Cut Short (part II)

Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929 - 1968)

Martin Luther King served as a star spokesman for the Civil Rights Movement in America, pushing for the equality of African Americans through nonviolent means, but he was silenced before he had the opportunity to see his efforts succeed. On April 4th, 1968, the civil rights leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner was shot and killed by James Earl Ray as he stood on the balcony of his hotel room. King’s death widened the gap between whites and blacks, caused riots and spurred the expansion of radical African American movements like the Black Panthers.

John F. Kennedy (1917 - 1963)

Tragedy has befallen many members of the Kennedy family; for example, JFK’s brother Bobby was assassinated by Sirhan Sirhan in 1968 while he campaigned for President. But, perhaps most famous was the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22nd, 1963. Shot by a sniper’s bullet while riding through Dealey Plaza in Texas, JFK’s death is shrouded in conspiracy, with the official story placing the gun in the hands of former Marine Lee Harvey Oswald. But, since Oswald was shot just days later by Jack Ruby while in police custody, we may never know the truth for certain.

Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)

After guiding America through the most tumultuous time in its young history, Lincoln had locked in his legacy by 1865. But any other accomplishments he might’ve achieved were thwarted during a play at the Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. on April 14th, 1865. With the Civil War drawing to a close, actor and Confederate John Wilkes Booth snuck into the President’s box and shot him in the head. Booth then jumped to the stage with a knife and apparently uttered in Latin “thus always to tyrants,” a phrase attributed to Brutus during Caesar’s assassination. Lincoln died the next day.

Julius Caesar (100 - 44 BC)

Perhaps history’s most famous assassination thanks to its retelling by Shakespeare, the death of Julius Caesar is memorable as both drama and historical fact. After Caesar was named “Dictator for life” by the Senate, a plan to remove him was almost immediately devised by Senate members calling themselves Liberators, who feared Caesar threatened their power. Together, this group of roughly 60 of some of Caesar’s closest allies violently beat and stabbed him to death. Their later attempts to install a tyrannical government were met with protests from the lower-class Romans, and ultimately Caesar’s heir Octavian gained power.

Mahatma Gandhi (1869 - 1948)

He spent his life as a symbol of peace, but died a victim of violence. In life, Mahatma Gandhi led India to independence from Great Britain using nonviolent tactics rather than revolution. Despite his success, some objected to his peaceful approach, including Nathuram Godse. The Hindu nationalist disagreed with Gandhi’s support of Pakistan and perceived preference toward Pakistani Muslims over Indian Hindus. This caused Godse to fire three fatal shots at Gandhi while he was in New Delhi on January 30th, 1948. Millions subsequently honored the fallen leader, and his policies of compassion are still praised today.