On this day: March 19
Mass Methanol Poisonings in Poland, March 1927
In March 1927 a wave of methanol poisonings struck Poland after adulterated spirits circulated in the market, causing numerous deaths and illnesses and prompting government investigations and tighter controls on alcohol production and sale.
Executions at Salem Increase Amid 1692 Witchcraft Panic
On March 19, 1692, prosecutions and executions in the Salem witch trials intensified as additional accused were held and some condemned, reflecting escalating fear, legal changes, and social tensions in colonial Massachusetts.
Death warrants signed in the Salem witch trials
On March 19, 1692, authorities in colonial Massachusetts signed death warrants for five accused witches, marking a grim escalation in the Salem witch trials that led to executions later that year.
Death Warrants Signed in the Salem Witch Trials
On March 19 (year varies by source), death warrants were signed in Salem for those condemned in the 1692 witchcraft trials—most notably the four executed earlier that month—marking the legal culmination of the colony’s moral panic that led to at least 20 executions and lasting social trauma.
Executions Rise During 1692 Salem Witchcraft Panic
In March 1692, the Salem witchcraft prosecutions escalated as more accused were condemned and executions increased, reflecting mounting fear and legal pressure in colonial Massachusetts. The events intensified community divisions and would later prompt debate and remorse.
The 1927 Mass Methanol Poisonings in Poland
On March 19, 1927, Polish authorities recorded a large outbreak of methanol poisoning tied to adulterated industrial alcohol sold as beverage spirit, marking one of the first documented mass alcohol-poisoning incidents in the interwar period.
How the 1884 London milk scandal exposed the first major case of mass food adulteration
On March 19, 1884, investigations into contaminated milk in London revealed widespread adulteration practices—dilution, chemical preservatives and dangerous additives—prompting public outcry and spurring early food safety reforms in Britain.