Profession: Assassin
Biography: John Wilkes Booth was an American stage actor and Confederate sympathizer who is infamous for his assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Booth's act marked the first time a sitting U.S. president was assassinated, and his deed significantly altered the course of Reconstruction and the aftermath of the Civil War.
Born into a prominent family of actors in Maryland, Booth was a well-known and charismatic stage performer, having starred in productions in various cities across the United States. Despite his successful acting career, Booth became increasingly absorbed with the political conflicts of his time. He was a strong supporter of the Confederacy and opposed to Lincoln and the Union's efforts during the Civil War.
Booth's political views and his deep resentment toward Lincoln led him to conspire initially to kidnap the president. The surrender of General Robert E. Lee and the imminent end of the Civil War, however, prompted Booth to change his plans.
On the evening of April 14, 1865, Booth entered Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., where President Lincoln was watching a play. Booth shot Lincoln once in the back of the head, and the president died the following morning. Booth then fled the theatre, leading to a massive manhunt.
Booth was on the run for 12 days before Union soldiers tracked him down to a farm in Virginia. Refusing to surrender, Booth was shot by Sergeant Boston Corbett and died from his wounds.
Born: May 10, 1838
Birthplace: Bel Air, Maryland, USA
Star Sign: Taurus
Died: April 26, 1865 (aged 26)
Cause of Death: Shot in the neck by Union soldier Boston Corbett contrary to orders to take him alive
Articles and Photos
Abraham Lincoln, the Presidential Icon
Abraham Lincoln, hailed by many as the greatest President of the United States, was born in poverty on this day in a one-room rural cabin, the son of a farmer.
February 12, 1809
Final Deadly Performance of a Twisted Actor
From a celebrated family of actors came a young man with a twisted mind whose last performance involved the death of a president.
February 20, 1817
John Wilkes Booth at Lincoln's Inauguration
A photo of Abraham Lincoln's second inauguration in 1865, highlighting the location of his eventual assassin John Wilkes Booth as Lincoln makes his speech
March 4, 1865
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln is shot in the Ford's Theatre in Washington D.C. by John Wilkes Booth
April 14, 1865
Abraham Lincoln's Deathbed
The bed on which Abraham Lincoln died hours after being shot by John Wilkes Booth, taken shortly after Lincoln's body was removed
April 15, 1865
Execution of Lincoln's Assassins
Mary Surratt, Lewis Powell, David Herold, and George Atzerodt are hanged for their part in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln
July 7, 1865
‘Dirty Rat’ Lets His Mother Die
Before Abraham Lincoln was assassinated there was a plan to kidnap the President, which resulted on this day in the arrest of John Surratt, one of the plotters.
August 9, 1867
Historical Events
- 1853-01-23 John Wilkes Booth is baptized at St. Timothy's Protestant Episcopal Church
- 1865-03-04 Abraham Lincoln inaugurated for his 2nd term as US President. The man who would assassinate him weeks later, John Wilkes Booth, is photographed attending the inauguration.
- 1865-04-14 US President Abraham Lincoln is shot in the head by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater in Washington; he dies a day later
- 1865-04-15 Abraham Lincoln dies nine hours after he is shot by John Wilkes Booth while attending the play "Our American Cousin" at Ford's Theatre in Washington
Biographies and Sources
- John Wilkes Booth - American Battlefield Trust
- John Wilkes Booth - PBS
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