When were the Rosenbergs executed?

The Rosenbergs, Julius and Ethel, were executed on June 19, 1953, for espionage related to passing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union. Their trial and subsequent execution occurred during the early 1950s, a period marked by heightened fears of communism in the United States, known as the Red Scare. This era was characterized by significant public anxiety about communist infiltration and espionage, leading to the government's aggressive pursuit of suspected spies. The significance of the Rosenbergs' case lay in its embodiment of these tensions, making the timing of their execution pivotal in the context of Cold War dynamics and domestic policies aimed at rooting out perceived threats.

The other options do not align with the historical timeline of the Rosenbergs' execution. World War I came to an end in 1918, while the Great Depression spanned the 1930s, and the Korean War occurred from 1950 to 1953, but the Rosenbergs' execution specifically took place before the end of that conflict. Thus, the early 1950s accurately encapsulates the time frame of their execution.