February 15, 1739 - Charles-Henri Sanson
Few individuals occupy as singular a position in the history of state violence as the man who served as chief executioner of Paris across four turbulent decades — performing that role under a monarchy, through a revolution, and into a republic. He carried out thousands of executions, including those of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, operating the machinery of capital punishment with a procedural consistency that made him, in effect, the state's instrument regardless of who held power.
From Wikipedia
Charles-Henri Sanson (French pronunciation: [ʃaʁl ɑ̃ʁi sɑ̃sɔ̃]; 15 February 1739 – 4 July 1806), was the royal executioner of France during the reign of King Louis XVI, and later chief executioner of the First French Republic. He administered capital punishment in Paris for over 40 years (Exécuteur des arrêts criminels de Paris). He is renowned for carrying out nearly 3,000 executions. During the French Revolution, he was the executioner of Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette, and Robespierre.
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