10 Most Important Events In History Caught On Film
6. Assassination Of John F. Kennedy - 22 November 1963
When: 22 November, 1963
Where: Dallas, Texas
What: The assassination of John F. Kennedy, the United States' 35th President, took place as he was being driven through the streets of Dallas in a motorcade. Kennedy, his wife Jacqueline, and the Governor of Texas were waving at the people as they passed by, and everything was going smoothly until a shot rang out.
The first shot alarmed very few people since it was difficult to distinguish from the noise of the event. It wasn't until the second shot, which managed to hit Texas Governor Connally, that people took notice of what was going on. Connally certainly noticed after being hit when he exclaimed, "Oh, no, no, no. My God. They're going to kill us all!"
The third shot proved fatal, as it found its target in the President's skull. The event was witnessed by thousands of people, but there exists only a single viable and complete video recording of the assassination of Kennedy.
Abraham Zapruder was filming the President as he drove past his position along the road. He was there to document the motorcade, but due to happenstance, his film managed to capture the entire sequence of the President's assassination, making the so-called "Zapruder film" one of the most important pieces of criminal evidence in history.