On May 15, 1972, Arthur Bremer attempted to assassinate United States Democratic presidential candidate George Wallace following a rally in in Laurel, Maryland.

Using a .38 caliber revolver, Bremer shot Wallace four times: One bullet became lodged in his spinal cord and paralyzed him, while the other four caused minor injuries to his abdomen and chest. A U.S. Secret Service agent, a campaign volunteer and an Alabama State Trooper acting as Wallace's personal bodyguard were also injured in the shooting.

Bremer's original target was Richard Nixon, but after observing the two candidates, he realized that Wallace was much more accessible. His campaign to assassinate a presidential candidate was not motivated by politics, but by Bremer's desire to be famous.

In 1973, part of Bremer's 137-page handwritten diary was published as the book An Assassin's Diary. The first sentence reads: "Now I start my diary of my personal plot to kill by pistol either Richard Nixon or George Wallace."