Ten High Profile Assassinations That Shocked The World

History has known great men and women who have spent their lives to archive their goals which were mainly the betterment of the masses. They face troubles and hatred along the way but they do not give up and maintain their course. Some were lucky because they got a chance to see their dreams come true but others were not so lucky but their goals eventually came true long after their death. If you have a great mind and leadership skills then there are always some people with selfish motives who try to take you out so that you do not become a threat later on. Such great men are in this list of top 10 high-profile assassinations that shocked the world in their own unique way.

10) Abraham Lincoln (1809 – 1865)

We all are aware of the most famous and respected president in American history, Mr Abraham Lincoln was assassinated while he was attending a theatre. At that time the great civil war was in its full swing and the killer was a known ally of the confederates. While the president was enjoying the play from the balcony of the theatre John Wilkes Booth crept behind and shot the president at point-blank range. The president did not die immediately but later that day he was confirmed dead by a doctor.

9) Lord Louis Mountbatten (1900 – 1979)

Lord Mountbatten also met his fate in the form of a bomb that was attached to his boat. A member of the Irish Republican Army named Thomas McMahon knew that Mountbatten likes to go fishing while on a holiday trip to Ireland. Despite the security alerts Mr Mountbatten went on the boat and the 23 Kg bomb was enough to take his life. IRA later claimed the death of Mountbatten and said that their sole motive was to take the attention of the English towards the issue over Ireland.

8) Malcolm X (1925 – 1965)

Malcolm X was a black nationalist who was an African- American Minister and active human rights activist. He has a large following all over the world because of his blunt and courageous steps for the betterment of the black community all over the world. He was a strong member of the Nation of Islam but started to have a dispute with the organization’s head. His role was also portrayed in the famous Will Smith Movie ‘Ali’ based on the life of Mohammad Ali the boxer. While Malcolm X was preparing to address a gathering in Manhattan he was shot dead by three members of the Nation of Islam and died on the spot.

7) Mohandas Gandhi (1869-1948)

Gandhi is considered among the most famous leaders of the 20th century. He was assassinated by none other than a Hindu himself. While Gandhi was on his way to attend a prayer gathering Nathuram Godse who was a known member of Hindu Mahasabha shot three bullets at point-blank range from a 3 mm pistol. It killed Gandhi on the stop. The motive behind his assassination was that Hindu Mahasabha considered Gandhi as a supporter of separate of India into two parts.

6) John Lennon (1940-1980)

There may be only a few people who have not heard of the great ‘Beatles’ and John Lennon was the founder of that band. He attained fame all over the world as a singer and songwriter. One evening while was on the way to his home from an evening recording session, he was killed by a known fan of his named Mark Chapman. He was shot in the back four times at the entrance of his apartment.

5) John F Kennedy (1917-1963)

Another famous assassination in human history was of another President of the United States and this time it was J.F. Kennedy. He was shot from a long-range straight to his head while on the move in his car. The video of this gruesome event was captured by the public from various angles and the impact of the bullet killed the president instantly. Later the killer was identified as Harvey Oswald and to this day his intentions for the murder are still unknown.

4) Martin Luther King (1929-1968)

Martin Luther King is the reason for the rights that black people enjoy today in the United States of America. He was a well-respected and known civil rights activist who spent most of his life so that black people can live the same lives as white people without any discrimination. Mr King was assassinated when a man named James Earl Ray shot him in the neck. The bullet was fired while Mr King was standing on his hotel’s balcony and it went through his right cheek, broke his jaw and caused his death instantly. His death cause massive rage across the U.S. and people of all communities joined the riots that protested against his murder.

3) Leon Trotsky (1879-1940)

Leon Trotsky was a communist revolutionary. His death was at the hands of his old enemy Stalin. Trotsky was the founder and leader of the Red Army but later he developed serious disputes with Stalin. He was assassinated by a known agent of NKCD named Ramon Mercader who dealt a fatal blow to the head of Trotsky with an ice axe while he was reading an article.

2) Julius Caesar (100 BC – 44 BC)

A famous name in Roman history, Julius Caesar was a Roman Statesman. His name is well known in history books because of the role he played in the expansion of the Great Roman Empire. His death came at the hands of his political opponents who it is believed to have stabbed him no more than 23 times while Caesar was attending the senate meeting. His death proved to be a huge blow to the Roman Empire because soon after his death the whole system started to collapse and ultimately the Roman Empire fell.

1) Franz Ferdinand (1863-1914)

Franz Ferdinand was an Archduke of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He was shot by a Serbian man who belonged to the Serbian separatist group called Young Bosnia. Mr Ferdinand was killed with his wife while they were going to attend to the injured people at the hospital. Princip known to the killer spotted their car and shot the lady in the stomach area and Mr Ferdinand in the neck. Onlookers tried to aid the dying man but it was too late, he passed away in a matter of minutes. His death caused a chain of events that eventually led to the start of World War I.