Lizzie Borden
Born 1860 · Age 165
American woman tried and acquitted for the 1892 axe murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts; subject of extensive media, cultural works, and ongoing historical debate.
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Life & Career Timeline
Birth of Lizzie Andrew Borden
Lizzie Andrew Borden born in Fall River, Massachusetts to Sarah Anthony Borden and Andrew Jackson Borden.
Death of mother Sarah Anthony Borden
Lizzie's mother, Sarah (née Morse), died in 1863.
Andrew Borden remarries Abby Durfee Gray
Andrew Borden married Abby Durfee Gray three years after Sarah's death.
Religious upbringing and church involvement (approx.)
Lizzie attended Central Congregational Church and was active in church organizations (teaching Sunday school, Christian Endeavor Society, Ladies' Fruit and Flower Mission). Year estimated (young-woman period).
Inquest testimony ruled inadmissible at trial
The testimony given at the inquest (Aug 1892) was later ruled inadmissible during the 1893 criminal trial.
Andrew Borden's estate valuation reported
At the time of his murder Andrew Borden's estate was valued at approximately $300,000 (1892 dollars).
Folk rhyme about Lizzie Borden circulates
A skipping-rope rhyme ('Lizzie Borden took an axe...') emerged in the period after the murders and became part of popular culture.
Autopsies and poison testing
Victims' stomachs were removed during autopsy and tested for poison because of pre-murder household illness; no poison was found.
Hatchet-head found in basement (evidence)
Investigators found two hatchets, two axes, and a suspicious hatchet-head with a fresh broken handle in the basement; the hatchet-head was later confiscated and debated at trial.
Andrew Borden kills pigeons in barn
In May 1892 Andrew Borden killed multiple pigeons in his barn; a point later noted in accounts of family tensions.
Family argument; sisters take vacations
A family argument in July 1892 prompted Lizzie and Emma to take extended vacations in New Bedford; they returned about a week before the murders.
Sale of family rental property to father for $5,000
A few weeks before the murders (July 1892) Lizzie and Emma sold a house they had lived in back to their father for $5,000 (they had earlier purchased it from him for $1).
John Vinnicum Morse sleeps in Borden guest room
John Vinnicum Morse, the sisters' maternal uncle, visited and slept in the guest room the night before the murders (Aug 3, 1892).
Murders of Andrew and Abby Borden
On August 4, 1892, Andrew Borden and his wife Abby were murdered in their Fall River home; Lizzie was later tried and acquitted for the crimes.
Estimated time of Andrew Borden's death (~11:00 am)
Detectives estimated Andrew Borden's death occurred at approximately 11:00 am on Aug 4, 1892.
Night search; officer sees Lizzie in cellar
On the night of Aug 5 an officer reported seeing Lizzie and friend Alice Russell in the cellar carrying a kerosene lamp and slop pail; he observed Lizzie later bent over the sink.
John Morse mobbed on leaving the house
On Aug 5 Morse left the Borden residence and was mobbed by hundreds of people; police escorted him back.
Police conduct thorough search; confiscate hatchet head
On Aug 6 police conducted a more thorough search of the house, inspected sisters' clothing, and confiscated a broken-handled hatchet head suspected as the murder weapon.
Inquest testimony begins; Lizzie appears
Lizzie appeared at the coroner's inquest on Aug 8, 1892; her testimony was erratic and later ruled inadmissible at trial. She had been prescribed morphine to calm her nerves during this period.
Lizzie Borden arrested and jailed
Lizzie was served with a warrant of arrest and jailed on Aug 11, 1892.
Grand jury begins hearing evidence
A grand jury began hearing evidence in Lizzie Borden's case on Nov 7, 1892.
Lizzie Borden indicted
Lizzie was formally indicted for the murders on Dec 2, 1892.
After trial: move to 'Maplecroft' and name usage
After the trial the Borden sisters moved to a large house in The Hill, which Lizzie dubbed 'Maplecroft'. Around this time she began using the name Lizbeth A. Borden.
Another Fall River axe murder (Bertha Manchester)
On June 1, 1893, five days before Lizzie's trial, Bertha Manchester was found murdered in Fall River; similarities were noted during Lizzie's trial.
Trial of Lizzie Borden begins
Lizzie's murder trial began in New Bedford on June 5, 1893. During the trial the victims' skulls were displayed as evidence; Lizzie fainted upon seeing them.
Acquittal by jury
On June 20, 1893, after roughly an hour and a half of deliberation, the jury acquitted Lizzie Borden of the murders.
Accused of shoplifting
In 1897 Lizzie's name returned to the public eye after an accusation of shoplifting in Providence, Rhode Island.
Emma Borden moves out after argument
In 1905, after an argument over a party Lizzie had given for actress Nance O'Neil, Emma moved out of the house and the sisters never saw each other again.
Emma Borden relocates to Newmarket, New Hampshire
Emma moved to Newmarket in 1923, partly for health reasons and to avoid renewed attention after publication about the murders.
Perpetual care bequest for father's grave: $500
Lizzie left $500 in trust for perpetual care of her father's grave.
Bequest to Fall River Animal Rescue League: $30,000
Lizzie left $30,000 to the Fall River Animal Rescue League in her will.
Friend and cousin inherit $6,000 each
In Lizzie's will, her closest friend and a cousin each received $6,000.
Death of Lizzie Borden
Lizzie (Lizbeth) Borden died of pneumonia on June 1, 1927, in Fall River, aged 66. She had been ill after gallbladder removal the previous year.
Death of Emma Borden
Emma Borden died nine days after Lizzie, on June 10, 1927, from chronic nephritis in a nursing home; both sisters were buried side by side in Oak Grove Cemetery.
Will probated
Lizzie Borden's will was probated on June 25, 1927. At her death her estate was reported as over $250,000 (1927 dollars).
Stage depiction: Nine Pine Street (play)
John Colton and Carleton Miles's 1933 play Nine Pine Street portrayed a character based on Lizzie Borden; it ran for 28 performances.
Radio dramatization 'The Lizzie Borden Case' (Unsolved Mysteries)
In 1936 the radio program Unsolved Mysteries broadcast a dramatization titled 'The Lizzie Borden Case'.
One-act play 'Goodbye, Miss Lizzie Borden'
In 1947 Lillian de la Torre wrote a one-act play titled 'Goodbye, Miss Lizzie Borden'.
Agnes de Mille's ballet 'Fall River Legend'
Agnes de Mille created the ballet Fall River Legend (1948) based on Borden's story.
Broadway musical 'New Faces of 1952' includes a number about Lizzie
The 1952 musical New Faces of 1952 featured a number titled 'Lizzie Borden' depicting the crimes.
Alfred Hitchcock Presents airs 'The Older Sister'
An episode ('The Older Sister') aired Jan 21, 1956, presenting a fictionalized account referencing Lizzie Borden.
Omnibus presents two adaptations of Lizzie Borden
On March 24, 1957, Omnibus presented a play 'The Trial of Lizzie Borden' and a production of the Fall River Legend ballet.
Reginald Lawrence's 'The Legend of Lizzie' (short run)
Reginald Lawrence's play 'The Legend of Lizzie' (1959) received praise but closed after two performances.
Chad Mitchell Trio records 'Lizzie Borden' song
The folk group recorded Michael Brown's 'Lizzie Borden' live on their 1961 album 'Mighty Day on Campus' (released as a single).
Single 'Lizzie Borden' reaches Billboard Hot 100 #44
The Chad Mitchell Trio's single 'Lizzie Borden' reached #44 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962.
ABC TV film 'The Legend of Lizzie Borden'
ABC aired 'The Legend of Lizzie Borden' (1975) starring Elizabeth Montgomery as Lizzie.
Play 'Blood Relations' (1980)
Sharon Pollock's 1980 play 'Blood Relations' recounts events leading up to the murders; later adapted into a television movie.
Ed McBain novel 'Lizzie' published
Mystery author Evan Hunter (Ed McBain) published 'Lizzie' (1984), a speculative novel about the murders.
Borden house becomes museum and B&B (operational status noted)
The Lizzie Borden house now operates as a museum and bed-and-breakfast with 1890s styling; pieces of evidence from the trial are preserved at the Fall River Historical Society.
Musical 'Lizzie: The Musical' premieres
The musical 'Lizzie: The Musical' (book by Tim Maner) premiered in 2009, focusing on speculative romances and abuse themes tied to Lizzie's story.
Lifetime film 'Lizzie Borden Took an Ax'
Lifetime produced 'Lizzie Borden Took an Ax' (2014) starring Christina Ricci as Lizzie; speculative dramatization.
Series 'The Lizzie Borden Chronicles' (sequel)
A limited series sequel, 'The Lizzie Borden Chronicles' (2015), followed the fictionalized life of Lizzie after the trial.
'See What I Have Done' wins MUD Literary Prize
Sarah Schmidt's 2017 novel 'See What I Have Done', about the murders, won the MUD Literary Prize for a debut novel.
Erika Mailman's 'The Murderer's Maid' wins Independent Publisher award
Erika Mailman's novel 'The Murderer's Maid' (2017) won a gold medal for historical fiction in the Independent Publisher Book Awards.
Feature film 'Lizzie' released
The 2018 film 'Lizzie' starred Chloë Sevigny as Borden and Kristen Stewart as Bridget Sullivan, dramatizing a lesbian relationship as motive.
PBS NewsHour segment on Lizzie Borden fascination
PBS NewsHour aired a segment (April 27, 2019) about the enduring fascination with Lizzie Borden.
BBC Radio 'Lucy Worsley's Lady Killers' episode includes Borden
In 2022 the Lizzie Borden case was partly dramatized on an episode of the BBC Radio podcast series 'Lucy Worsley's Lady Killers'.
Netflix 'Monster' anthology season announced to focus on Borden
The fourth season of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan's anthology 'Monster' for Netflix was reported to focus on Lizzie Borden; casting (Ella Beatty) announced in press coverage.
Key Achievement Ages
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