2014 Event President Barack Obama exchanges 5 Guantanamo Bay prisoners for the lone U.S. prisoner of war in Afghanistan, Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl; some lawmakers protest that the secret exchange was illegal because Congress was not notified in advance 1993 Death Wells Root, U.S. screenwriter (Prisoner of Zenda), dies at 92 1990 Event Nelson Mandela, a political prisoner for 27 years, freed in South Africa 1984 Event South Africa prisoner Nelson Mandela sees his wife for 1st time in 22 years 1982 Death Charlie Brooks, Jr., convicted murderer became 1st U.S. prisoner to be executed by lethal injection, at a prison in Huntsville, Texas 1971 Event Neil Simons "prisoner of Second Avenue," premieres in New York City 1971 Death George Jackson, U.S. prisoner, shot to death at 29 1958 Death Ronald Colman, British actor (Prisoner of Zenda), dies at 67 1953 Death Lewis Stone, actor (Prisoner of Zenda), dies of heart attack at 73 1953 Event Operation "Big Switch" Korean War prisoner exchanged at Panmunjom 1948 Death C Aubrey Smith, actor (Prisoner of Zenda), dies at 85 1945 Event Italian partisans capture Mussolini prisoner 1943 Event German paratroopers, on orders of Adolf Hitler, seize former Italian dictator Benito Mussolini who was being held prisoner by the government 1939 Event Russia invades Eastern Poland, takes 217,000 Poles prisoner 1926 Birthday Lionel Jeffries, actor, Fanny, Prisoner of Zenda 1924 Birthday Jane Greer, Washington D.C., actress, Prisoner of Zenda, Clown 1921 Birthday Gene Saks, New York, actor and director, One and Only, Prisoner of 2nd Ave 1920 Death Gerard Leman, Belgian general, war hero, provided King Albert I of Belgium with his military education, commander of the forts surrounding Liege in World War One, captured as a prisoner of War by the Germans and released at the end of the War, dies 1918 Birthday Nelson Mandela, born in Qunu, South Africa, political prisoner, ANC, President, 1994- 1915 Birthday John Egerton, born in England, born John Egerton, 6th Duke of Sutherland, served with British Expeditionary Force, captured at St. Valery, spent four years in a prisoner of war camp 1913 Birthday Stewart Granger, James Stewart, London, actor, Prisoner of Zenda 1901 Birthday Stefan Lorant, born in Budapest, Hungary, writer, Hungarian-American filmmaker, photojournalist, made fourteen films in Vienna and Berlin, opposed to Adolph Hitler, imprisoned, wrote memoir 'I was Hitler's Prisoner' 1894 Birthday Rudolf Hess, Hitler's Deputy Fuhrer, only prisoner at Spandau 1884 Birthday Stuart Holmes, born in Chicago, Illinois, actor, Prisoner of Zenda 1879 Birthday Lewis Stone, Worcester Massachusetts, actor, Prisoner of Zenda 1863 Event President Lincoln issues "eye-for-eye" order to shoot a rebel prisoner for every black prisoner shot 1863 Birthday C[harles] Aubrey Smith, born in London, England, actor, Prisoner of Zenda 1851 Birthday Gerard Leman, born in Liege, Belgium, Belgian general, war hero, provided King Albert I of Belgium with his military education, commander of the forts surrounding Liege in World War One, captured as a prisoner of War by the Germans and released at the end of the War 1802 Event Toussaint L'Ouverture leaves Haiti, prisoner on French ship Heros 1703 Death Man in the Iron Mask, prisoner in Bastille prison in Paris, dies 1647 Event British army seizes King Charles I as a prisoner
