The guillotine was used in executions for much longer than previously thought
The guillotine was the weapon of choice for executions during the mid-1790s, the revolutionary period better known as the “Reign of Terror.” It was first used in 1789 and was purported to be a “more humane” method of enforcing the death sentence.
The last execution by guillotine took place in 1977. That being said, this gruesome punishment was not formally abolished until 1981, when France did away with the death penalty entirely. By then, two Star Wars movies had already been released.