A historical archive
Explore U.S. Presidential Assassination Attempts
A searchable, editorial archive of attempts, plots, and incidents involving U.S. presidents, presidents-elect, vice presidents, and major candidates — from 1835 to 2026. Each record is labeled with confidence and historical context.
- Recorded events
- 42
- Successful
- 6
- Failed / foiled
- 36
- Eras covered
- 9
Notable events
High-confidence successful assassinations and significant attempts.
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln at Ford's Theatre; Lincoln died the next morning.
Assassination of James A. Garfield
Garfield was shot by Charles Guiteau and later died after prolonged medical complications.
Assassination of William McKinley
McKinley was shot at close range by anarchist Leon Czolgosz and died eight days later.
Assassination of John F. Kennedy
Kennedy was fatally shot during a Dallas motorcade.
Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy
Robert F. Kennedy was shot after winning the California Democratic primary.
Attempted Assassination of Donald Trump
Allen was charged after an alleged armed attempt connected to the White House Correspondents' Dinner; the case remains pending.
Earliest in the archive
A glimpse of the chronological record. Open the full timeline for more.
Attempted Assassination of Andrew Jackson
Richard Lawrence attempted to shoot President Andrew Jackson, but both pistols failed to fire.
1861Plot Against Abraham Lincoln
An alleged plot to assassinate Lincoln in Baltimore before his inauguration led to a secret nighttime transit through the city.
1865Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln at Ford's Theatre; Lincoln died the next morning.
1865Plot Against Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was targeted in Booth's broader conspiracy, but George Atzerodt failed to act.
1881Assassination of James A. Garfield
Garfield was shot by Charles Guiteau and later died after prolonged medical complications.
1901Assassination of William McKinley
McKinley was shot at close range by anarchist Leon Czolgosz and died eight days later.
1909Plot Against William Howard Taft
During Taft's meeting with Mexican President Porfirio Díaz, an armed man was reportedly stopped near the route.
1910Plot Against William Howard Taft
A reported threat against Taft was relayed to police, but no attacker was identified.
What readers are saying
"Finally a resource that treats this subject seriously. Every event is sourced and the confidence ratings are a great touch."
"The interactive timeline is incredible. I spent an hour going through the 20th century alone. Highly recommend for anyone interested in U.S. history."
"Used this for a research paper. The map view and AI chat made it so much easier to cross-reference events and locations."
"Didn't realize how many close calls there were throughout American history. This archive is eye-opening."
"The editorial tone is exactly right — factual, not sensational. I've shared it with my students as a primary reference."
"Bookmarked immediately. The search and filter on the explore page alone is worth it."
