Treason Timeline of Events

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Treason

In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a lesser superior was petty treason...

Timeline of Events

1478

2.18.1478

George, Duke of Clarence, convicted of treason against his older brother Edward IV of England, is executed in private at the Tower of London.

1521

5.17.1521

Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for treason.

1535

7.6.1535

Sir Thomas More is executed for treason against King Henry VIII of England.

1536

5.19.1536

Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII of England, is beheaded for adultery, treason, and incest.

1540

7.28.1540

Thomas Cromwell is executed at the order of Henry VIII of England on charges of treason. Henry marries his fifth wife, Catherine Howard, on the same day.

1567

9.29.1567

At a dinner, the Duke of Alba arrests the Count of Egmont and the Count of Hoorn for treason.

1603

11.17.1603

English explorer, writer and courtier Sir Walter Raleigh goes on trial for treason.

1619

5.13.1619

Dutch statesman Johan van Oldenbarnevelt is executed in The Hague after being convicted of treason.

1792

12.11.1792

French Revolution: King Louis XVI of France is put on trial for treason by the National Convention.

1793

1.21.1793

After being found guilty of treason by the French Convention, Louis XVI of France is executed by guillotine.

1807

5.22.1807

A grand jury indicts former Vice President of the United States Aaron Burr on a charge of treason.

1834

4.3.1834

The generals in the Greek War of Independence stand trial for treason.

1885

11.16.1885

Canadian rebel leader of the Métis and "Father of Manitoba", Louis Riel is executed for treason.

1894

12.22.1894

The Dreyfus affair begins in France, when Alfred Dreyfus is wrongly convicted of treason, on antisemitic grounds.

1941

8.15.1941

Corporal Josef Jakobs is executed by firing squad at the Tower of London at 7:12am, making him the last person to be executed at the Tower for treason.

1945

6.18.1945

William Joyce (Lord Haw-Haw) is charged with treason.

10.15.1945

World War II: The former premier of Vichy France Pierre Laval is shot by a firing squad for treason.

1948

12.26.1948

Cardinal Mindszenty is arrested in Hungary and accused of treason and conspiracy.

1949

2.8.1949

Cardinal Mindszenty of Hungary is sentenced for treason.

1962

10.8.1962

Spiegel scandal: ''Der Spiegel'' publishes the article ''"Bedingt abwehrbereit"'' (''"Conditionally prepared for defense"'') about a NATO manoeuver called "Fallex 62", which uncovered the sorry state of the Bundeswehr (Germany's army) facing the communist threat from the east at the time. The magazine is soon accused of treason.

1999

2.23.1999

Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Öcalan is charged with treason in Ankara, Turkey.