Whether by sword, axe or guillotine, death by beheading was historically considered the most humane form of death sentence—as long as the executioner was swift, strong and good at hitting his mark. While the practice was never legally supported in the United States, we do give the method a nod in this country whenever we use the term "capital punishment"; the word "capital" is derived from the Latin "capitalis," which translates to "of the head." Here are some of the most famous victims of this gruesome form of execution.
Meet famous people such as Steve Jobs, Bette Davis, Woody Guthrie, Rock Hudson, and Janis Joplin, who died in the month of October.
They are the famous women who were born into royalty, or found their way to it by marriage, and grew up to be the ecelectic empresses who have inspired countless stories, books, plays and films. As Great Britain's Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her Diamond Jubilee in 2012, a celebration of her 60 years on the throne, the queens who have long been admired—some for thousands of years—for their grace, public charm, dedication to philanthropy, finesse and fashion sense, come back into the spotlight. Explore the lives of notable queens such as Cleopatra VII, Queen Rania and Anna Ivanovna, from the time they were crowned, to their tragedies and milestones as rulers and consorts.