In short
On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth shot President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., during a performance of Our American Cousin. Lincoln died the following morning, just days after the Confederacy's surrender and at the moment when his leadership was most needed to guide the nation through Reconstruction.
How it unfolded.
The five-minute version
What actually happened.
On April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, was shot at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., one month into his second term and towards the conclusion of the American Civil War. Lincoln was watching the play Our American Cousin with his wife Mary Todd, Major Henry Rathbone, and Rathbone's fiancé Clara Harris when John Wilkes Booth, an actor and Confederate sympathizer, shot him in the head. Lincoln was taken to the Petersen House across the street, where he was pronounced dead the following morning.
As it was happening
11 voices, 20 days.
One beat at a time. Click any dot on the timeline to jump, press play for autoplay, or use the arrow keys to step.
Lee surrenders at Appomattox
General Robert E. Lee surrenders the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia to General Ulysses S. Grant, effectively ending major combat in the Civil War.
Voices from this moment (1)
Lee surrenders at Appomattox
Apr 9
“General Robert E.”
As it was happening
11 voices, 20 days.
Day 0 · April 9, 1865
Lee surrenders at Appomattox
General Robert E. Lee surrenders the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia to General Ulysses S. Grant, effectively ending major combat in the Civil War.
“General Robert E.”
- Lee surrenders at Appomattox, Apr 9
Day 2 · April 11, 1865
Lincoln's last public speech
Lincoln delivers remarks from the White House balcony outlining his Reconstruction policy, advocating for limited federal intervention and rapid readmission of Southern states.
“Lincoln delivers remarks from the White House balcony…”
- Lincoln's last public speech, Apr 11
Day 5 · April 14, 1865
Shooting at Ford's Theatre
John Wilkes Booth shoots President Lincoln during the third act of Our American Cousin. Lincoln is carried to the Petersen House across the street.
“John Wilkes Booth shoots President Lincoln during the third…”
- Shooting at Ford's Theatre, Apr 14
Day 6 · April 15, 1865
Lincoln dies
Abraham Lincoln dies at 7:22 a.m. at the Petersen House. Vice President Andrew Johnson is sworn in as the 17th president.
“ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN”
- The New York Times, Apr 15
“HORRIBLE CATASTROPHE - President Lincoln Shot - His Death”
- The Philadelphia Inquirer, Apr 15
“DEATH OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN”
- The Times (London), Apr 17
“ASSASSINAT DU PRESIDENT LINCOLN”
- Le Moniteur Universel, Apr 18
“Abraham Lincoln dies at 7:22 a.”
- Lincoln dies, Apr 15
Day 12 · April 21, 1865
State funeral begins
Lincoln's body lies in state at the Capitol. An estimated 25,000 people file past the coffin.
“Lincoln's body lies in state at the Capitol.”
- State funeral begins, Apr 21
Day 17 · April 26, 1865
Booth killed
John Wilkes Booth is cornered by Union cavalry in a tobacco barn in Virginia and killed during capture.
“THE NATION'S CALAMITY - The Assassination of President…”
- Harper's Weekly, Apr 29
“John Wilkes Booth is cornered by Union cavalry in a tobacco…”
- Booth killed, Apr 26
The numbers.
3 numbers that anchor the scale.
By the numbers
The countable parts.
Lincoln's presidency duration
0 years, 1 month
Lincoln's age at death
0 years old
Days after Lee's surrender
0 days
Front pages.
3 outlets carried the story: The New York Times, The Times (London), Harper's Weekly.
Media coverage
What the world was reading.
5 pieces, ranked by how much they shaped the discourse.
The New York Times
Newspaper · United States · Apr 15, 1865
"ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN"
President Abraham Lincoln was shot by an assassin at Ford's Theatre last evening and died at the Petersen House early this morning. The nation is plunged into mourning as Vice President Andrew Johnson assumes the presidency.
- Apr 15, 1865
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Newspaper · United States
"HORRIBLE CATASTROPHE - President Lincoln Shot - His Death"
Synthesized from period reporting - A terrible blow has fallen upon the nation. President Lincoln, while attending a theatrical performance, was shot by an assassin and expired this morning. The country mourns the loss of its war-time leader.
- Apr 17, 1865
The Times (London)
Newspaper · United Kingdom
"DEATH OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN"
Dispatches from America confirm that President Lincoln has fallen by the hand of an assassin at Washington. The shocking event has reverberated across the Atlantic and is received with universal expressions of regret throughout Europe.
- Apr 29, 1865
Harper's Weekly
Magazine · United States
"THE NATION'S CALAMITY - The Assassination of President Lincoln"
Synthesized from period reporting - The assassination of Abraham Lincoln, perpetrated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre on the night of April 14th, stands as the blackest crime in American annals. Harper's examines the conspiracy and its implications for the Union's future.
- Apr 18, 1865
Le Moniteur Universel
Newspaper · France
"ASSASSINAT DU PRESIDENT LINCOLN"
FR: 'Le president des Etats-Unis a ete assassine' / EN: 'The President of the United States has been assassinated'. France receives news of Lincoln's death with shock, recognizing the magnitude of the tragedy for American reconstruction efforts.
Captured in time.
Captured before it changed
The web as it looked, the day it happened.
Wayback Machine snapshots of the pages people actually loaded that day. Click any card to open the archive at full size.
Sources & citations.
Sources
Where this came from.
Every claim on this page traces to a public, license-clean source. We don't asterisk well.
Wikipedia
1 source- 1.Lincoln was assassinated
en.wikipedia.org