The history of presidential assassination attempts in the United States is a sobering chronicle of the risks faced by the nation’s highest office holders. While four American presidents have been assassinated, several others have survived attempts on their lives.

Below, American historians at World History Edu provide details about the major assassination attempts, including the historical context and significant facts.

Abraham Lincoln

• Assassination Date: April 14, 1865
• Assassin: John Wilkes Booth
• Location: Ford’s Theatre, Washington, D.C.
• Circumstances: Lincoln was attending a performance of the play “Our American Cousin” when Booth, a famous actor and Confederate sympathizer, entered his box and shot him in the head. Lincoln died the next morning.
• Aftermath: Booth fled but was killed 12 days later. Lincoln’s death deeply impacted the nation, occurring just days after the end of the Civil War.

James A. Garfield

• Assassination Date: July 2, 1881
• Assassin: Charles J. Guiteau
• Location: Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station, Washington, D.C.
• Circumstances: Guiteau, a disgruntled office seeker, shot Garfield twice. The president survived for 79 days but eventually died on September 19, 1881, due to infections caused by his wounds.
• Aftermath: Guiteau was convicted and executed in 1882. Garfield’s death highlighted the need for civil service reform, leading to the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act.

William McKinley

• Assassination Date: September 6, 1901
• Assassin: Leon Czolgosz
• Location: Temple of Music, Buffalo, New York
• Circumstances: McKinley was attending the Pan-American Exposition when anarchist Czolgosz shot him twice at close range. The president died eight days later on September 14, 1901, due to gangrene caused by his wounds.
• Aftermath: Czolgosz was executed by electric chair. McKinley’s assassination led to the strengthening of the Secret Service‘s role in protecting the president.

John F. Kennedy

• Assassination Date: November 22, 1963
• Assassin: Lee Harvey Oswald (disputed by some conspiracy theories)
• Location: Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas
• Circumstances: Kennedy was riding in a motorcade when Oswald, from a nearby building, shot him. Kennedy was pronounced dead shortly after.
• Aftermath: Oswald was captured but killed by nightclub owner Jack Ruby before he could stand trial. Kennedy’s assassination led to widespread public skepticism and numerous conspiracy theories, as well as changes in presidential security protocols.

Notable Assassination Attempts

Andrew Jackson

• Attempt Date: January 30, 1835
• Assailant: Richard Lawrence
• Location: United States Capitol, Washington, D.C.
• Circumstances: Lawrence, who was mentally ill, attempted to shoot Jackson with two pistols, both of which misfired. Jackson then attacked Lawrence with his cane.
• Aftermath: Lawrence was found not guilty by reason of insanity and was institutionalized. This was the first known attempt to assassinate a sitting U.S. president.

Theodore Roosevelt

• Attempt Date: October 14, 1912
• Assailant: John Schrank
• Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Circumstances: Roosevelt, running for a third term as a Progressive Party candidate, was shot in the chest by Schrank. The bullet was slowed by a glasses case and a speech manuscript in Roosevelt’s jacket. Despite his injury, Roosevelt continued with his speech before seeking medical attention.
• Aftermath: Schrank was found insane and committed to a mental hospital. Roosevelt recovered and continued his campaign but did not win the election.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

• Attempt Date: February 15, 1933
• Assailant: Giuseppe Zangara
• Location: Miami, Florida
• Circumstances: Zangara fired several shots at Roosevelt, who was giving a speech from his car. Although Roosevelt was unharmed, five people were injured, including Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak, who later died from his wounds.
• Aftermath: Zangara was executed for Cermak’s murder. This attempt occurred before Roosevelt’s inauguration as president.

Harry S. Truman

• Attempt Date: November 1, 1950
• Assailants: Oscar Collazo and Griselio Torresola
• Location: Blair House, Washington, D.C.
• Circumstances: The Puerto Rican nationalists attempted to kill Truman, who was staying at Blair House during White House renovations. Torresola fatally shot a White House police officer before being killed by the officer. Collazo was wounded and captured.
• Aftermath: Collazo was sentenced to death, later commuted to life imprisonment by Truman. He was eventually released in 1979.

Gerald Ford

• Attempts: Two in 1975
  • First Attempt Date: September 5, 1975
  • Assailant: Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme
  • Location: Sacramento, California
  • Circumstances: Fromme, a follower of Charles Manson, pointed a gun at Ford but did not fire. Secret Service agents subdued her.
  • Aftermath: Fromme was convicted of attempted assassination and sentenced to life in prison. She was paroled in 2009.
  • Second Attempt Date: September 22, 1975
  • Assailant: Sara Jane Moore
  • Location: San Francisco, California
  • Circumstances: Moore fired a shot at Ford from a distance but missed. A bystander grabbed her arm, causing the shot to miss its mark.
  • Aftermath: Moore was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. She was paroled in 2007.

Ronald Reagan

• Attempt Date: March 30, 1981
• Assailant: John Hinckley Jr.
• Location: Washington, D.C.
• Circumstances: Hinckley shot Reagan as he was leaving a hotel after giving a speech. The bullet punctured Reagan’s lung but did not hit his heart. Three others, including Press Secretary James Brady, were also injured.
• Aftermath: Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity and was committed to a mental institution. Reagan’s survival and quick recovery bolstered his public image. Brady’s injuries led to the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act.

Unrealized Plots and Close Calls

Richard Nixon

• Attempt Date: 1974
• Assailant: Samuel Byck
• Location: Baltimore/Washington International Airport
• Circumstances: Byck attempted to hijack a plane and crash it into the White House. He killed a pilot and a police officer but was shot by police before he could take off. Byck then committed suicide.
• Aftermath: Byck’s plan was never realized, but it highlighted the potential vulnerabilities in presidential security.

George H.W. Bush

• Attempt Date: April 13, 1993
• Assailants: Alleged Iraqi operatives
• Location: Kuwait
• Circumstances: A plot to assassinate Bush with a car bomb during his visit to Kuwait was foiled. Kuwaiti officials discovered the bomb and arrested the suspects.
• Aftermath: The U.S. launched a missile strike on Iraqi intelligence headquarters in retaliation. The incident underscored ongoing international threats to U.S. leaders.

Security Evolution

The evolution of presidential security has been shaped by these assassination attempts and plots. Early attempts, such as those on Jackson and Lincoln, exposed the lack of formal protection for presidents. The Secret Service, initially established to combat counterfeiting, was assigned to protect the president after McKinley’s assassination in 1901.

The protective measures have continuously evolved, particularly after high-profile attempts. Kennedy’s assassination led to the enhancement of Secret Service protocols and the creation of the Warren Commission to investigate the incident. The attempts on Ford and Reagan underscored the need for tighter security during public appearances and led to the use of advanced technologies, such as bulletproof vehicles and sophisticated communication systems.

Today, the U.S. Secret Service employs comprehensive strategies to safeguard the president, including threat assessment, physical security, and intelligence gathering. These measures aim to prevent both domestic and international threats, reflecting lessons learned from past incidents.