On This Date in Crime History

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are Executed - 1953

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Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

On June 19, 1953, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are executed at Sing Sing Prison in Ossining, New York. They had both been convicted of conspiring to pass U.S. atomic secrets to the Soviets. Both had also refused to admit any wrongdoing and proclaimed their innocence right up to the time of their deaths in the electric chair. The Rosenberg’s were the first U.S. citizens to be convicted and executed for espionage during peacetime and their case remains controversial to this day.

Radio Talk Show Host is Gunned Down - 1984

Alan Berg

by Michael Thomas Barry

On June 18, 1984, talk radio personality Alan Berg, the self-described "man you love to hate," is gunned down and killed in the driveway of his home in Denver, Colorado. The 50-year-old radio host, whose show on the station KOA gained a strong following in the early 1980s, stirred up controversy with his outspoken personality, abrasive approach and liberal views. He had already been the target of a steady stream of death threats.

Five Burglars are Apprehended at Watergate Complex - 1972

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The Watergate Complex

by Michael Thomas Barry

On June 17, 1972, five burglars are arrested in the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office and apartment complex in Washington, D.C. James McCord, Frank Sturgis, Bernard Barker, Virgilio Gonzalez, and Eugenio Martinez were apprehended in the early morning after a security guard at the Watergate noticed that several doors leading from the stairwell to various hallways had been taped to prevent them from locking.

Police search Joran Van der Sloot's home for clues in disapperance of missing U.S. teen - 2005

Natalie Holloway

by Michael Thomas Barry

On June 15, 2005, more than two weeks after Natalee Holloway vanished while on a high school graduation trip to the Caribbean island of Aruba, police search the home of 17-year-old Joran Van der Sloot, one of the last known people to see the young woman alive. Although Van der Sloot would emerge as a prime suspect in the case, he was never charged. Holloway’s disappearance generated massive media attention in the United States; however, her body never has been found, and in 2012 she was declared legally dead.

TWA Flight 847 is Hijacked - 1985

TWA 847

TWA Flight 847

by Michael Thomas Barry

On June 14, 1985, TWA Flight 847 from Athens to Rome is hijacked by terrorists who immediately demand to know the identity of ''those with Jewish-sounding names." Two of the Lebanese terrorists, armed with grenades and a 9-mm. pistol, then forced the plane to land in Beirut, Lebanon.

Jury begins deliberations in Susan Polk murder trial - 2006

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Susan Polk

by Michael Thomas Barry

On June 13, 2006, jurors began deliberations in the trial of Susan Polk, 48, for the October 2002 murder of her psychotherapist husband Felix Polk, 70, in a poolside cottage at the couple's Orinda, California home. Felix was stabbed and cut 27 times and had suffered blunt force trauma to the head.

Civil Rights Leader Medgar Evers is assassinated - 1963

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Medgar Evers

by Michael Thomas Barry

On June 12, 1963, civil rights leader Medgar Evers is shot to death in the driveway outside his home in Jackson, Mississippi by white supremacist Byron De La Beckwith.

Mobster Henry Hill was born - 1943

Henry Hill

by Michael Thomas Barry

On June 11, 1943, mobster Henry Hill was born in New York City. His life of crime was chronicled in the 1986 book Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family and the 1990 film Goodfellas. Hill’s underworld exploits included participating in the headline-making $5.8-million heist at the Lufthansa cargo terminal at New York City’s JFK International Airport in 1978. It was the largest recorded cash robbery in American history at the time.

Bridget Bishop is the first to be hanged during the Salem Witch Trials - 1692

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Salem Witch Trials

by Michael Thomas Barry

On June 10, 1692, Bridget Bishop, the first colonist to be tried in the Salem witch trials, is hanged after being found guilty of the practice of witchcraft.

Madame-to-the-stars Heidi Fleiss is arrested -1993

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Heidi Fleiss

by Michael Thomas Barry

On June 9, 1993, Heidi Fleiss is arrested as part of a sting operation run by the Los Angeles Police and Beverly Hills Police Departments and the U.S. Justice Department.