10 FAILED ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS
From the conspirators of Julius Cesar, to Kennedy’s killer Lee Harvey Oswald, many have taken up arms to stop the career of some political official. Although motives were mostly known, until today many of assassins or the people who hired them are not discovered. Would history have a different course had these failed assassination attempts were successfully carried out? Would the World War finish earlier had the Hitler did not survive the assassination attempt in 1944? What would be the future of communist Russia had the assassination attempt on Lenin succeeded?
10TARGET: RONALD REAGAN – PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, 30 MARCH 1981
John Hinckley shoots Reagan, narrowly missing his heart, in an attempt to impress actress Jodie Foster.
09TARGET: GAMAL NASSER – PRIME MINISTER OF EGYPT, 1954
A Muslim Brotherhood assassin fails to hit Nasser during a speech. The group are subsequently suppressed.
08TARGET: BENITO MUSSOLINI – PRIME MINISTER AND HEAD OF THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT, MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS
Mussolini survives two shootings and bomb attack in 1926. He use the attempts to cement his grip on Italy.
07TARGET: PERVEZ MUSHARRAF – MILITARY LEADER AND PRESIDENT OF PAKISTAN, MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS
Musharraf survives two bomb attacks in 2003. In 2007 gunmen fail to shot down his plane.
06TARGET: HARRY S. TRUMAN – PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, NOVEMBER 1950
Two Puerto Rican nationalists are behind the attack – one of them dies in the ensuing gun battle.
05TARGET: CHARLES DE GAULLE – PRESIDENT OF FRANCE, MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS
Groups trying to prevent Algerian independence target De Gaulle. He survives a bomb attack in 1961 and a shooting in 1962.
04TARGET: JOHN PAUL II – POPE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, 13 MAY 1981
The Pope is shot four times by Mehmet Ali Agca. Rumors persist that the Soviet Union was behind the attack.
03TARGET: FRANKLIH D. ROOSEVELT – PRESIDENT ELECT OF THE USA, 15 FEBRUARY 1933
An unemployed brick layer fires at FDR but doesn’t hit him. Five other people are injured and the mayor of Chicago is killed.
02TARGET: VLADIMIR LENIN – LEADER OF THE RUSSIAN COMMUNIST PARTY, 30 AUGUST 1918
Following a speech, Lenin is shot by Fanya Bolshevik reprisals against their opponents soon follow.
01TARGET: ADOLF HITLER – FUHRER AND CHANCELLOR OF GERMANY, MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS
01. TARGET: ADOLF HITLER – FUHRER AND CHANCELLOR OF GERMANY, MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS