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- The first literary use of "assassination" in English is in Shakespeare's Macbeth
- Assassinations are often carried out by someone hired for the act by a group with political aims or motives
- Radical forms of anarchism at the turn of the 20th century advocated political assassination as a means of bringing down governments
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Common Means
There are as many different ways to assassinate as there are ways to murder, although some means of assassination are particularly notable. The poisoning of food is one of the most feared means, and some world leaders in history have employed "food tasters" to eat portions of their meals before having it served so as to assure no poisons were added during the preparation. The failed assassination of Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko by dioxin poisoning in 2004, and the successful assassination of Alexander Litvinenko with Polonium-210 in 2006 are notable examples. In the 20th century, guns have been the preferred means of assassination, and in the case of Martin Luther King, Jr. and John F. Kennedy, long-range rifles have been used in the crime. Bombs or explosives have also been popular recently, as in the case of Benazir Bhutto's death, perhaps because police and bodyguards have become more savvy regarding the use of firearms. -
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Assassination and High Profile Murder Timeline
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- March 15, 44 BC
- Julius Caesar
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- A fake petition was used to lure Caesar to the forum where he was ambushed by a group of senators and stabbed 23 times.
- Wikipedia: Ides of March
- BBC History: Julius Caesar
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- May 14, 1610
- King Henry IV of France
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- Stabbed to death by François Ravaillac in order to prevent what he saw as a war against the Pope.
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- April 14, 1865
- Abraham Lincoln
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- Shot in the back of the head by John Wilkes Booth while watching the play Our American Cousin.
- Wikipedia: Abraham Lincoln Assassination
- Library of Congress: Assassination of President Abraham Lincoln
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- March 13, 1881
- Tsar Alexander II
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- Killed by a bomb hurled by Ignacy Hryniewiecki
- Sam Houston State: Assassination of Alexander II
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- July 2, 1881
- James Garfield
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- Shot by disgruntled political opponent Charles Julius Guiteau at the Sixth Street train station in Washington D.C.
- Crime Library: Charles Guiteau
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- September 6, 1901
- William McKinley
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- Shot while mingling with the public by anarchist Leon Frank Czolgosz.
- Crime Library: The Assassination of William McKinley
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- March 18, 1913
- King George I of Greece
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- Shot at point blank range by Alexandros Schinas while out for a walk in Salonika.
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- June 28, 1914
- Franz Ferdinand
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- The Austrian Archduke was shot in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip. It is generally accepted that this event started World War I.
- Wikipedia: Assassination in Sarajevo
- Eyewitness to History: Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand
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- December 16, 1916
- Rasputin
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- Beaten, shot, poisoned, and drowned by a group of by members of the Russian royal family.
- About.com: The Murder of Rasputin
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- February 14, 1929
- Saint Valentine's Day Massacre
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- 6 Members of Bugs Moran's gang were executed in a plot devised by rival Al Capone.
- YouTube: Saint Valentine's Day Massacre Documentary
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- January 30, 1948
- Mahatma Gandhi
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- Shot by a Hindu radical while walking with his wife in New Dehli.
- Wikipedia: Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi
- BBC News: The Life and Death of Mahatma Gandhi
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- November 2, 1963
- Ngo Dinh Diem
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- Captured and executed while trying to escape Vietnam.
- National Security Archive: JFK and the Diem Coup
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- November 22, 1963
- John F. Kennedy
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- Hit multiple times by long range rifle fire while riding through the streets of Dallas.
- YouTube: Zapruder Film of the Kennedy Assassination
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- February 21, 1965
- Malcolm X
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- Shot while speaking in New York by members of the Nation of Islam.
- Crime Library: Malcolm X Assassination
- YouTube: Footage of Events Immediately Malcolm X Assassination
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- April 4, 1968
- Martin Luther King Jr.
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- Shot by James Earl Ray at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis Tennessee.
- YouTube: Martin Luther King Assassination Documentary
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- August 9, 1969
- Sharon Tate
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- Tate was 8.5 months pregnant when she was murdered by members of the Manson Family.
- Account of the Tate-LeBianca Murder Trial
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- December 8, 1980
- John Lennon
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- Shot by Mark David Chapman in New York City.
- Crime Library: Mark David Chapman - The Man Who Killed John Lennon
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- October 6, 1981
- Anwar Al Sadat
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- Shot in the head by Khalid Islambouli as part of a fatwa issued by Omar Abdel-Rahman
- YouTube: Footage of the Anwar Sadat Assassination
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- April 4, 1984
- Marvin Gaye
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- Shot by his father following an argument over misplaced financial documents.
- BBC: Marvin Gaye's Father and Killer Dies (1998)
- Crime Library: The Life and Tragic Death of Marvin Gaye
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- November 4, 1995
- Yitzhak Rabin
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- Shot by Yigal Amir in response to the Oslo Accords.
- CNN: Assassination and Funeral of Yitzhak Rabin (1995)
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- March 31, 1995
- Selena
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- Selena was shot by the president of her fan club, Yolanda SaldÃvar after she was fired for stealing money.
- CNN: Yolanda Saldivar Found Guilty of Selena's Murder (1995)
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- September 7, 1996
- Tupac Shakur
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- Shot in a drive by after a gang related altercation following a Mike Tyson fight.
- Coroner's Report of Tupac Shakur
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- March 9, 1997
- Notorious B.I.G.
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- Gunned down by an unknown assailant while leaving a party in Los Angeles.
- Crime Library: The Murders of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G.
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- July 15, 1997
- Gianni Versace
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- Shot on in front of his miami manson by Andrew Cunanan
- Crime Library: Andrew Cunanan
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Timeline of Assassinations Questions
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Unfortunately Karl Malden died, let's do a good original career timeline. 2 AnswersMarch 22, 1912: Born as Mladen George Sekulovich 1931: Graduated from high school 1937: Graduated from Arkansas State Teacher's College October, 1937: First ... read more
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