Political assassinations are a rare occurrence yet they seem to be commonplace due to the publicity with which they receive. Many politicians are even perhaps more famous due to the fact they were murdered in office than they otherwise would have been. However, there is also a good reason for this mass hysteria - political assassinations change the course of history. Even since before the times of the Ancient Greeks, high-profile figures have been killed in order to send a political message or to remove them from a position of power. Assassinations horrify, fascinate and intrigue the world because they are such unusual events - but many of them have ensured the political, religious and moral landscape of the contemporary world is the way that it is today. Here are eight of the most famous political figures ever to be assassinated - and how each of their deaths impacted on the world...
NUFC editor for WhatCulture.com/NUFC. History graduate (University of Edinburgh) and NCTJ-trained journalist. I love sports, hopelessly following Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons. My pastimes include watching and attending sports matches religiously, reading spy books and sampling ales.
