History Snob on MSN

Public executions were once the most attended events in town — here's what that says about us

For centuries, a public execution could pull a crowd the way a fair, a parade, or a major match might pull one now. Back in the day, crowds of up to 50,000 gathered at places like Tyburn and Newgate ...
KCCI Des Moines

Death row executions nearly doubled this year. Here's where and why

>> LOOK AT THIS BEHIND US. THIS IS THE NUMBER OF DEATH PENALTY EXECUTIONS IN OUR COUNTRY SINCE 1977. YOU SEE THE LATE 90'S. THAT WAS THE PEAK. BUT THEN A GRADUAL DECLINE. >> THAT IS UNTIL NOW. THIS UP ...
Aclu.org

Executions Spiked in 2025, but the Death Penalty Is Still Losing Ground

For death penalty opponents, the dramatic spike in executions last year was truly horrifying. After several years of no more than 25 executions, there were 47 executions in 2025, nearly double the ...
Hosted on MSN

5 countries that still hold public executions in the 21st century

The idea of public execution feels like something from a distant, brutal past. Yet in 2026, there are still places where people are put to death in full view of crowds. It happens in town squares, ...
America Magazine

Executions nearly doubled in 2025. But the Jubilee Year saw other good news for death penalty abolition.

Protesters call for an end to the death penalty outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Dec. 3, 2025. Credit: OSV News photo/Jason Reed, Reuters The U.S. system of capital punishment operates ...