8 Famous Political Assassinations That Shook The World

1. John F. Kennedy (USA)

In perhaps the most famous assassination in the history of the western world, John F Kennedy was shot dead on November 22, 1963. The 35th President of the United States, JFK had been in office during some of the most turbulent events in American political history - the Cuban Missile Crisis, the building of the Berlin Wall, the Bay of Pigs invasion, the Vietnam War and an increasingly-vocal African-American Civil Rights Movement. Seen by many as the first €œcelebrity€ President, JFK knew how to use mass media to get his message across and he was recognised nationwide due to his charm and oratory. Infamously, Kennedy is also remembered for his supposed extramarital affairs with notable figures including Marilyn Monroe, Judith Campbell and Mimi Alford. However, what he is most remembered for is unfortunately his untimely death. While on a political trip to Dallas, Texas, in November 1963, Kennedy was being driven through the city in an open-top car along with his wife Jackie and other Democratic figures. He was shot three times - in the throat, upper back and fatally in the head - and was killed instantly, forcing Lyndon B. Johnson to be sworn in on Air Force One while still in the air just eight minutes after Kennedy€™s death. Lee Harvey Oswald - another whose name still remains a favourite in pub quizzes worldwide - was arrested and charged with the murder due to the fact he was an employee of the Texas School Book Depository, from where the bullets were fired. He denied the murder and was subsequently killed by a man named Jack Ruby just five days later, before he could be tried. Although LBJ€™s Warren Commission into the death found Oswald to be the lone assassin, conspiracy theories have abounded ever since and many still believe there were more than one gunmen involved. It may forever remain a mystery, but it will never cease to remain an enthralling topic of debate.