Antoine Louis
- Events
- 1
- Episodes
- 5
- Years
- 1789–1792
Every event in Historedia whose sources name Antoine Louis, with the role they cite and all of that event’s episodes. This is not a biography, and mentions are grouped by name, so two people with the same name can share this page.
Events and episodes
Guillotin's Proposal for Humane Execution
1789–1792Role: French physician who invented the prototype of the device later named after Guillotin
- Guillotin's proposal for humane decapitation
On 10 October 1789, Guillotin proposed to the National Assembly that executions be carried out by decapitation using a simple, painless mechanism.
- Guillotin's abolitionist hopes behind the proposal
Guillotin opposed the death penalty and viewed painless mechanical decapitation as a first step toward total abolition.
- Misattribution of the guillotine's invention to Guillotin
Guillotin did not invent the guillotine; the prototype's actual inventor was physician Antoine Louis, though the device was named after Guillotin.
- Follow-up speech and the 'twinkling of an eye' remark
On 1 December 1789 Guillotin addressed the Assembly again on capital punishment; the Moniteur of 18 December 1789 recorded his 'twinkling of an eye' statement.
- Acceptance of decapitation by simple machine into law
The 'decapitation by simple machine' proposal was accepted on 3 June 1791 and became law on 20 March 1792, after years of controversy.
- Guillotin's proposal for humane decapitation
Sources
- Joseph-Ignace Guillotin Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-26