Although guillotine-like apparatuses were used for executions in several European countries before France adopted it as its only legal method of execution during the French Revolution, the beheading machine is most commonly associated with this period in French history and is in fact named for the physician who was instrumental in having the National Assembly adopt it as France's preferred method of capital punishment, Joseph-Ignace Guillotin.

When was the last execution by guillotine in France?