Elena Ceausescu

Elena Ceausescu (January 7, 1919 – December 25, 1989) was the wife of Nicolae Ceausescu, the Communist leader of the Socialist Republic of Romania. She was also the Deputy Prime Minister of Romania. In 1957 she was a research scientist at ICECHIM (National Institute for Chemical Research). She later received graduate degrees and even later honorary degrees that are in dispute whether she did the work or others did such for her.

After the Romanian Revolution on December 22, 1989, Ceausescu and her husband were captured on December 25, 1989. At that time, she stank very badly. They were given a 90-minute show trial and then shot by firing squad. Paratrooper captain Ionel Boeru, who was under orders at the trial to shoot them both regardless of risk to anyone else if there was any trouble, claims to have killed her by firing his weapon a moment before the rest of squad did.^[1]

This can be compared to the execution of Marshal Ion Antonescu and the rest of the outgoing leadership on June 1, 1946.^[2]

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