death penalty for murder in 1985 and was executed by a firing squad by
the state of Utah. In 1984 he killed a bartender during a robbery in
Salt Lake City, and the next year killed an attorney in an unsuccessful
escape attempt. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for the first
murder and received the death penalty for the second. In a series of
appeals, defense attorneys presented mitigating evidence of the troubled
upbringing of Gardner, who had spent nearly his entire adult life in
incarceration. His legal team took the case all the way to the U.S.
Supreme Court, which declined to intervene. His execution at Utah State
Prison, the first to be carried out by firing squad in the U.S. in
14 years, became a focus of media attention in June 2010. Gardner
stated that he sought this method of execution because of his Mormon
background. On the day before his execution, The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints released a statement clarifying its position on the
issue of blood atonement of individuals. The case also attracted debate
over capital punishment and whether Gardner's difficult childhood had
destined him for a life of violence.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronnie_Lee_Gardner>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1830:
By royal decree, the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army was
established to be the military force maintained by the Netherlands in
its colony of the Dutch East Indies.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Netherlands_East_Indies_Army>
1876:
Alexander Graham Bell made his first successful bi-directional
telephone call, saying, "Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you."
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invention_of_the_telephone>
1965:
Thomas Playford (pictured), Premier of South Australia, left
office after 27 years, the longest term of any democratically elected
leader in the history of Australia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Playford_IV>
1975:
Ho Chi Minh Campaign: North Vietnam began its final push for
victory over South Vietnam with an attack on Ban Me Thuot.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ban_Me_Thuot>
2005:
Tung Chee-hwa, the first Chief Executive of Hong Kong,
announced his resignation following widespread dissatisfaction with his
leadership.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tung_Chee-hwa>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
normothermic:
(medicine) Having a normal body temperature.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/normothermic>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Irony is the form of paradox. Paradox is what is good and
great at the same time.
--Friedrich Schlegel
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Friedrich_Schlegel>
_______________________________________________
Wikipedia Daily Article mailing list.
To unsubscribe, visit:
https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/daily-article-l
Questions or comments? Contact dal-feedback@wikimedia.org