Failed assassination: are you curious what historical figures barely escaped assassination in their lifetimes? In world history, there are numerous infamous assassinations that have influenced and shaped the society we live in today. Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and Julius Caesar, just to name a few.
However, how many people stop and think of the numerous failed attempts on the lives of public figures? Even if these assassinations did not manage to fulfill their purpose, their number far exceeds the attempts that actually were a success. And who’s to know how they would have changed the course of history?
Let’s take a look at 5 historical figures that escaped assassination, in the same fashion as our presidential election results recap:
No. 5: Ronald Reagan, 1981
In 1981 a fellow by the name of John Hinkley fired several shots at then-president, Ronald Reagan, severely injuring him. Nonetheless, modern medicine combined with the fact that Reagan had otherwise been a healthy individual prevailed and the president survived. How would have the ‘80s looked like without Reagan at the helm? Hard to imagine.
No. 4: Benito Mussolini, 1926
In 1926, over the span of 7 months, Mussolini faced and survived four separate attempts on his life. During the first attempt, an Irish woman shot at the dictator, nearly taking his nose off. Three other men tried to shot at Mussolini after that, but they all missed their target. It is difficult to imagine what would have happened with the Fascists had one of these attempts been successful.
See other failed assassination attempts on the following pages:
No. 3: Franklin Roosevelt, 1933
Try to imagine the Great Depression and World War II without Roosevelt at the helm of the US. Well, had the 1933 attempt on his life been successful, this would not have been just an exercise of imagination, but a reality. In February of that year, while the president was riding in an open car alongside Chicago mayor, Anton Cermark, in Miami, Florida, Giuseppe Zangara, an Italian immigrant, opened fire aiming for Roosevelt. One of the five shots ended up killing Cermark, but Roosevelt was left unharmed.
No. 2: Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
Lenin is one of the most infamous rulers in the history of the Soviet Union. However, shortly before becoming leader, Lenin nearly lost his life when he was shot at three times by a female opponent, Fanya Kaplin. Though seriously injured, Lenin recovered and used the incident to further his popularity. Who’s to know what would have happened had Fanya aimed better?
No. 1: Adolf Hitler, 1939
Although there have been several attempts on the Nazi dictator’s life, the 1939 one could have likely changed the entire course of World War II, to the point that it may have been prevented altogether. A carpenter by the name of Georg Elser dedicated many years of his life preparing an attempt on Hitler. He spent several years learning how to create a time bomb and travelled to Munich a few weeks before Hitler was supposed to hold a speech at a beer hall. However, unknown to Esler, the speech was delivered earlier and by the time the bomb exploded, the Fuhrer had already left.
