ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS ON US PRESIDENTS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT

ANDREW JACKSON (1835)

Let us start with one of the earliest recorded failed assassination

attempts on an American President. It was on January 30, 1835

that a painter named Richard Lawrence attempted to shoot Jackson

with a pistol. It misfired and Andrew began to beat his would-be

assassin with his cane. Richard pulled out another pistol but it

misfired as well and he was hauled away by security.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN (1861)

You may not have realized that prior to being assassinated, there

were at least 2 other attempts on Lincoln’s life. The first was on

February 23, 1861. Known as the Baltimore Plot, this was a plan to

assassinate Lincoln en route to his inauguration. There is still some

debate as to how real the threat was, but either way, Lincoln’s

security team did a good job ensuring his safety by sneaking

him into Washington at night.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN (1864)

As Lincoln was out riding his horse one August evening a rifle shot

just barely missed his head but went through his hat.

WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT (1909)

On October 16, when Taft was meeting the Mexican president, Porfirio Diaz,

on the border of the two countries, Texas Rangers captured and disarmed

a would-be assassin only several feet from the two presidents.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT (1912)

While running to be re-elected, Roosevelt was shot in the chest during

a speech by John Schrank, a saloon keeper from New York. The case

for his glasses that he kept in his breast pocket slowed the bullet down

although it still lodged between his ribs. He went on to finish his

speech before going to the hospital.

HERBERT HOOVER (1928)

While on tour in Argentina, Hoover escaped an assassination attempt

by Argentinian anarchists who tried to blow up his railroad car.

The would-be assassin, Severino Di Giovanni, was arrested before

he could plant the explosives.

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT (1933)

On February 15 in Miami, Florida, Giuseppe Zangara shot five times in

the direction of Roosevelt. While the president-elect escaped

unharmed four people were wounded and the mayor of Chicago,

Anton Cermak, was killed. Zangara was executed shortly thereafter.

HARRY S. TRUMAN (1947)

Just before the independence of Israel, a militant Zionist group known

as the Stern Gang sent several explosive letters to the White House.

They were intercepted, however, before reaching the president.

HARRY S. TRUMAN (1951)

On November 1, two Puerto Rican activists, Oscar Collazo and

Griselio Torresola, attempted to kill Truman at his temporary home,

the Blair House (the White House was being renovated). After a shootout

with police, Torresola was killed and Collazo was seriously wounded.

Although Collazo was sentenced to death, Truman commuted

his sentence to life in prison.