Event

Joseph-Ignace Guillotin had made a remark on…

December 1789 CE Atlantic West Europe
Joseph-Ignace Guillotin had made a remark on December 1, 1789, during a follow-up speech to the Assembly about capital punishment. "Now, with my machine, I cut off your head in the twinkling of an eye, and you never feel it!"

The statement had quickly became a popular joke, and a few days after the debate a comic song about Guillotin and "his" machine had circulated, forever tying his name to it.

The Moniteur of December 18, 1789 deplores the joking but repeats Guillotin's "twinkling of an eye" statement for posterity.

For the remainder of his life, Guillotin will deeply regret that the machine is named after him.