‘Lincoln, JFK’: List of US presidents who were assassinated or survived attacks

Here’s a look at some of the assassinations and attempted assassinations that have occurred since the nation’s formation in 1776.

US Presidents who were assassinated

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865, while he attended a special performance of the comedy “Our American Cousin” at Ford’s Theatre in Washington. He was shot in the back of his head and died the next morning. His support for Black rights was cited as the reason behind his assassination.

James Garfield

James Garfield was the second US president to be assassinated. He was shot in Washington on July 2, 1881, while walking through a train station, trying to catch a train to New England. He was shot in the chest by Charles Guiteau, and lay in the White House for weeks before he died in September that year.

William McKinley

William McKinley was shot on September 6, 1901, while giving a speech in New York. He was shot in the chest twice at point-blank range while shaking hands with the crowd present at the rally. McKinley was expected to survive the assassination attempt but ultimately passed away eight days later.

John F Kennedy

In one of the most shocking assassinations in US history, John F Kennedy was fatally shot by a hidden assassin armed with a high-powered rifle as he visited Dallas in November 1963 with First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. He was shot as his motorcade rolled out in Dallas. Kennedy was rushed to Parkland Memorial Hospital, where he died soon after.

US Presidents who survived assassination attempts

Gerald Ford

Gerald Ford, who was the 38th US president, faced two assassination attempts within weeks in 1975 and was not hurt in either incident. Ford was on his way to a meeting in California when one of Charles Manson’s disciples pushed through the crowd and aimed a pistol at him. However, she did not fire the gun.

It was 17 days later when another woman, Sara Jane Moore, confronted Ford outside a hotel in San Francisco. Moore fired one shot and missed. A bystander grabbed her arm as a second shot was attempted.

Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan was leaving after a speech in Washington, D.C., and walking to his motorcade when he was shot by John Hinckley Jr., who was in the crowd. Three others were shot during the assassination attempt, including Reagan’s press secretary James Brady, who was left paralysed due to the attack.

George W Bush

George Bush was attending a rally in Tbilisi in 2005 with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili when a hand grenade was thrown toward him. Both men were behind a bulletproof barrier when the grenade, wrapped in cloth, landed about 100 feet away. The grenade did not explode, and no one was hurt.