February 11

On the 11th in 1953, President Eisenhower denied a petition for clemency made on behalf of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. The Rosenbergs had been convicted on March 29, 1951 of conspiracy to commit espionage. There are those who believe that their convictions were obtained in reliance on specious evidence. The two were executed by electrocution on June 19, 1953. No long, drawn-out, terribly boring appeals of the death sentence in those days. The executioner got Julius on the first try. However, proving yet again that women are the stronger of the species, it took three tries before Ethel bought it. I was unable to find out what Mrs. Rosenberg wore to her execution and I can only hope that it was something demure and in quiet good taste.