ASSASSINATION, a term denoting the murder of any one by surprise or treachery. It is commonly applied to the murder of a public personage by one who aims solely at the death of his victim. In ancient times, assassination was often even applauded, as in the Scriptural instances of Ehud and Jael, and in the murder of Hipparchus by Harmodius and Aristogeiton; but assassination by fanatics and men devoted to an idea first became prominent in the reli gious struggles of the 16th and 17th centuries. To this class belong the plots against the life of Queen Elizabeth, and in recent years the political assassinations committed by anar chists, while the succession of assassinations of Roman emperors is but a series of murders prompted by self-interest or revenge. Omitting these last, the following list includes the most important assassinations, arranged in chrono logical order. Fuller accounts of the persons mentioned will be found under their particular headings: Philip of Macedon s.c. 366 Tiberius Gracchus s.c. 133 Julius Cesar Mar. 15, s.c. 44 liypat.iil A.D. 415 Thomas 8 Becket Dec. 29. A.D. 1170 Albert I, Emperor of Germany May 1, 1308 James I of Scotland Feb. 21, 1437 Alessandro de Medici Lan. 5, 1537 Cardinal Beaton May 29, 1546 David Riccio Mar. 9, 1566 Lord Darnley Feb. 10, 1567 james. Earl of Murray, Regent of Scotland 23. 1570 'William of Orange July 10, 1584 Henry III of France Aug.ti 1-2, 1589 Henry IV of France May 14, 1610 Villiers, Duke of Buckingham Aug. 23, 1628 Wallenstein Feb. 25, 1634 Archbishop Sharp May 3, 1679 Peter III of Russia July 17, 1762 Gustavus III of Sweden, Mar. 16; d Mar. 29. 1792 Marat by Charlotte Corday July 13, 1793 General Kleber at Cairo June 14, 1800 Paul I, Czar of Russia ar. 24, 1801 Spencer Perceval, premier May 11, 1812 Kotzebue. the dramatist Mar. 23, 1816 Duc de Berri Feb. 13, 1820 Charles III. Duke of Parma, Mar. 26; d Mar. 27, 1854 President Abraham Lincoln, April 14; d April 15. 1865 Michael. Prince of Servia June 10, 1868 Marshal Prim. Dec. 28i d Dec. 30, 1870 Georges Darboy. archbishop of Paris May 24, 1871 Earl of Mayo. governor-general of India Feb. 8. 1872 Sultan Abdul-Aziz June 4, 1876 Alexander II, Czar of Russia Mar. 13, 1881 President James A. Garfield, July 2; d Sept. 19, 1881
Lord Frederick Cavendish and T. H. Burke, in Phcenix Row, Dublin May 6, 1882 Carter Harrison, mayor of Chicago Oct. 28. 1893 President Sadi Carnot, France June 24, 1894 Ex-Premier Stefan Stambula, Bulgaria. July 15; d July 18. 1895 Premier Canvas del Castillo, Spain Aug. 8. 1897 President Juan Idiarte, Uruguay Aug. 25, 1897 Empress Elizabeth of Austria, in Geneva Sept. 10, 1898 Pres. Jose Maria Reyna Barrios, Guatemala Feb. 18, 1898 Pres. Ulisses Heureaux, Santo Domingo July 26, 1899 King Humbert of Italy July 29, 1900 President McKinley, Sept. 6; d Sept. 14, 1901 Alexander of Servia and wife. Queen Draga June 11. 1903 my Plehve. Russian Minister of the Interior y 28, 1904 Grand Duke Sergius of Russia eb. 17, 1905 King Carlos I and son, of Portugal Feb. 1, 1908 Prince Ito of Japan Oct. 26. 1909 Premier Stolypin of Russia Sept. 14, 1911 Prime Minister Canalejas of Spain Nov. 12, 1912 Nazim Pasha. Turkish Minister of War Jan. 23, 1913 Pres. Francisco I. Madeira, of Mexico Feb. 23, 1913 King George of Greece Mar. 18, 1913 Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria-Hun gary and wife. Duchess of Hohenberg June 28. 1914 Jean L. hawks, French Socialist leader July 31, 1914 Pres. Guillaume Sam of Hayti my 28, 1915 Many attempts at assassination have been unsuccessful. Among the most prominent of these may be named: Against Alexander III of Russia, repeatedly; Alfonso XII of Spain, 1878 and 1879; Amadeus of Spain, 1872; Duc d'Au male, 1841; Prince Bismarck, 1866 and 1874; Francis Joseph of Austria, 1853; George III of England, 1786 and 1800; George IV (when Re gent), 1817; Humbert I of Italy, 1878 and 1897; Isabella II of Spain, 1847, 1852 and 1856; Louis Philippe, six attempts from 1835 to 1846; Lord Lytton, viceroy of India, 1878; Baron Har dinge, viceroy of India, 1910; Napoleon I, by infernal machine, 1800; Napoleon III, twice in 1855, and Orsini's attempt in 1858; Queen Vic toria, 10 June 1840, 30 May 1842, 3 July 1842, 19 May 1849 and 2 March 1882; William I of Germany, 1861, 1875 and twice in 1878; Presi dent Diaz of Mexico and President Morales of Brazil, both in 1897; Edward VII as the Prince of Wales in 1900; Alfonso of Spain in 1905, 1906 and 1913. Consult Johnson, 'Famous Assassinations> (Chicago 1903).