The History of Presidential Assassinations and Attempts in the United States

The United States has a tragic history of presidential assassinations and attempts. Four sitting presidents have been assassinated:

1. Abraham Lincoln (1865) – Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C.
2. James A. Garfield (1881) – Garfield was shot by Charles J. Guiteau at a Washington, D.C. train station and succumbed to his injuries.
3. William McKinley (1901) – McKinley was fatally shot by anarchist Leon Czolgosz at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York.
4. John F. Kennedy (1963) – Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas, Texas.

Several presidents have also survived assassination attempts:

1. Theodore Roosevelt (1912) – While campaigning for a third term, Roosevelt was shot in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but continued his speech with the bullet lodged in his chest.
2. Ronald Reagan (1981) – Reagan was shot by John Hinckley Jr. outside a Washington, D.C. hotel but survived after prompt medical treatment.
3. Donald Trump (2024) – Trump was wounded in an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

These incidents underscore the ongoing risks faced by U.S. presidents throughout history.

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