1 Julius Caesar
He was assassinated on 15 March 44 (BC) by a group of senators – almost 60 of them, while he was in Pompey. A powerful military and political personage, he was responsible for raising the Roman Empire to new heights. His death triggered the end of the Roman Republic.
2 Abraham Lincoln
Assassinated in 1865 by John Wilkes Booth, Abraham Lincoln’s death was the aftermath of a divisive civil war in the United States. Ranked among the greatest Presidents of the United States, he staked his career on the abolition of slavery, and on preventing the United States from breaking up into two.
3 Franz Ferdinand
His murder on June 28th, 1914 was the spark for the beginning of World War 1. He was the Archduke of Austria and he was assassinated by a bunch of Serbian zealots. Two months later Austria and Hungary declared war on Serbia leading to a conflict that lasted 4 years and engulfed most of Europe.
4 Mahatma Gandhi
Soon after India gained its independence from England, the main architect of its struggle for independence, M.K.Gandhi was killed by a Hindu fanatic, Nathuram Godse in 1948. In his death, India lost a leader who had the ability to lead its teeming masses, without raising his voice or advocating drastic measures.
5 John F. Kennedy
When John F. Kennedy was assassinated allegedly by Lee Harvey Oswald in 1961, in Dallas, Texas, it was witnessed on nationwide television. He was a charismatic personality and many believed that he had the potential and ability to be a great President.
6 Martin Luther King Jr.
The man who spearheaded the American Civil Rights movement, Martin Luther King had been in the forefront of campaign to end racial discrimination in the United States. He was killed by James Earl Ray, while he was standing on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis on April 4th 1968. His death was followed by racial riots in many parts of the country.
7 John Lennon
One of the founding members of The Beatles, John Lennon went on to make a name for himself as a solo artist and also as a peace activist. He was shot dead on the steps of his home in New York, by David Chapman in 1980. The reasons behind this assassination are still not clear, even though Chapman was arrested and convicted of the crime.
8 Indira Gandhi
She was assassinated while she was the Prime Minister of India, by her own Sikh bodyguards, as a repercussion to her campaign against the separatists in the Sikh Holy Shrine, the Golden Temple. Her death triggered off violent riots in Delhi and adjoining areas.
9 Malcolm X
Malcolm X was a Black Muslim leader and the power behind the Black Power movement in the 1960s and 1970s. He advocated radical measures to regain the respect due to the African Americans and led them through turbulent times. He was killed by members of the Nation of Islam who objected to his joining the Sunni Muslims.
10 Lee Harvey Oswald
His assassination on full view of nationwide television by Jack Ruby, was not of great political significance, but it left unanswered many questions about JFK’s killing. Oswald had been charged with assassinating Kennedy, but the trial had not yet begun, when he was killed in the Police Headquarters in 1963.
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