An unidentified man, nicknamed "Jack the Ripper," was held responsible for murdering five London prostitutes in 1888. The five prostitutes were stabbed to death between August 31 and November 9. Jack the Ripper, so named for his skill with a knife, was never found. He is often called the first modern serial killer.

The body of Polly Nichols, throat cut and abdomen sliced, was found in the early morning hours of August 31, 1888. Scotland Yard later called her the first victim of Jack the Ripper, although two other prostitutes had been stabbed to death earlier in that section of London. (So, it is possible that Jack the Ripper can be credited with more killings than just five.) On September 8, Annie Chapman was fatally stabbed, followed by Elizabeth Stride on September 30. The fourth killing, of Catharine Eddowes, occurred less than an hour later. Police speculated that she had interrupted the killer while he...