On this day April 5, 1951, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were sentenced to death for providing government secrets, including details of the atomic bomb, to the Soviet Union.
In 1953, the couple would become the first civilians executed for espionage in the United States.
The arrest of a British scientist working on the Manhattan Project eventually led authorities to the Rosenbergs. The scientist turned in the courier to whom he provided atomic secrets, and the courier in turn outed Ethel’s brother, David Greenglass. Ethel’s brother then told authorities his sister and Julius were operating the spy network.
When Ethel was arrested, the government had few details on her role, but used her to persuade Julius to confess.
During the trial, the courier’s testimony directly tied the Rosenbergs as the key members of the conspiracy who provided atomic bomb secrets to the Soviets.
