Craziest Political Assassinations in History

The Infographics Show・2 minutes read

Numerous political figures, including Fidel Castro and Indira Gandhi, faced multiple assassination attempts, with various elaborate methods used by attackers. Despite many attempts, several high-profile figures, such as Margaret Thatcher and Andrew Jackson, managed to survive assassination plots through luck or misfortune.

Insights

  • The CIA made numerous attempts on Fidel Castro's life, including poisoned cigars and exploding cigars, showcasing the extreme lengths to which they went to eliminate him.
  • Political assassinations throughout history have involved intricate plots like mechanical devices, poison-laced pens, and ricin-filled umbrellas, demonstrating the creativity and ruthlessness employed in such acts.

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Recent questions

  • How many assassination attempts did Fidel Castro survive?

    Hundreds

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Summary

00:00

"Failed and Outlandish Political Assassination Attempts"

  • Fidel Castro survived 634 to 638 assassination attempts, many orchestrated by the CIA, including poisoned cigars and exploding cigars.
  • The CIA sought advice from mobsters like Sam Giancana and Santos Trafficant to eliminate Castro, with poison pills being suggested but ultimately failing.
  • The CIA devised outlandish assassination plots against Castro, including explosives in a seashell and a pen with a poison-laced hypodermic needle.
  • Marita Lorenz, Castro's lover and a CIA contract agent, was given botulism-toxin pills to poison Castro but failed due to cold-cream storage and Castro's survival.
  • Indira Gandhi, India's Prime Minister, was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards in 1984 due to controversial decisions, highlighting the danger of creating grudges with bodyguards.
  • Nero, the Roman emperor, plotted to assassinate his mother, Agrippina the Younger, using a mechanical ceiling and a sinking ship, ultimately resorting to a traditional assassination method.
  • Jörg Jenatsch, a Swiss political leader, was assassinated by an assassin dressed as a bear during Carnival, showcasing the elaborate and unexpected nature of political assassinations.
  • Patrice Lumumba, Congo's Prime Minister, was executed by firing squad during a coup in 1961, with failed attempts including poisoning his food and toothpaste by the CIA.
  • Admiral-General Luis Carrero Blanco, Spain's Prime Minister, was assassinated by ETA members using explosives in a tunnel under his driving route, leading to his death in 1973.
  • Georgi Markov, a Bulgarian dissident writer, was assassinated with ricin-filled umbrella at a bus stop, highlighting the covert and deadly methods used in political assassinations.

11:46

Failed IRA Bombing Targets Thatcher, Leads to Arrest

  • Three weeks before the conference, IRA bomb maker Patrick Magee checked into the Grand Hotel in Brighton, England, under the assumed name of Roy Walsh.
  • Magee planned to place a bomb in Room 629 made from parts of a VCR, timed to explode on October 11 at 2:53 AM.
  • The bomb was intended to collapse the entire building with Margaret Thatcher inside, but it only partially succeeded, killing five people and injuring thirty.
  • Despite the chaos, Thatcher miraculously escaped harm, narrowly avoiding being crushed by a collapsing chimney column.
  • Magee, the bomb maker, was arrested due to leaving fingerprints on his check-in card, receiving eight life sentences and a maximum of 35 years in jail.
  • Thatcher's senior adviser, Harvey Thomas, forgave Magee for the bombing and even became friends with him.
  • Andrew Jackson survived an assassination attempt when two pistols misfired, while Richard Lawrence, believing he was the King of England, failed to kill Jackson due to misfiring guns.
  • Former President Harry Truman nearly slept through his own assassination attempt at Blair House in 1950 by Puerto Rican assailants.
  • Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was fatally shot in public, with the suspect Tetsuya Yamagami blaming the Unification Church for his actions.
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