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Today in History: John Wilkes Booth fatally shoots President Lincoln

4/14/2026

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Summary

Story summary

On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate sympathizer and actor, assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. Lincoln was attending a performance of "Our American Cousin" with his wife and friends when Booth shot him in the head. He succumbed to his injuries the following morning, marking a pivotal moment in U.S. history.

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Story summary

On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate sympathizer and actor, assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. Lincoln was attending a performance of "Our American Cousin" with his wife and friends when Booth shot him in the head. He succumbed to his injuries the following morning, marking a pivotal moment in U.S. history.