American criminal and prisoner (died 2019)

Thomas Silverstein

Thomas Edward Silverstein was an American criminal who spent the last 42 years of his life in prison after being convicted of three separate murders, with a fourth murder conviction being overturned and Silverstein being implicated in a fifth, while imprisoned for armed robbery. Silverstein spent the last 36 years of his life in solitary confinement for killing corrections officer Merle Clutts at the Marion Penitentiary in Illinois. Prison authorities described him as a brutal killer and a former leader of the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang. Silverstein maintained that the dehumanizing conditions inside the prison system contributed to the three murders he committed.

Born

1952

February 4

Died

2019

Era

1950s

Country

—

About

Thomas, in brief

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Life timeline

Key dates

1952 Born
2019 Died

Also on February 4

What else happened on this day, through history

211 Following the death of the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus at Eboracum (modern York, England) while preparing to lead a campaign against the Caledonians, the empire is left in the control of his two quarrelling sons, Caracalla and Geta, whom he had instructed to make peace.
960 Zhao Kuangyin declares himself Emperor Taizu of Song, ending the Later Zhou and beginning the Song dynasty.
1169 A strong earthquake strikes the Ionian coast of Sicily, causing tens of thousands of injuries and deaths, especially in Catania.
1454 Thirteen Years' War: The Secret Council of the Prussian Confederation sends a formal act of disobedience to the Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, sparking the Thirteen Years' War.

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The world in 1952

When Thomas arrived

april 11 Bolivian National Revolution: Rebels take over Palacio Quemado.
april 11 Pan Am Flight 526A ditches near San Juan-Isla Grande Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, after experiencing an engine failure, killing 52 people.
april 15 First flight of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress.
april 21 Secretary's Day (now Administrative Professionals' Day) is first celebrated.

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Same-day contemporaries

Also born on February 4

Birju Maharaj 1937–2022 Indian dancer, composer, singer and exponent of the Lucknow "Kalka-Bindadin" Gharana of Kathak dance (died 2022) Clint Black 1962– American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer Dietrich Bonhoeffer 1906–1945 German pastor and theologian (born 1906) Dru Drury 1725–1804 English entomologist and author (died 1804) Eddie Cochems 1877–1953 American football player and coach (born 1877) Eulalio Gutiérrez 1881– Mexican general and politician, President of Mexico (died 1939) Gabrielle Anwar 1970– English-American actress George A. Romero 1940–2017 American director and producer (died 2017) Gotse Delchev 1872–1903 Bulgarian and Macedonian revolutionary activist (died 1903)

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Same-year contemporaries

Also born in 1952

Bill Belichick 1952– American football coach Bill Frist 1952– American physician and politician Dambudzo Marechera 1952– Zimbabwean author and poet (died 1987) Dave Carter 1952–2002 American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2002) Domingos Maubere 1952–2025 East Timorese Catholic priest and activist (died 2025) Edward Garnier 1952– English lawyer and politician, Solicitor General for England and Wales Howard Hampton 1952– Canadian lawyer and politician Irina Bokova 1952– Bulgarian politician, Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Jacques Richard 1952–2002 Canadian ice hockey player (died 2002)

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More to explore

Thomas's birthday February 4 Thomas's zodiac Aquarius When Thomas arrived 1952