January 26, 1972Srbská Kamenice, CzechoslovakiaA airliner carrying 28 people explodes mid-air, leaving only 22-year-old flight attendant Vesna Vulović alive About an hour after the DC-9 airplane took off from Copenhagen to Belgrade, it was broken apart by an explosion. It is believed many of those aboard the aircraft were sucked out of the vessel and…
Man executed for the murders of 7
October 6, 1927CzechoslovakiaMartin Lecián (27) is hanged for murder Lecián — reported to be 19 in some American newspapers — was incarcerated for committing between 54 and 69 robberies as well as the murders and attempted murders (worded as “partly completed and partly unfinished”) according to Czech reports. American reports stated six men and one…
During religious tensions, several council members are thrown from a window
July 30, 1419 Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia (present-day Czech Republic) Hussite leaders throw town council members from a window The Hussites were a pre-Protestant Christian denomination following the teachings of Jan Hus. The Hussites and Catholics disagreed on some key tenets of faith; in particular, the Hussites believed everyone, not just the clergy, should be…
Woman executed for driving truck into a crowd of people
March 12, 1975 Prague, Czechoslovakia Olga Hepnarová is hanged for driving a truck into a group of people, killing 8 and injuring 12 The murders took place on July 10, 1973. Her targets were people waiting for a tram, and those killed were elderly between 60 to 79 years old. Her alleged motive for the…
Conjoined twins denied food and water for 8 days after birth due to superstition
January 20, 1878 Skrejšov, Bohemia (modern day Czech Republic) Conjoined twins Rosa and Josefa Blažek are born and, following the advice of a local folk healer, are denied food and water for 8 days; their survival is decided to be a divine message they were meant to live After their unlikely survival as newborns, Rosa…