This Date in History: Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini

February 14, 1989: Iran's Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini sentenced author Salman Rushdie to death for publishing The Satanic Verses, which many Muslims regarded as insulting to the Prophet Muhammed. Between $1 million $3 million as a reward for anyone who killed Salman Rushdie because of his novel. A few weeks later, Iran severed relations with Great Britain over the latter's refuses to denounce Rushdie, a resident of the UK.