Lincoln Shot at Ford's Theatre: A Nation Shattered
John Wilkes Booth shot Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre at approximately 10:15 PM on April 14, 1865, during a performance of Our American Cousin. Booth, a famous actor who knew the theater's layout, entered the presidential box and fired a .44 caliber Derringer into the back of Lincoln's head from point-blank range. He then leapt to the stage, catching his spur on a Treasury Guard flag and breaking his left fibula. Booth shouted "Sic semper tyrannis" (Thus always to tyrants) and escaped on horseback. Lincoln never regained consciousness and died at 7:22 AM the next morning at the Petersen House across the street. Secretary of War Edwin Stanton reportedly said "Now he belongs to the ages." Lincoln was 56.
April 14, 1865
161 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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