3. The Guillotine
In 1789, Dr. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, a French physician and politician, proposed a more humane method of execution to replace the often botched beheadings by sword or axe. He advocated for a device that would decapitate swiftly and painlessly, ensuring equality in death for all classes. Although he did not invent the guillotine, his name became associated with it. The actual design was developed by physician Antoine Louis and engineer Tobias Schmidt, resulting in the efficient execution device known as the guillotine (history.com).
