On this day: July 10

France ends use of the guillotine amid 1981 death penalty abolition

On July 10, 1981, following a national reform of capital punishment, France formally terminated the guillotine's use after decades as the state's principal execution method, part of a broader abolition of the death penalty.

U.S. Announces 2007 Troop Surge Strategy for Iraq

On July 10, 2007, U.S. political and military leaders announced a strategy to send additional combat brigades to Iraq and adjust operational priorities to reduce sectarian violence and protect population centers.

NASA Confirms Loss of Mars Probe Mission

NASA announced on July 10, 1998, that it had lost contact with a Mars probe mission after repeated attempts to re-establish communication, marking the end of operations for the spacecraft and its scientific objectives.

London Bombed as Battle of Britain Intensifies

On 10 July 1940, German air attacks struck London for the first time in significant numbers as the Battle of Britain escalated, marking a shift from attacks on Channel targets to strikes on the British capital.