A punishment for religious crimes, where the guilty person is not allowed to participate in any Church activities.
Excommunication
Fact of the Day
Pope Innocent VIII allegedly drank the blood of three young Jewish boys in the hope of capturing their youth. He is also reported to have had the first blood transfusion, in 1492.
Quote of the Day
"I let down my friends, I let down my country. I let down our system of government,
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~ Richard Nixon
On This Day
193 Roman emperor Didius Julianus was executed by his successor, Septimius Severus. He had been emperor for a mere nine weeks, having bought the position when it was auctioned off by the Praetorian Guard.
1533 Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII, was crowned Queen of England.
1939 Naval submarine HMS Thetis sank during trials in Liverpool Bay. Ninety-nine of her crew suffocated and there were just four survivors.
1962 Adolf Eichmann, organiser of the Holocaust, was executed at midnight (between 31 May and 1 June) for crimes against the Jewish people. He had evaded capture and justice for 15 years.