Assassination Attempts on US Presidents
Presidents Killed 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.
Four sitting presidents have been killed: Abraham Lincoln (1865, by John Wilkes Booth), James A. Garfield (1881, by Charles J. Guiteau), William McKinley (1901, by Leon Czolgosz), and John F. Kennedy (1963, by Lee Harvey Oswald).
Assassination Attempts
In addition to the four presidents who were killed, six others have been the target of assassination attempts.
Andrew Jackson was the target of an assassination attempt in 1835 by Richard Lawrence. Andrew Johnson was the target of an assassination attempt in 1868 by John Wilkes Booth. Theodore Roosevelt was the target of an assassination attempt in 1912 by John Flammang Schrank. Harry S. Truman was the target of an assassination attempt in 1950 by Puerto Rican nationalists Griselio Torresola and Oscar Collazo. Gerald Ford was the target of two assassination attempts in 1975, by Sara Jane Moore and Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme. Ronald Reagan was the target of an assassination attempt in 1981 by John Hinckley, Jr.
Legacy
The assassination of a president is a traumatic event for the nation. It can lead to political instability, economic uncertainty, and social unrest.
The resilience of the United States has been tested by the assassination of four presidents. Each time, the nation has mourned the loss of its leader, but it has also come together to uphold the principles of democracy and the rule of law.
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