Today is Friday, March 6th, 2020.

On this day in 1951, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg's espionage trial began in New York's federal court.

Today, nearly 70 years after the trial, the Rosenberg's guilt or innocence is still a matter of debate.

Welcome to today in True Crime, a parcast original.

I'm Vanessa Richardson, and today I'm covering the 1951 espionage trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg.

Their actions against the U.S. were considered so heinous.

FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover labeled the Rosenberg case

the Crime of the Century.

Before we unpack the ramifications of the proceedings,

let's go back to the morning of March 6,

1951 in a New York federal courtroom.

The Rosenberg trial captivated audiences all over the world, but particularly in New York.

Members of the press struggled to wade through the crowd of spectators who spilled out of the courtroom,

down the hallway, and outside onto the steps of the courthouse.

No one outside the courtroom would be able to see or hear what was happening inside, but

everyone wanted to be present for the trial that sharply divided the American public.

The prosecution's star witness, David Greenglass, had worked on the Manhattan Project, tasked with creating an atomic bomb.

He too was charged with espionage alongside the other major defendants.

He was also Ethel Rosenberg's brother. Greenglass looked

uncertain as he entered the court. His weight had fluctuated considerably as the

trial neared,

leading up to his appearance in court

...