Assassinations and assassination attempts involving U.S. presidents and presidential candidates: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Photos and Videos

Media coverage of an assassination attempt on Theodore Roosevelt

Assassination of James A. Garfield

Illustration of President William McKinley being shot by Leon Czolgosz at a crowded indoor reception, with shocked onlookers and American flags in the background.

Front page of the Chicago Tribune with the headline reading Assassin kills Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson sworn in, featuring photos of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson.

Weapon of Choice

Jack Ruby in a suit and patterned tie, looking slightly to the side in a black-and-white portrait from 1966.

Senator Robert F. Kennedy stands smiling at a podium labeled Ambassador Hotel, surrounded by supporters and press in a crowded ballroom decorated with American flags.

Andrew Jackson assassination attempt

Travel back to the night of Abraham Lincoln's assassination days after the end of the Civil War

See All Videos and Images →

Topics

Political Violence in the U.S. in the 21st Century presidency of the United States of America United States presidential election assassination Can a U.S. President serve a third term?Eight Elections That Changed History list of U.S. presidents who experienced chronic health problems while in office Which U.S. Presidents Have Been Impeached?What Is a Lame-Duck President?What are the 3 branches of the U.S. government?list of U.S. presidential elections in which the winner lost the popular vote How Did James A. Garfield Die?What happens if the president dies?Today in History—September 26: TV Transformed Presidential Campaigns