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Jean-Claude Romand

Jean-Claude Romand

Jean-Claude Romand is a French impostor and murderer who pretended to be a medical doctor. He killed his family when he was about to be exposed. Romand fooled his family and friends for 18 years; they thought he was a successful medical professional and researcher to World Health Organization. He managed to give an impression that he had researched arteriosclerosis and he had contacts with political figures. In reality, he spent his days wandering and used free information services of the local WHO building. Periodically he left for a supposed work trip but only travelled to Geneva-Cointrin airport and spent a couple of days in a hotel room there, studying a travel guide for a country he was supposed to be in. The deception began with a simple lie: Romand claimed that he had passed a second-year medical examination that he did not sit. He therefore never qualified as a doctor, a fact unknown to his peers. On January 9 1993 Romand killed his wife, both of his children, his parents and the family dog. He also made an attempt on an ex-lover's life by trying to strangle her with a cord. When she struggled, he released her and drove her home, apologising for trying to harm her. He then alight his house and took an overdose of barbiturates, intending to burn with his home. He was rescued and police soon figured out the truth. Romand's trial begun June 25 1996. On July 6 1996 Romand was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Fiction

French author Emmanuel Carrère entered into correspondence with imprisoned Romand to write a book L'Adversaire (Adversary) based on the case. Nicole Garcia directed a movie based on the book; actor Daniel Auteuil played the part of Romand. Romand's deception also formed the basis of a 2005 episode of the BBC crime drama Waking The Dead. Romand, Jean-Claude Romand, Jean-Claude Romand, Jean-Claude Romand, Jean-Claude

Impostor

:Impostor (1953) is also the name of a short story by Philip K. Dick and of a 2002 film, starring Gary Sinise, that is based on the short story. An impostor (or imposter, a common variant) is a person who pretends to be somebody else. Most impostors try to gain financial or social advantages. Pretenders for various thrones used to be common. Numerous men claimed they were Dauphin, heir to the French throne who disappeared during the French Revolution. There were at least two false Dimitris who were serious pretenders for the throne of Russia. Very daring impostors may pretend to be someone else who really exists although fast news media has made this rather difficult in these days. Usually they just misrepresent their financial, educational or social status, family background and in some cases, their gender. Impostors are usually aware of not being who they say they are; they are not the proverbial lunatics who think they are Napoleon. However there are borderline cases who may have ended up believing their own tall tales. People may make false claims about their past or background—that they can sing, for example—without being full-blown impostors; non-existent military service seems common. Only if a significant part of their past is fabricated—like that of George Dupre who claimed to have been an SOE agent in World War II—they approach the admittedly hazy border. Many temporary impostors are criminals who maintain the façade for a time of a caper to defraud their victims (like Wilhelm Voigt). Others, like US prankster Joey Skaggs, do it as a prank or to make a point of some kind. The latter usually reveal the truth sooner or later. Some, like John Howard Griffin, have adopted other identity for purposes of research, investigation or experiment. Note that although impostors usually misrepresent their background, their intentions may not be criminal as such. They may wish to start anew with a new identity or "go native"; i.e. adopt identity and customs of other people. Sometimes women have masqueraded as men to obtain privileges only men can have or work in male-dominated professions (see James Barry). Some of them have fought as men at least in Napoleonic Wars and American Civil War. Sometimes an organization (or even individual) who has been fooled keeps quiet to avoid the embarrassment and therefore allows the impostor try the same thing elsewhere. Of course, the most successful impostors are those whose duplicity is never revealed so that we know nothing about them.

Sample impostors

Fraudsters

- Frank Abagnale, who passed bad checks as a fake pilot, doctor and lawyer
- Cassie Chadwick, who pretended to be Andrew Carnegie's daughter
- David Hampton, who took a role of non-existent son of Sidney Poitier
- Frederick Emerson Peters, US celebrity impersonator and writer of bad checks
- James Reavis, who claimed he owned Arizona
- Christopher Rocancourt, US fake Rockefeller
- Tichborne Claimant
- Wilhelm Voigt, "Captain of Köpenick"
- Lobsang Rampa, who claimed to be a deceased Tibetan Lama possessing the body of Cyril Hoskins and wrote a number of popular yet quite fraudulent books based on that premise.

Exotic impostors

- Mary Baker, who pretended to be Princess Caraboo of Javasu
- Youree Dell Harris, better known as Miss Cleo, claimed to be from Jamaica.
- George Psalmanazar, who claimed to be from Formosa

False pretenders

- Anna Anderson, who may have really believed she was Anastasia, daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia
- Natalya Petrovna Bilikhodze, another Russian Anastasia pretender
- Alexis Brimeyer, Belgian who claimed connection to various European royal houses
- Marco Tullio Catizone impostor of Philip II of Spain
- Harry Domela, who pretended to be a heir to German throne
- Eugenio Lascorz who claimed connection to the royal house of the Byzantine Empire
- Eugenia Smith, another woman who claimed to be Anastasia
- Perkin Warbeck, pretender to the throne of England
- Pierre Plantard, mastermind behind the Priory of Sion hoax, claimed to be Merovingian pretender to the throne of France

People who tried to begin anew

- Martin Hewitt, who became a university professor without real credentials
- Brian MacKinnon, who went back to being a teenager in order to re-enter medical school

People who "went native"

- Grey Owl, an Englishman who wanted to be Ojibwa
- Chief Buffalo Child Long Lance
- Iron Eyes Cody, an Italian American actor who claimed to be Native American
- Chief Two Moons Meridas, faux Amerindian

Multiple impostors

- Ferdinand Waldo Demara, "The Great Imposter"
- Stanley Clifford Weyman
- Laurel Rose Willson, first claimed to be "Lauren Stratford", a victim of satanic ritual abuse; after her story was debunked, she then claimed to be Holocaust survivor "Laura Grabowski" (see also Binjamin Wilkomirski)

Women who lived as men

Many women in history, who may not have been transgendered, have presented themselves as men in order to advance in typically male-dominated fields.
- James Barry, Victorian physician
- Frances Clalin, who served in Missouri artillery during the United States Civil War
- Catalina de Erauso, Basque nun-soldier under Spanish colonial army.
- Dorothy Lawrence, English journalist who wore uniform during the World War I
- Jennie Hodgers who fought as a Union soldier Albert Cashier
- Deborah Sampson, female soldier during the American War of Independence
- Harriet Stokes
- Mary Anne Talbot
- Billy Tipton, jazz musician
- Loreta Janeta Velazquez, Confederate soldier Harry T. Buford

Military Imposters

- Wes Cooley, US Congressman who claimed to have fought in the Korean War
- Brian Dennehy, American actor who claimed to have fought in the Vietnam War
- George Dupre, claimed that he had been working for Special Operations Executive and the French Resistance during World War II
- Joseph Ellis, American professor and historian who claimed a tour of duty in the Vietnam War, but only served in America
- Tim Johnson, former Toronto Blue Jays manager who claimed to have killed children in the Vietnam War, but never saw combat
- Charlie Holland, former president of Writers Guild of America claimed to be in the Green Berets
- Douglas R. Stringfellow, former congressman from Utah who claimed to serve in the Office of Strategic Services during World War II
- Micah Wright, anti-war activist who claimed to be an Army Ranger involved in Panama and several covert operations

Others

- Will Not, who received emails meant for HRH Prince William. He turned them into a website, willnot.co.uk, which explores the nature of celebrity, royalty and online fandom.
- Roberto Coppola, Italian fake priest
- Count Dante, real name John Keehan. Many do not recognize his rationale for assuming the title and allegedly rightful name of Spanish nobility. In his campaign to promote his system of martial arts, he also claimed victories in various secret deathmatches in Asia and mercenary activity in Cuba, none of which carried documented proof.
- Chevalier d'Eon who lived the second half of his life as a woman.
- Frederick Rolfe, better known as Baron Corvo
- Robert Hendy-Freegard, fake MI5 officer
- John Howard Griffin who darkened his skin and travelled in the American South as a black man in 1959, later written as Black Like Me
- Pavel Jerdanowitch, father of the Disumbrationist movement
- Ashida Kim believed by many to be Caucasian author and self proclaimed ninja Christopher Hunter who wrote numerous books on ninjutsu during the 70s and 80s. Noted for refusing to provide details about his teachers or the lineage of the martial art in which he claims expertise.
- James of Julich, ecclesiastical impostor
- Louis de Rougemont, who claimed to be an explorer
- Steven Jay Russell, US judge impostor
- Treva Throneberry who became a younger Brianna Steward
- Paulus Tigrinus, fake patriarch of Constantinople
- Arnaud du Tilh, who took the place of Martin Guerre
- Binjamin Wilkomirski, fake Holocaust survivor

Books

- Sarah Burton: Impostors - Six kinds of liar

Murder

:For other uses of the word "murder," see Murder (disambiguation). In the criminal law, murder is the crime where one human being causes the death of another human being, without lawful excuse, and with intent to kill or with an intent to cause grievous bodily harm (traditionally termed "malice aforethought"). In some common law jurisdictions, an accused is not guilty of murder if the victim lives for longer than a year and a day after the attack. This reflects the likelihood that, if the victim has survived so long after the initial attack, there will be other factors contributing to the cause of death and so break the chain of causation). Subject to the local statute of limitation, the accused can still be charged with an offense representing the seriousness of the initial assault. But, with the advance of modern medicine, the majority of countries have abandoned a fixed time period and test causation on the facts. In most countries murder is considered the most serious crime, and invokes the highest punishment available under the law. As with most legal terms, the precise definition varies between jurisdictions.

Murder and other illegal killings

Some instances of premeditated, intentional killing may be treated as justifiable homicide which excludes liability for murder and, in some countries, all criminal liability for the death. This may include:
- killing a non-surrendered enemy combatant in time of war;
- executing a person in accordance with a legally imposed sentence of death; or
- in a more limited number of countries, killing a person who represents an immediate threat to the lives of others, i.e. in self-defense. In most countries, if one person intentionally kills another, the killer might be charged with murder, or with some lesser offense depending upon the circumstances:
- In the United States, an intentional killing with provocation may sometimes charged as voluntary manslaughter rather than murder.
- Unintentionally causing a death due to recklessness or criminal negligence is treated in most countries as the lesser crime of manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide.
- In some jurisdictions, killings under extreme provocation or duress may be a legal exculpation (see excuse and crime of passion).

Mitigating circumstances

Most countries allow conditions that "affect the balance of the mind" to be regarded as mitigating circumstances. This means that a person may be found guilty of "manslaughter" on the basis of "diminished responsibility" rather than murder, if it can be proved that the killer was suffering from a condition that affected their judgment at the time. Depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and medication side-effects are examples of conditions that may be taken into account when assessing responsibility. The defenses of insanity or mental disorder may apply to a wide range of disorders including psychosis caused by schizophrenia, and excuse the person from the need to undergo the stress of a trial as to liability. In some jurisdictions, following the pre-trial hearing to determine the extent of the disorder, the verdict "not guilty by reason of insanity" may be used. Some countries, such as Canada, Italy, the United Kingdom and Australia, allow post-partum depression, or 'baby-blues', as a defense against murder of a child by a mother, provided that a child is less than a year old (this may be the specific offense of infanticide rather than murder and include the effects of lactation and other aspects of post-natal care). Those who successfully argue a defense based on a mental disorder are usually referred to mandatory clinical treatment until they are certified safe to be released back into the community, rather than prison.

Country-specific murder law

United Kingdom

About 850 murders per year (reported in 2000) are committed in the United Kingdom. This is low compared to the United States with 12,000. These are only raw numbers which do not take varying populations into account: a better perspective can be gained by comparing murders per year per hundred thousand population (1 in the UK, 4 in the USA, and 63 in Colombia - [http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/cri_mur_cap source]). In English law, murder is divided between several offences, including:
- Murder - the killing of another person having either the intention to kill (with "malice aforethought") or to cause grievous bodily harm.
- Infanticide - the intentional killing of an infant under 1-year-old by a mother suffering from post-natal depression or other post-natal disturbance.
- Causing death by dangerous driving (of a motor vehicle) was introduced because jurors, many of whom were drivers, thought the charge of manslaughter to carry too great a level of stigma for the degree of fault actually shown by some drivers and refused to convict when the charge was manslaughter. Now "motor manslaughter is considered an acceptable charge for the more seriously dangerous examples of driving resulting in death. English Law also allows for transferred intent. For example, in the circumstances where a man fires a gun with the intent to kill person A, or at least maim them but the shot misses and kills an otherwise unconnected person B then the intent to kill transfers from person A to person B and a charge of murder would stand. The accused could also be charged with the attempt to murder A. As to mens rea, following R v. Woollin http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/ld199798/ldjudgmt/jd980722/wool.htm, the model direction to be given to juries is a modified version of that proposed by Lord Lane, C.J. in R v Nedrick [1986] 1 W.L.R. 1025, namely: :Where the charge is murder and in the rare cases where the simple direction is not enough, the jury should be directed that they are not entitled to infer the necessary intention, unless they feel sure that death or serious bodily harm was a virtual certainty (barring some unforeseen intervention) as a result of the defendant's actions and that the defendant appreciated that such was the case, the decision being for the jury to to decide on a consideration of all the evidence. Most common law jurisdictions, including the British Commonwealth countries, do not allow the defense of necessity and limit duress. Comparatively recent adaptations to the English law of murder include the abolition of the "year and a day rule", and the proposed introduction of an less restrictive regime for corporate manslaughter.
- See also Scottish Criminal Law for differences with English Law.
Canada
Canada has about 550 murders per year, a number that is fluctuating. This is equivalent to numbers in most of the western world, except the U.S. which has triple the number per capita. The main methods of murder in Canada are shootings (30%), stabbings (30%), and beatings (22%). Canada has four types of crime that can be considered murder:
- first degree murder - the intentional killing of another person with premeditation, in the furtherance of another serious criminal offense (kidnapping, robbery, etc.), or the killing of a peace officer
- second degree murder - the intentional killing of another person without premeditation (ie killing in the heat of the moment)
- manslaughter - the killing of another person where there is no intent to kill
- infanticide - the killing of an infant by a mother while still recovering from the birth, and the mother's mind is "disturbed" (there are exceptions to the above - certain types of murder are always first degree murder, such as the killing of a peace officer, and certain types of killings are murder regardless of intent, such as a death resulting from sexual assault) The maximum penalties for murder are:
- first degree murder - mandatory life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for 25 years (can be paroled under the "faint hope clause" after 15 years imprisonment, but such a reduction is rarely given and is not available for multiple murders)
- second degree murder - mandatory life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for 10-25 years (parole eligibility determined by the judge at sentencing) (exception: if the person had committed another murder in their past, parole eligibility is 25 years)
- manslaughter - maximum life imprisonment; if firearm was used to commit the offence, the minimum penalty is 4 years' imprisonment
- infanticide - maximum 5 years imprisonment
- There is a clause where persons convicted of multiple murder, and deemed unable for rehabilitation, to be declared a 'dangerous offender' upon examination of doctors and psychiatrists (usually for sexually related murder). Persons declared as dangerous offenders have an undetermined prison sentence, although it usually means an increase of 10 years (possibly to 35 or more years). For every murder in Canada there are about 1.5 attempted murders. Attempted murder carries the same consequences as murder itself; it is the intent, not the result, that determines the sentence. About one in three Canadian murders are committed by a family member. One in eight is gang related. About 80% of murderers in Canada are caught within a year. (All statistics are from the 2001 census)
The United States
In the United States, murder, or "homicide", is normally a crime only under state law, and a murder suspect will be arrested and held by local officials and tried in a local court on behalf of the state. For murders that are federal crimes (e.g. a killing of a federal official or on federal property), the trial would occur in a federal court. Approximately 16,000 cases of murder or nonnegligent homicide occur each year in the US according to official FBI crime statistics; among solved cases, almost half of murders are committed by a narrow social group of black males age 17 to 50 (constituting less than 3% of general US population) [http://www.fbi.gov/filelink.html?file=/ucr/cius_03/xl/03tbl2-5.xls]. Traditionally, and still in some states, the following terminology is used: ;First-degree murder (or murder in the first degree, or colloquially, murder one) refers to :a murder that is premeditated (or planned beforehand), or murder which occurs after some degree of reflection by the murderer. This reflection can be years or less than a second. First degree murder is done with malice (i.e., with intent to kill). ;Voluntary Manslaughter, :refers to homicide done in the heat of the moment by an actor demonstrating legally adequate provocation, mitigating the crime from murder. ;Involuntary Manslaughter, :occurs without the specific intent to kill, but usually after an act of criminal negligence or some other act resulting in a person's death. This would in some cases include a death caused by drunk driving or someone dying as the result of an assault in which case the perpetrator didn't have the intent to kill or inflict serious bodily injury. In some other states, the definitions have been adjusted to reflect factors like a perceived need for greater deterrence, rather than the usual distinctions listed previously. For instance, the murder of a police officer, or a murder committed while serving a life sentence, is in some states a first-degree murder regardless of other circumstances.
Felony murder statutes
Many jurisdictions in the United States have also adopted felony murder statutes, according to which anyone who commits a serious crime (specifically, a felony), during which a person dies, is guilty of committing murder. This applies even if one does not personally cause the person's death. For example, a driver for an armed robbery can be convicted of murder if one of the robbers killed someone in the process of the robbery, even though the driver was not present and did not expect the killing to occur. In a few cases, some robbers have been found guilty of felony murder for the deaths of their accomplices.
Capital murder
Capital murder is murder which is punishable by death. In 38 states and the federal government itself, there are laws allowing capital punishment for this crime. Depending on the state, a murder may qualify as "capital murder" if (a) the person murdered was of a special class, such as a police officer; (b) "special circumstances" occurred in the crime, such as multiple murder, the use of poison, or "lying in wait" in order to murder the victim. Capital murder is quite rare in the United States compared to other murder convictions, but it has generated tremendous public debate. See also capital punishment and capital punishment in the United States.
Cultural references
In California, 187 is a well-known slang term for murder, and it often appears in music made in that state. The number refers to section 187 of the California Penal Code which covers murder.
Germany
In Germany the term Mord (murder) is officially used for the premeditated killing of another person: # for pleasure, satisfaction of the sex drive, greed or other "low motives", # insidiously (an unsuspecting victim) or cruelly, by means dangerous to the public (for example with a bomb), # to cover up or facilitate another criminal offense. A killing which is not a murder may be either Totschlag (manslaughter) or fahrlässige Tötung (negligent homicide). Also, if the death is not a foreseeable consequence of an intended or not intended act of violence, it might be classified as Körperverletzung mit Todesfolge (injury resulting in death). The penalty for Mord is lifelong imprisonment, the penalty for Totschlag is five to fifteen years imprisonment.
The Netherlands
By Dutch law, murder (moord) is punishable by a prison sentence of up to twenty years, which is the longest prison sentence the law allows. Under special circumstances, such as multiple murders or prior convictions, a life sentence may be imposed. In addition to a prison sentence, the judge may sentence the suspect to TBS, or "terbeschikkingstelling", meaning detention in a psychiatric institution. TBS is imposed for a number of years (most often in relation to the severity of the crime) and thereafter prolonged if deemed necessary by a committee of psychiatrists. This can be done indefinitely, and has therefore been criticised as being a life sentence in disguise. In 2003, 202 murders were committed in the Netherlands.
Finland
Finnish law calls the crime of causing the death of another human being "manslaughter" (tappo). The minimum sentence is eight years of imprisonment. Attempt is punishable. The crime of murder (murha) is defined as a manslaughter:
- with a firm intent (i.e. it is planned), or
- done in an especially brutal or cruel way, or
- while endangering public safety severely, or
- of a government official keeping the law and order. The only sentence for murder is life in prison. However, the president can and usually will give a pardon (when requested) some time after 12-15 years. Involuntary confinement to a psychiatric institution may also result. It ends when the psychiatrist decides so, or when a court decrees it no longer necessary in a periodical review. There is also the crime of "death" (surma), which is a "manslaughter" under mitigating circumstances, with the punishment of four to ten years. Involuntary manslaughter (kuolemantuottamus) has a maximum punishment of two years of imprisonment or fine (see day fine).
Israel
Israel had 174 murders in 2004 (up from 135 in 1996 and down from 234 in 2001). There are five types of homicide in Israel: # Murder. The premeditated killing of a person or the intentional killing of a person whilst committing, preparing for, or escaping from any crime is murder. The mandatory punishment for this crime is life imprisonment. Life is usually commuted (clemency from the President) to 30 years from which a third can be deducted by the parole board for good behaviour. Terrorists are not usually granted pardons or parole other than as part of deals with terrorist organizations or foreign governments and in exchange for captured Israelis (or their bodies). # Reduced sentence murder. Where the murderer did not fully understand his actions because of mental defect (but not legal insanity or imbecility), or in circumstances close to self-defence, necessity or duress or where the murderer suffered from serious mental distress because of long-term abuse, the court can give a sentence of less than life. # Manslaughter. The deliberate killing of a person without premeditation (or the other circumstances of murder) is manslaughter for which the maximum sentence is 20 years. # Negligent killing or vehicular killing. Maximum sentence is 3 years (minimum of 6 months for the driver). # Infanticide where a woman killed her baby of less than 12 months and could show she was suffering from the effects of the birth or breast-feeding. Maximum sentence is 5 years.
Vikings (8th to 11th centuries)
The Viking culture had no concept of murder. If you killed someone, then it was up to you to pay the family fair compensation (weregild) for the labor lost by the member's death. If the perpetrator refused to pay weregild, it was up to the family of the slain to extract it from the perpetrator, or take his life. The only other type of killing with consequences in Viking culture was "unjust killing', i.e., while the victim was sleeping, or if the victim's back was turned. While there were no more financial repercussions for this other than the normal rules of weregild, the killer in question suffered from a tremendous loss of trust.
Other uses of the word
The word "murder" is sometimes used colloquially to mean some forms of mistreatment, e.g. a bad singer "murdering" a song, or describing something difficult to handle as "absolute murder". Sometimes during sports play an opponent may tell his rival "I'm gonna murder you!", "I'm gonna kill you!", "I'm murdering you!" or "I'm killing you!". A murder is also the name given to a flock of crows (see also Collective nouns for birds).
Murder demographics
Murder occurrences vary wildly among different countries and societies. In the Western world, murder rates in most countries have declined significantly during 20th century and are now between 1-3 cases per 100,000 people per year. Murder rates of Japan and Iceland are among the lowest in the world, around 0.5; rate of United States is highest among all developed countries, at 5.5 (2000). On the other hand, developing countries often have rates of 10-100 murders per 100,000 people per year. Evolution of murder rates over time in different countries is often used by both supporters and opposers of capital punishment and gun control. Using properly filtered data, is possible to make the case for or against either of these issues. For example, one could look at murder rates in United States during 1950-2000 [http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime.htm] and notice that those rates went up sharply shortly after a moratorium on death sentences was effectively imposed in late 1960's. This fact could be used to argue that capital punishment serves as a deterrent and, as such, it is morally justified. Capital punishment opposers would counter that United States have much higher murder rates than Canada and European Union countries, although all those countries have abolished death penalty. Gun control advocates could further point out that, unlike United States, many European countries disallow gun ownership by private citizens, etc. Overall, the global pattern is too complex and, on average, the influence of both these factors is probably insignificant. It is also often claimed that murder rates are correlated with overall wealth of the population ( i.e. that murders happen more often in societies where larger percentage of people lives below the poverty level ). This claim is not supported by evidence. On the other hand, many researchers have observed significant correlation between murder rates and wealth distribution inequality, as measured by Gini coefficient. In the Western World, nearly 90% of all murders are committed by males; yet, according the the US Department of Justice, males are also the victims of 74.6% of murders. There is a sharp peak in the age distribution of murderers between the ages of 17 and 30. People become increasingly uncommon to commit a murder as they age. Incidents of children and adolescents committing murders are extremely rare. Also, about 50% of murders in the United States are commited by black males age 17-45, about 3% of the population.
Documentary Films

- Blind Spot: Murder by Women, A film by Irving Saraf, Allie Light and Julia Hilder, 2000
- Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer, Director: Nick Broomfield, 2003
See also

- -cide
- Child murder
- Combination of murder and suicide
- Cult homicides
- Deicide
- Democide
- Filicide
- Femicide Murder of women, see Deaths in Ciudad Juarez
- Fratricide
- Genocide
- Human sacrifice
- Infanticide
- Killology
- List of massacres
- List of murdered people
- Lust murder
- Mass murder
- Matricide
- Patricide
- Regicide
- List of unsolved murders and deaths
- Serial killer
- Spree killer
- Thrill killing
- Torture murder
- Proxy murder
- Suicide
External links

- [http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/other/atlas/atlas.htm U.S. Centers for Disease Control "Atlas of United States Mortality"]
- [http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/picture-of-month/furtherReading.asp?id=141&venue=2 Cezanne's depiction of 'The Murder']
- [http://www.unesco.org/shs/human_rights/hrfv.htm 1986 Seville Statement on Violence]
- [http://www.culture-of-peace.info/ssov-intro.html Introduction and Updated Information on the Seville Statement on Violence]
- [http://www.mvfr.org Murder Victims Families for Reconciliation, Inc. - An Anti-Capital Punishment Group ja:殺人 simple:Murder Category:law

Arteriosclerosis

: Atherosclerosis

January 9

January 9 is the 9th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 356 days remaining (357 in leap years).

Events

- 1431 - The trial of Joan of Arc begins in Rouen, the seat of the English occupation government.
- 1760 - Afghans defeat Marathas in Battle of Barari Ghat.
- 1768 - Philip Astley stages the first modern circus (London).
- 1788 - Connecticut becomes the fifth state to join the United States.
- 1793 - Jean-Pierre Blanchard becomes the first to fly in a balloon in the United States.
- 1806 - Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson is buried in St. Paul's Cathedral.
- 1839 - The French Academy of Sciences announces the Daguerreotype photography process.
- 1857 - Fort Tejon earthquake, with an estimated magnitude of 7.9
- 1858 - Anson Jones, final President of the Republic of Texas commits suicide.
- 1861 - Mississippi becomes the second state to secede from the Union, preceding the American Civil War.
- 1863 - American Civil War: Battle of Fort Hindman
- 1878 - Humbert I becomes King of Italy.
- 1880 - The Great Gale of 1880 devastates parts of Oregon and Washington with high wind and heavy snow.
- 1882 - Oscar Wilde gives his first lecture on "The English Renaissance of Art" in New York.
- 1894 - New England Telephone and Telegraph installs the first battery-operated telephone switchboard in Lexington, Massachusetts.
- 1903 - Hallam Tennyson, 2nd Baron Tennyson, son of the famous poet Alfred Tennyson, becomes the second Governor-General of Australia
- 1905 - According to the Julian Calendar which was used at the time, Russian workers stage a march on the Winter Palace that ends in the massacre by Czarist troops known as Bloody Sunday, setting off the Russian Revolution of 1905.
- 1912 - Marines invade Honduras.
- 1916 - The Ottoman Empire prevails in the Battle of Çanakkale, as the last British troops are evacuated.
- 1917 - Battle of Rafa
- 1923 - Juan de la Cierva makes first autogiro flight.
- 1929 - The Seeing Eye is established with the mission to train dogs to assist the blind (Nashville, Tennessee).
- 1937 - The first issue of Look magazine goes on sale in the United States.
- 1945 - The United States invades Luzon in the Philippines.
- 1951 - United Nations headquarters officially opens in New York City.
- 1956 - First "Dear Abby" column appears in newspapers.
- 1960 - Construction of the Aswan Dam begins in Egypt.
- 1962 - The NFL prohibits grabbing face masks.
- 1964 - Several Panamanian youths put up the Panamanian flag, and are fired on from the Canal Zone, setting off four days of anti-imperialist insurrection around the country.
- 1972 - RMS Queen Elizabeth is destroyed by fire (Hong Kong harbor).
- 1977 - Super Bowl XI: Oakland Raiders defeat Minnesota Vikings, 32-14.
- 1984 - Clara Peller is featured in the "Where's the Beef?" commercial campaign for Wendy's Restaurants for the first time.
- 1986 - After losing a patent battle with Polaroid, Kodak leaves the instant camera business.
- 1989 - The Sega Genesis is released in New York, New York and Los Angeles, California.
- 1991 - The Soviets storm Vilnius to stop Lithuanian independence.
- 1995 - Valeri Poliakov completes 366 days in space while aboard the Mir space station, breaking a duration record.
- 1996 - Sun Microsystems announces the formation of JavaSoft.
- 1997 - A Comair Embraer 120 crashes during approach into Detroit Metro Airport, killing 29.
- 1999 - After nearly 16 years of operation, the Horizons pavilion at Walt Disney World's Epcot closes permanently. It is razed more than a year later to make way for the new Mission: SPACE attraction.
- 2002 - The United States Department of Justice announces it is going to pursue a criminal investigation of Enron.
- 2005 - Elections are held to replace Yasser Arafat.

Births

1554 to 1899

- 1554 - Pope Gregory XV (d. 1623)
- 1571 - Karel Bonaventura Buquoy, French soldier (d. 1621)
- 1589 - Ivan Gundulic, Croatian poet (d. 1638)
- 1624 - Empress Meisho of Japan (d. 1696)
- 1685 - Tiberius Hemsterhuis, Dutch philologist (d. 1766)
- 1728 - Thomas Warton, English poet (d. 1790)
- 1790 - Per Daniel Amadeus Atterbom, Swedish poet (b. 1790)
- 1811 - Gilbert Abbott à Beckett, English writer (d. 1856)
- 1823 - Johannes Friedrich August von Esmarch, German surgeon (d. 1908)
- 1829 - Thomas William Robertson, English playwright (d. 1871)
- 1829 - Adolf von Schlagintweit, German explorer (d. 1857)
- 1854 - Jennie Jerome, American society beauty (d. 1921)
- 1856 - Anton Aškerc, Slovenian priest and poet (d. 1912)
- 1864 - Vladimir Steklov, Russian mathematician (d. 1926)
- 1868 - S. P. L. Sørensen, Danish chemist (d. 1939)
- 1870 - Joseph B Strauss, American civil engineer (d. 1938)
- 1873 - Hayyim Nahman Bialik, Ukrainian poet and translator (d. 1934)
- 1875 - Gertrude Whitney, American sculptor (d. 1942)
- 1879 - John Broadus Watson, American behaviorist psychologist (d. 1958)
- 1881 - Lascelles Abercrombie, British poet and critic (d. 1938)
- 1881 - Giovanni Papini, Italian writer (d. 1956)
- 1890 - Karel Čapek, Czech writer (d. 1938)
- 1890 - Kurt Tucholsky, German journalist, writer, satirist, and social critic (d. 1935)
- 1892 - Eva Bowring, American politician (d. 1985)
- 1897 - Karl Löwith, German philosopher (d. 1973)
- 1898 - Vilma Banky, Hungarian actress (d. 1991)
- 1898 - Gracie Fields, English vaudeville performer (d. 1979)
- 1899 - Alexander Tcherepnin, Russian composer (d. 1977)

1900 to 1999

- 1901 - Chic Young, cartoonist (d. 1973)
- 1902 - Rudolph Bing, Austrian-born opera manager (d. 1997)
- 1902 - Josemaría Escrivá, Spanish religious author (d. 1975)
- 1904 (O. S.)- George Balanchine, Russian dancer, choreographer, and ballet producer (d. 1983)
- 1908 - Simone de Beauvoir, French author (d. 1986)
- 1912 - Ralph Tubbs, British architect
- 1913 - Richard Nixon, 37th President of the United States (d. 1994)
- 1914 - Kenny (Klook) Clarke, American jazz drummer and composer
- 1915 - Fernando Lamas, Argentine actor (d. 1982)
- 1915 - Les Paul, American guitarist and inventor
- 1916 - Vic Mizzy, American orchestra leader
- 1916 - Peter Twinn, English mathematician and World War II code-breaker (d. 2004)
- 1917 - Herbert Lom, Czech actor
- 1920 - Clive Dunn, British actor
- 1922 - Har Gobind Khorana, Indian biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
- 1922 - Ahmed Sékou Touré, President of Guinea (d. 1984)
- 1925 - Lee Van Cleef, American actor (d. 1989)
- 1928 - Judith Krantz, American author
- 1928 - Domenico Modugno, Italian singer and songwriter
- 1929 - Heiner Muller, German dramatist (d. 1995)
- 1929 - Dorothea Puente, American serial killer
- 1931 - Algis Budrys, American author
- 1932 - Robert P. Casey, American politician (d. 2000)
- 1934 - Bart Starr, American football player
- 1935 - Bob Denver, American actor (d. 2005)
- 1935 - Dick Enberg, American sportscaster
- 1936 - Anne Rivers Siddons, American writer
- 1940 - Jimmy Boyd, American actor, singer
- 1940 - Barbara Buczek, Polish composer (d. 1993)
- 1940 - Ruth Dreifuss, Swiss politician
- 1941 - Joan Baez, American singer and activist
- 1942 - K Callan, American actress
- 1942 - Susannah York, British actress
- 1944 - Jimmy Page, English guitarist (Led Zeppelin)
- 1950 - David Johansen American singer
- 1950 - Rio Reiser, German singer (d. 1996)
- 1951 - Crystal Gayle, American singer
- 1952 - Hugh Bayley, British politician
- 1955 - J. K. Simmons, American actor
- 1956 - Kimberly Beck, American actress
- 1956 - Imelda Staunton, British actress
- 1958 - Mehmet Ali Ağca, Turkish attempted assassin of Pope John Paul II
- 1959 - Mark Martin, NASCAR driver
- 1959 - Rigoberta Menchú, Guatemalan writer, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
- 1959 - Cristi Minculescu, Romanian musician
- 1963 - Michael Everson, American expert in writing systems and Unicode
- 1965 - Eric Erlandson, American musician (Hole)
- 1965 - Joely Richardson, British actress
- 1967 - Claudio Caniggia, Argentinian footballer
- 1967 - Steven Harwell, American singer and musician (Smash Mouth)
- 1967 - Dave Matthews, South African singer and musician
- 1968 - Jimmy Adams, West Indian cricketer
- 1975 - Angela Bettis, American actress
- 1978 - Chad Johnson, American football player
- 1978 - AJ McLean, American singer (Backstreet Boys)
- 1980 - Sergio García, Spanish golfer

Deaths

1283 to 1899

- 1283 - Wen Tianxiang, Chinese prime minister (executed) (b. 1236)
- 1499 - Johann Cicero, elector of Brandenburg (b. 1455)
- 1514 - Anna, Duchess of Brittany, queen of Charles VIII of France (b. 1477)
- 1543 - Guillaume du Bellay, French diplomat and general (b. 1491)
- 1562 - Amago Haruhisa, Japanese samurai and warlord (b. 1514)
- 1571 - Nicolas Durand de Villegaignon, French naval officer (b. 1510)
- 1598 - Jasper Heywood, English translator (b. 1553)
- 1757 - Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle, French scientist and man of letters (b. 1657)
- 1677 - Aernout van der Neer, Dutch cartoonist and painter (b. 1603)
- 1766 - Thomas Birch, British historian (b. 1705)
- 1799 - Maria Gaetana Agnesi, Italian scientist (b. 1718)
- 1800 - Jean Étienne Championnet, French general (b. 1762)
- 1805 - Noble Jones, American Continental Congressman (b. 1723)
- 1848 - Caroline Herschel, German-born astronomer (b. 1750)
- 1858 - Anson Jones, 5th and last President of Texas (suicide) (b. 1798)
- 1873 - Emperor Napoleon III of France (b. 1808)
- 1876 - Samuel Gridley Howe, American abolitionist (b. 1801)
- 1878 - King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy (b. 1820)
- 1895 - Aaron Lufkin Dennison, American watch manufacturer (b. 1812)

1900 to 1999

- 1901 - Richard Copley Christie, English scholar (b. 1830)
- 1908 - Wilhelm Busch, German painter (b. 1832)
- 1908 - Abraham Goldfaden, Russian-born actor (b. 1840)
- 1911 - Edwin Arthur Jones, American composer (b. 1853)
- 1918 - Émile Reynaud, French scientist (b. 1844)
- 1923 - Katherine Mansfield, New Zealand writer (b. 1888)
- 1936 - John Gilbert, American actor (b. 1899)
- 1939 - Johann Strauss III, Austrian conductor (b. 1866)
- 1946 - Countee Cullen, American poet (b. 1903)
- 1947 - Karl Mannheim, German sociologist (b. 1893)
- 1961 - Emily Greene Balch, American writer and pacifist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1867)
- 1971 - Elmer Flick, baseball player (b. 1876)
- 1972 - Ted Shawn, American dancer (b. 1891)
- 1975 - Pierre Fresnay, French actor (b. 1897)
- 1979 - Sara Carter, American singer, guitarist (b. 1898)
- 1981 - Kazimierz Serocki, Polish composer (b. 1922)
- 1984 - Wolfgang Staudte, German director (b. 1906)
- 1985 - Robert Mayer, British businessman and philantropist (b. 1879)
- 1987 - Marion Hutton, American singer (b. 1919)
- 1987 - Arthur Lake, American actor (b. 1905)
- 1990 - Spud Chandler, baseball player (b. 1907)
- 1992 - Bill Naughton, British playwright (b. 1910)
- 1993 - Svetoslav Roerich, Russian painter (b. 1904)
- 1994 - Johnny Temple, baseball player (b. 1927)
- 1995 - Peter Cook, British actor. satirist, writer, and comedian (b. 1937)
- 1995 - Souphanouvong, President of Laos (b. 1909)
- 1997 - Edward Osobka-Morawski, Prime Minister of Poland (b. 1909)
- 1998 - Kenichi Fukui, Japanese chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (1918)

2000 onwards

- 2000 - Nigel Tranter, Scottish historian and author (b. 1909)
- 2003 - Will McDonough, American sports journalist (b. 1935)
- 2005 - Gonzalo Gavira, Mexican film sound technician (b. 1925)

Holidays and observances

- 1788 - Ratification Day in Connecticut
- 1822 - "I Will Stay" Day, when the portuguese prince Pedro decided to stay in Brazil against the orders of the Portugal king João VI, starting the brazilian independence process.
- 1964 - Memorial day of Patriotic Panamanians for the Panama Canal (Martyrs' Day/Dia de los Martires)
- Roman Catholic - Feast of Saint Adrian
- Eastern Orthodox - Feast of Saint Theophan the Recluse
- Philippines - Feast of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo district, Manila.

External links

- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/9 BBC: On This Day] ---- January 8 - January 10 - December 9 - February 9 — listing of all days ko:1월 9일 ms:9 Januari ja:1月9日 simple:January 9 th:9 มกราคม

Barbiturate

Barbiturates are drugs that act as central nervous system (CNS) depressants, and by virtue of this they produce a wide spectrum of effects, from mild sedation to anesthesia. Some are also used as anticonvulsants. Barbiturates are derivatives of barbituric acid. barbituric acid

Medical uses

Today barbiturates are infrequently used as anticonvulsants and for the induction of anesthesia. Benzodiazepines were made as barbiturate alternatives and as such are more widely used and prescribed today than the barbiturate drugs. These barbiturates are available in the U.S.:
- Amobarbital (Sodium Amytal; hypnotics)
- Aprobarbital (hypnotic)
- Butabarbital (hypnotics)
- Butalbital (Fiorinal; sedative)
- Hexobarbital (Sombulex; hypnotic/anesthetic)
- Mephobarbital (antianxiety)
- Pentobarbital (Nembutal; hypnotic)
- Phenobarbital (Luminal; hypnotic, sedative, anticonvulsant)
- Secobarbital (Seconal; hypnotic)
- Sodium thiopental
- Talbutal (Lotusate; hypnotic)
- Thiobarbital (anesthetic) Sometimes two or more barbiturates are combined in a single tablet or capsule; perhaps the most well-known of these combinations is Tuinal, which consists of amobarbital and secobarbital in equal proportions.

Barbiturate abuse

Barbiturates were very popular in the first half of the 20th century. In moderate amounts, these drugs produce a state of intoxication that is remarkably similar to alcohol intoxication. Symptoms include slurred speech, loss of motor coordination, and impaired judgment. Depending on the dose, frequency, and duration of use, one can rapidly develop tolerance, physical dependence, and psychological dependence on barbiturates. With the development of tolerance, the margin of safety between the effective dose and the lethal dose becomes very narrow. That is, in order to obtain the same level of intoxication, the tolerant abuser may raise his or her dose to a level that may result in coma or death. Although many individuals have taken barbiturates therapeutically without harm, concern about the addiction potential (withdrawal symptoms can include tonic-clonic or grand mal seizures potentially leading to permanent disability or even death) of barbiturates and the ever-increasing number of fatalities associated with them led to the development of alternative medications, namely benzodiazepines. Today, fewer than 10 percent of all sedative/hypnotic prescriptions in the United States are for barbiturates.

History

- Dec 4, 1863 Barbituric acid is discovered by German researcher Adolf von Baeyer. His discovery came on the day of St. Barbara, so he chose the name "barbiturate" as a combination of St. Barbara and "urea". Another possible explanation is that he named the substance after his girlfriend Barbara.
- 1903 Barbital, the first medicinal barbiturate, is synthesized from barbituric acid by German scientists Emil Hermann Fischer and Joseph von Mering. It was marketed under the trade name Veronal.
- 1912 Phenobarbital is introduced under the trade name Luminal as a sedative-hypnotic.
- 1950s - 1960s Reports increase about side effects and dependence related to barbiturates.
- 1970 Pentobarbital (II), secobarbital (II), amobarbital (II), butabarbital (III), phenobarbital (IV), and barbital (IV) are all scheduled with the passage of the U.S. Drug Abuse Regulation and Control Act of 1970.
- 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances is signed in Vienna. Designed to regulate amphetamines, barbiturates, and other synthetics, the treaty today regulates amobarbital (III), butalbital (III), cyclobarbital (III), pentobarbital (III), allobarbital (IV), methylphenobarbital (IV), phenobarbital (IV), secbutabarbital (IV), and vinylbital (IV) as scheduled substances.

Other non-therapeutical use

Barbiturates in high doses are used for physician-assisted suicide (PAS), and, in combination with a muscle relaxant, for euthanasia and for capital punishment by lethal injection.

Trivia

- Marilyn Monroe died from an overdose of barbiturates, as did George Sanders and also Jean Seberg.
- Judy Garland (Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz) also died from (accidental) barbiturate overdose.
- Michael Rabin, one of the most prodigious violinists America has ever had, became dependent on barbiturates and his death was partially linked to abuse of this drug.
- Jimi Hendrix's death was a combination of barbiturate overdose and vomit inhalation.

References

- Text partially derived from public domain text from [http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/depressants.html U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency].
- http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/barbiturates/barbiturates.shtml
- http://www.ch.ic.ac.uk/rzepa/mim/drugs/html/barbiturate_text.htm Category:Barbiturates Category:Anticonvulsants

June 25

June 25 is the 176th day of the year (177th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 189 days remaining.

Events

- 841 - Battle of Fontenay
- 1530 - The Augsburg Confession is presented at the Diet of Augsburg to the Holy Roman Emperor by the Lutheran princes and Electors of Germany.
- 1788 - Virginia ratifies the United States Constitution and is admitted as the 10th state of the United States.
- 1876 - Battle of the Little Big Horn and the death of Colonel George Armstrong Custer.
- 1938 - Dr. Douglas Hyde is elected the first President of Ireland.
- 1945 - Seán T. O'Kelly is elected the second President of Ireland.
- 1950 - The beginning of the Korean War.
- 1959 - Eamon de Valera is elected the third President of Ireland.
- 1967 - First global satellite television programme – "Our World"
- 1973 - Erskine Hamilton Childers is elected the fourth President of Ireland.
- 1975 - State of Emergency in India declared.
- Mozambique achieved independence.
- 1982 - Greece abolishes headshaving of the recruits in the military.
- 1983 - India wins the Cricket World Cup.
- 1991 - Croatia and Slovenia declare their independence from Yugoslavia.
- 1993 - David Letterman airs his last episode of Late_Night_with_David_Letterman.
- Kim Campbell is chosen as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada and becomes the first female Prime Minister of Canada.
- 1996 - The Khobar Towers bombing leaves 19 U.S. servicemen dead in Saudi Arabia.
- 1997 - An unmanned Progress spacecraft collided with the Russian Space station, Mir.
- 1998 - Microsoft Windows 98 is released.
- In Clinton v. City of New York, the United States Supreme Court decides that the Line Item Veto Act of 1996 is unconstitutional.
- 1999 - The American soap opera Another World airs its 8891st and final episode.

Births

1328 to 1899

- 1328 - William Montacute, 2nd Earl of Salisbury, English military leader (d. 1397)
- 1560 - Wilhelm Fabry, German surgeon (d. 1634)
- 1612 - John Albert Vasa, Polish bishop (d. 1634)
- 1715 - Joseph-François Foulon, French politician (d. 1789)
- 1852 - Antoni Gaudí, Catalan architect (d. 1926)
- 1858 - Georges Courteline, French dramatist (d. 1929)
- 1864 - Walther Nernst, German chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1941)
- 1865 - Robert Henri, American painter (d. 1929)
- 1884 - Henry Kahnweiler, German art promoter (d. 1979)
- 1887 - George Abbott, American playwright, screenwriter, producer, director, and actor (d. 1995)
- 1894 - Hermann Oberth, German physicist (d. 1989)

1900 to 1999

- 1900 - Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Viceroy of India (d. 1979)
- 1903 - George Orwell, British writer (d. 1950)
- 1907 - J. Hans D. Jensen, German physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1973)
- 1911 - William Howard Stein, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1980)
- 1912 - William T. Cahill, Governor of New Jersey (d. 1996)
- 1913 - Cyril Fletcher, British comedian (d. 2005)
- 1921 - Celia Franca, Canadian ballet dancer
- 1923 - Nicholas Mosley, British writer
- 1924 - Sidney Lumet, American actor and director
- 1925 - June Lockhart, American actress
- 1926 - Ingeborg Bachmann, Austrian writer (d. 1973)
- 1928 - Alexei Abrikosov, Russian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1929 - Eric Carle, American children's author
- 1930 - Mary Beth Peil, American opera singer and actress
- 1932 - Peter Blake, English artist
- 1933 - James Meredith, American civil rights activist
- Álvaro Siza Vieira, Portuguese architect
- 1940 - A.J. Quinnell, English thriller and mystery writer (d. 2005)
- 1945 - Carly Simon, American singer
- 1955 - Terry Chimes, British musician
- 1956 - Boris Trajkovski, President of the Republic of Macedonia (d. 2004)
- 1957 - John Porcerelli, Former Professional Boxer, Preeminent Psychologist and Doctor
- 1963 - George Michael, English singer
- Yann Martel, Canadian author
- 1966 - Dikembe Mutombo, Congan basketball player
- 1969 - Matt Gallant, U.S. television host
- 1970 - Lucy Benjamin, British actress
- Erki Nool, Estonian decathlete, Olympian
- 1972 - Carlos Delgado, Puerto Rican Major League Baseball player
- 1974 - Karisma Kapoor, Indian actress
- 1975 - Linda Cardellini, American actress
- Albert Costa, Spanish tennis player
- Vladimir Kramnik, Russian chess player
- 1981 - Simon Ammann, Swiss ski jumper
- 1982 - Mikhail Youzhny, Russian tennis player
- 1983 - Nargis Farahmand, Afghani poet
- 1986 - Aya Matsuura, Japanese singer
- 1990 - Sabrina Maria Magdalena Preiner, Austrian princess of Winden

Deaths

1134 to 1899

- 1134 - King Nicholas of Denmark
- 1218 - Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester, French crusader (b. 1160)
- 1483 - Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers, English writer
- 1522 - Franchinus Gaffurius, Italian composer (b. 1451)
- 1533 - Mary Tudor, queen of Louis XII of France (b. 1496)
- 1579 - Hatano Hideharu, Japanese warlord and samurai (b. 1541)
- 1593 - Michele Mercati, Italian physician and gardener (b. 1541)
- 1634 - John Marston, English playwright (b. 1576)
- 1638 - Juan Pérez de Montalbán, Spanish writer (b. 1602)
- 1665 - Archduke Sigismund Francis of Austria (b. 1630)
- 1669 - François de Vendôme, duc de Beaufort, French soldier (b. 1616)
- 1671 - Giovanni Battista Riccioli, Italian astronomer (b. 1598)
- 1767 - Georg Philipp Telemann, German composer (b. 1681)
- 1798 - Thomas Sandby, English cartographer and architect (b. 1721)
- 1822 - E.T.A. Hoffmann, German writer, composer, and painter (b. 1776)
- 1861 - Abd-ul-Mejid, Ottoman Sultan (b. 1823)
- 1868 - Carlo Matteucci, Italian physicist (b. 1811)
- 1875 - Antoine-Louis Barye, French sculptor (b. 1796)
- 1876 - George Armstrong Custer, U.S. Army officer (killed in battle) (b. 1839)
- 1882 - François Jouffroy, French sculptor (b. 1806)
- 1884 - Hans Rott, Austrian composer (b. 1858)

1900 to 1999

- 1916 - Thomas Eakins, American artist (b. 1844)
- 1937 - Colin Clive, British actor (b. 1900)
- 1948 - William C. Lee, U.S. general (b. 1895)
- 1960 - Tommy Corcoran, baseball player (b. 1869)
- 1971 - John Boyd Orr, Scottish physician and biologist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1880)
- 1976 - Johnny Mercer, American songwriter (b. 1909)
- 1983 - Alberto Ginastera, Argentine composer (b. 1916)
- 1988 - Hillel Slovak, Israeli-born guitarist (b. 1962)
- 1995 - Warren Burger, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court (b. 1907)
- Ernest Walton, Irish physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1903)
- 1997 - Jacques-Yves Cousteau, French explorer, scientist, and inventor (b. 1910)

2000 onwards

- 2003 - Lester Maddox, Governor of Georgia (b. 1915)

Holidays and Observances

- Statehood Day in Slovenia and Croatia
- Antichristmas celebrated by some Satanists (see also Midsummer)
- National Catfish Day
- Spain – Fiesta of Santa Orosia
- Mozambique – Independence Day
- Abyssinian Coptic Orthodox Church – Feast of Saint Pontius Pilate

External links

- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/25 BBC: On This Day] ---- June 24 - June 26 - May 25 - July 25 – listing of all days ko:6월 25일 ms:25 Jun ja:6月25日 simple:June 25 th:25 มิถุนายน

July 6

July 6 is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 178 days remaining.

Events

- 1253 - Mindaugas is crowned king of Lithuania.
- 1483 - Richard III is crowned king of England.
- 1484 - Portuguese sea captain Diogo Cão finds the mouth of Congo River.
- 1495 - Charles VIII fights in the Battle of Fornovo against the Holy League, ending his attempted conquest of Italy.
- 1560 - The Treaty of Edinburgh is signed by Scotland and England.
- 1573 - Córdoba, Argentina is founded by Jerónimo Luis de Cabrera.
- 1609 - Bohemia is granted freedom of religion.
- 1630 - Thirty-Years War: 4,000 Swedish troops under Gustavus Adolphus land in Pomerania, Germany.
- 1777 - American Revolutionary War: At the Battle of Ticonderoga, bombardment by British artillery under General John Burgoyne forces American retreat from Fort Ticonderoga, New York.
- 1785 - The dollar is unanimously chosen as the monetary unit for the United States.
- 1799 - Ranjit Singh's 25,000 men start march towards Lahore.
- 1801 - Battle of Algeciras: The French navy defeats the British Royal Navy.
- 1854 - In Jackson, Michigan, the first convention of the U.S. Republican Party is held.
- 1885 - Louis Pasteur successfully tests his vaccine against rabies. The patient is Joseph Meister, a boy who was bitten by a rabid dog.
- 1887 - David Kalakaua, monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii, is forced at gunpoint, at the hands of Americans, to sign the Bayonet Constitution giving Americans more power in Hawaii while stripping Hawaiian citizens of their rights.
- 1892 - Dadabhai Naoroji elected as first Indian Member of Parliament in Britain.
- 1893 - The small town of Pomeroy, Iowa is nearly destroyed by a tornado that kills 71 people and injures 200.
- 1905 - Alfred Deakin becomes Prime Minister of Australia for the second time.
- 1908 - Robert Peary sets sail for the Arctic on the expedition on which he later reaches the North Pole.
- 1917 - World War I: Arabian troops led by Lawrence of Arabia and Auda ibu Tayi capture Aqaba from the Turks during the Arab Revolt.
- 1919 - The British