June 19

Emperor Maximilian of Mexico Executed

Habsburg Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico was executed by firing squad by the forces of President Juárez after being captured during the collapse of his French-backed empire. He reportedly distributed gold coins to his executioners and asked them to aim at his chest.

Maximilian's execution ended French imperial ambitions in the Americas and established the Monroe Doctrine's effectiveness in expelling European powers from the Western Hemisphere.