Assassination Attempts on US Presidents
Four Presidents Killed in Office
In the history of the United States, four sitting presidents have been assassinated: Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, William McKinley, and John F. Kennedy.
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865, just five days after the end of the Civil War. Booth was a Confederate sympathizer who was motivated by his hatred of Lincoln's policies.
James A. Garfield
James A. Garfield was assassinated by Charles J. Guiteau on July 2, 1881, just four months after taking office. Guiteau was a mentally disturbed office-seeker who was motivated by his desire for revenge after being denied a patronage job.
William McKinley
William McKinley was assassinated by Leon Czolgosz on September 6, 1901, while attending the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. Czolgosz was an anarchist who was motivated by his belief that McKinley was a symbol of oppression and injustice.
John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald on November 22, 1963, while riding in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas. Oswald was a former U.S. Marine who had defected to the Soviet Union and was motivated by his hatred of Kennedy's policies and his desire for revenge against the United States.
Presidential Assassinations in US History
In addition to the four presidents who have been assassinated, six other presidents have been the target of assassination attempts. These attempts include:
* Andrew Jackson: 1835 * Theodore Roosevelt: 1902 * Franklin D. Roosevelt: 1933 * Harry S. Truman: 1945 * Gerald Ford: 1975 * Ronald Reagan: 1981Presidential Deaths in Office
Since the office was established in 1789, 45 persons have served as president of the United States. Of these, eight have died in office. In addition to the four presidents who were assassinated, four others died from natural causes:
* William Henry Harrison: 1841 * Zachary Taylor: 1850 * Warren G. Harding: 1923 * Franklin D. Roosevelt: 1945
Comments