You’ll have no doubt heard about and possibly even learned about Jack the Ripper during your years of education but do you know who he is and what happened back in 1888?

Jack the Ripper murdered five women and is “arguably one of the most infamous serial killers in crime history” in fact, reports Sky History.

Many theories arose about who the killer could be but since he was never caught for his horrendous crimes, the title Jack the Ripper was used in reference to him and his crimes instead.

Sky History added: “There are five canonical victims of the Ripper, whose lives were tragically and brutally cut short.” 

It's thought that the serial killer could have murdered more women than these five victims though.

Here’s what we know about the victims of Jack the Ripper who were killed in Whitechapel, London.

While he wasn't caught while he was alive, there are some theories that suggest his identity has been revealed, using today's DNA technology.

Who were Jack the Ripper’s victims?

Mary Ann Nichols

Mary Ann Nichols was also known as Polly and she was Jack the Ripper’s first victim.

She was found dead near a stable entrance on August 31, 1888.

Sky History said: “Mary Ann had five children, but she struggled with alcohol abuse. When her marriage ended, she spent her life moving through different boarding houses and workhouses. She survived via charitable handouts and prostitution.

“At the time of her death, she lived in a common lodging house in Whitechapel.”

Annie Chapman

Annie Chapman was the serial killer’s second victim and was found dead on September 8, 1888.

Sky History explained more about the victim: “Chapman had a problem with drinking, but she weaned herself off alcohol by 1880. This changed when her son was born [disabled] and her daughter died of meningitis at age 12. Chapman and her husband both fell into alcoholism following this.

“Following a mutual separation with her husband in 1884, Annie moved through common lodging houses in Spitalfields and Whitechapel. She made money through prostitution, but also through selling flowers and crocheting.”

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Elizabeth Stride

The next victim of Jack the Ripper was Elizabeth Stride who was killed on September 30, 1888.

Sky History shed more light on the victim: “Elizabeth was born in Sweden and moved to London in 1866. She married ship carpenter John Stride in 1869, though their marriage began to deteriorate by 1874.

“The two seemed to be separated for a time, but records show that they reunited briefly in around 1881. By 1882, Stride was living in a lodging house. In 1884, John Stride passed away from tuberculosis.

“Stride lived in a lodging house at 32 Flower and Dean Street.”

Catherine Eddowes

It’s believed that Catherine Eddowes was killed just one hour after Elizabeth Stride on September 30, 1888.

Sky History said her last known location was towards Mitre Square which she was heading to on foot. Her body was found there.

It added: “Catherine started a relationship with a former soldier named Thomas Conway while living in Birmingham. They had two children while there and two more when they moved to London in 1868.

“Catherine had a problem with drinking, which put a strain on her relationship as Thomas was teetotal. Their relationship became violent and in 1880, she left Thomas.

“She lived with a new partner, John Kelly, in a lodging house in Spitalfields in 1881. Catherine was arrested for public intoxication on 29th September but was released at around 1am on 30th September.”

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Mary Jane Kelly

Mary Jane Kelly was the final victim of Jack the Ripper and was found dead in her room on November 9, 1888.

Sky History said “her early life is not well documented” but it shared what is thought to be her story.

It explained: “It is thought that she was born in County Limerick in Ireland in around 1863.

“She married a coal miner in 1879 when she was 16, but he was killed in a mining explosion a few years later. She then moved to Cardiff to live with a cousin before moving to London in 1884. Mary was similar to the other victims in that she lived in various lodging houses.

“She began a relationship with a man named Joseph Barnett in 1887. They lived together in one room in Spitalfields, but they argued when Mary allowed fellow prostitutes to sleep in their room when the nights were cold. Barnett left the lodgings a week before Mary’s murder.”

Sky History concluded: “The five canonical victims of Jack the Ripper were vulnerable women who were down on their luck. They had come out of failed marriages or relationships and were struggling to make ends meet.

“Each one of them ultimately became a target because of this, highlighting the brutal and unforgiving nature of the struggles that many women faced in Victorian England.”

The Jack the Ripper tour website explains that while there were five canonical victims, “some historians claim that the true number of Jack the Ripper victims is higher.”

Other victims of Jack the Ripper are thought to be Martha Tabram, Emma Smith, Annie Farmer, Rose Mylett, Frances Coles and Alice MacKenzie.

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The website added: “The Pinchin Street Mystery involved the discovery of a headless, legless torso under a railway arch in the area. Due to the lack of identifiable features, mutilation of the body and the fact that it had already begun to decompose, the body was never identified.

“The state of the body bore a few similarities to Jack the Ripper’s victims, however, there had also been other murders happening in Whitechapel that were even more likely to be linked to this event.

“Whilst the unfortunate individual was unlikely to be a Ripper victim, this discovery heightened tensions in Whitechapel and the East End, especially considering the fact that the Ripper murders still remained unsolved.”