Friday, June 17, 2011

Famous Assassination Attempts

Famous Assassination Attempts
Famous assassination attempts. On this day 30 years ago, Queen Elizabeth II was nearly assassinated. The British monarch was shot at during a ceremony near Buckingham Palace. In light of this anniversary, we take a look at some of history's most famous assassination attempts.
Queen Elizabeth II Assassination Attempts
When: June 13, 1981

How? The queen was on horseback, riding in the Trooping the Colour ceremony, when Marcus Sarjeant  fired six blank shots at her. Sarjeant pleaded guilty and was imprisoned
Ronald Reagan Assassination Attempts
When: March 30, 1981

How? After watching this movie, John Hinckley Jr. became obsessed with actress Jodie Foster. He tried to impress her by assassinating President Reagan. Hinckley fired six shots at the president, hitting him with one. Hinckley was found not guilty
Pope John Paul II Assassination Attempts
When: May 13, 1981

How? Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Agca shot the pope as he spoke in Saint Peter's Square. Agca was sentenced to life in prison but later pardoned
Harry S. Truman Assassination Attempts
When: Nov. 1, 1950

How? Oscar Collazo and Griselio Torresola shot at White House policemen as they tried to reach Blair House, where President Truman was staying. Torresola died in the shootout, and Collazo was sentenced to death, but this was later changed to life in prison.
John F. Kennedy Assassination Attempts
When: Dec. 11, 1960

How? Richard Pavlick attempted to kill President Kennedy before he even served a day in office. Luckily, the sight of Kennedy with his wife and children stopped him. He was arrested a few days later and admitted to a mental health facility. Read about JFK's assassination three years later.
Theodore Roosevelt Assassination Attempts
When: Oct. 14, 1912


How? Roosevelt was campaigning for office when he was shot by John Schrank. Schrank was admitted to a mental hospital. Find out what he said led him to shoot Roosevelt.
Adolf Hitler Assassination Attempts
When: July 20, 1944

How? The July 20 plot, involving Claus von Stauffenberg, is probably the most famous assassination attempt on Hitler. Stauffenberg, a military adviser to Hitler, set off a bomb in a conference room, but the Fuhrer escaped with minor injuries. Stauffenberg fled but was captured later that night and killed.
Gerald Ford Assassination Attempts
When: Sept. 5, 1975

How? Lynette Fromme, a follower of Charles Manson, shot at President Ford as he was campaigning for office. She was sentenced and Ford continued his campaign. A few weeks later, he survived a second assassination attempt
Andrew Jackson Assassination Attempts
When: Jan. 30, 1835


How? House painter Richard Lawrence tried to shoot Jackson, but his gun misfired. In response, Jackson beat Lawrence with his cane. This frontiersman was on hand to disarm Lawrence, who was later found not guilty
Vladimir Lenin Assassination Attempts
When: Aug. 30, 1918


How? Political revolutionary Fanny Kaplan shot at Lenin while the Russian dictator was speaking . Three shots hit him, and Kaplan was later executed for the attempted assassination.
Fidel Castro Assassination Attempts
When: Fall, 1960


How? The CIA was allegedly behind one of the most famous assassination attempts on Castro.
Park Chung-Hee Assassination Attempts
When: Aug. 15, 1974


How? North Korean agent Mun Se-gwang shot at Chung-Hee while the president of South Korea was giving a speech. Mun, who was later executed, missed Park but hit and killed his wife, Yuk Young-soo.
Benazir Bhutto Assassination Attempts
When: Oct. 18, 2007


How? Bhutto, a particularly notable prime minister of Pakistan, had been in exile from the country but returned in 2007. She was at the airport when two suicide bombers blew themselves up. Bhutto was unhurt, but many people were killed. Bhutto was assassinated a few months later.
Viktor Yushchenko Assassination Attempts
When: Early September 2004


How? The president of Ukraine was campaigning for office when he fell sick with unique symptoms. It was later determined that he had been poisoned. Yushchenko said it was an assassination attempt, but others have disagreed
Richard Nixon Assassination Attempts
When: Feb. 22, 1974


How? Samuel Byck shot at police at Baltimore's airport and hijacked a plane. His plan was to kill Nixon by crashing the plane into the White House. After Byck shot both pilots, a heroic policeman shot his way onto the plane and wounded Byck, who then killed himself.
Margaret Thatcher Assassination Attempts
When: Oct. 12, 1984


How? Patrick Magee, a member of the Irish Republican Army, set off a bomb at a Conservative Party conference. Thatcher escaped, but five people were killed.Magee received eight life sentences but was released under the Good Friday Agreement after serving 14 years.
John Major Assassination Attempts
When: Feb. 7, 1991


How? The Irish Republican Army fired three mortar shells at 10 Downing Street, where British Prime Minister Major was in a meeting. Major was unhurt, but four people were injured. The IRA claimed responsibility, but no one was arrested after the attack.
George Harrison Assassination Attempts
When: Dec. 31, 1999


How? Michael Abram broke into Harrison's home and stabbed him with a kitchen knife. Harrison's wife Olivia called police, then began beating Abram. The struggle continued until police arrived. Abram was acquitted of attempted murder. Harrison died two years later from lung cancer
George W. Bush Assassination Attempts
When: May 10, 2005


How? Vladimer Arutiniani threw a grenade at the former president as he spoke in the nation of Georgia. The grenade didn't go off, and no one was injured. Months later, Arutiniani confessed to the attempted assassination
Gabrielle Giffords Assassination Attempts
When: Jan. 8, 2011


How? High school dropout Jared Lee Loughner allegedly shot U.S. Rep. Giffords in the head as she met with constituents at a Safeway. Giffords was critically injured but survived. In total, six were killed and 13 injured in the attack. As of now, Loughner won't stand trial
Chen Shui-Bian Assassination Attempts
When: March 19, 2004


How? The president of Taiwan was shot in the stomach as he campaigned for a second term. Although no suspects were immediately found, the investigation eventually identified one, Chen Yi-hsiung, who was found drowned several days after the shooting.
Jacques Chirac Assassination Attempts
When: July 14, 2002


How? Maxime Brunerie shot at French President Chirac before a Bastille Day parade. Brunerie admitted he planned to kill the president and then himself. He was found guilty of attempted murder and was sentenced

Source: Special