Mary Queen of Scots Beheaded
February 8, 1587
In the great hall of Fotheringhay Castle, Mary Stewart was beheaded after twenty years as Elizabeth's unwelcome guest. The first blow glanced off her skull. When the executioner held up her head, her auburn wig came off, revealing a close-cropped gray. Her little dog was discovered cowering under her skirts.
In context
Also in 1587 (4 other events on record)
- Abbas I Becomes Safavid Shah · Middle East · Politics
- Second Roanoke Colony Lands · North America · Exploration
- Hideyoshi Conquers Kyushu · East Asia · War
- Drake Singes the King's Beard · Europe · War
Before and after in Europe
Before and after in Politics
Era
Renaissance (1501–1650), one of 715 events from that era on Saeculum.