conflict against three superpowers but opted to remain in the conflict to not abandon the fascist imperial ambitions. In 1943, Italy suffered major disasters: by February the Red Army had completely destroyed the Italian Army in Russia; in May the Axis collapsed in North Africa despite previous Italian resistance at the second battle of El Alamein. On 9 July the Anglo-Americans invaded Sicily; and by the 16th it became clear the German summer offensive in the USSR had failed. As a consequence, early on 25 July, the Grand Council of Fascism passed a motion of no confidence for Mussolini; later that day the King dismissed him as head of government and had him placed in custody, appointing Pietro Badoglio to succeed him as Prime Minister. After the king agreed the armistice with the allies, on 12 September 1943 Mussolini was rescued from captivity in the Gran Sasso raid by German paratroopers and Waffen-SS commandos led by Major Otto-Harald Mors. Adolf Hitler, after meeting with the rescued former dictator, then put Mussolini in charge of a puppet regime in northern Italy, the Italian Social Republic (Italian: Repubblica Sociale Italiana, RSI), informally known as the Salò Republic. In late April 1945, in the wake of near total defeat, Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci attempted to flee to Switzerland, but both were captured by Italian communist partisans and summarily executed by firing squad on 28 April 1945 near Lake Como. His body was then taken to Milan, where it was hung upside down at a service station to publicly confirm his demise.
Moses Sithole
102
290 votes
Moses Sithole
Age: 60
Moses Sithole (born 17 November 1964) is a South African serial killer and rapist who committed the ABC Murders, so named because they began in Atteridgeville, continued in Boksburg and finished in Cleveland, a suburb of Johannesburg. From July 16, 1994 to November 6, 1995, Sithole murdered at least 38 people.